INLAND RATES
Letters
Parcels
Other Classes of Mail
Special Handling
- Registration 1841-1993
- Express/Special Delivery
1891-1993 - Recorded Delivery/
Signed For 1961-date - Priority Services
1993-date
Other
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Parcel Rates 1883-1966
Introduction
11d George VI stamp issued for this second weight step rate, 1947
In 1837 a highly organised parcel service was introduced by the London Parcels Delivery Company. Two years later, postal reformer Henry Cole proposed the introduction of a government Uniform Parcel Post; but this was not pursued because of vigorous objections by railway companies and other parcel carriers. Rowland Hill also urged the establishment of a state parcel service, partly met by the introduction of a Book Post in 1848.
In 1880, the countries of the Universal Postal Union agreed to set up an International Parcel Post. This meant that the British Post Office had to operate a parcels service, too; and, by 1882, plans were under way for its introduction in the following year.
The new inland Parcels Post (as it was called at first) was introduced on 1st August 1883. It was to serve every place in the kingdom, and planning for this was a major task. Every post office had to be enlarged or fitted out for sorting parcels, and every counter provided with scales to weigh them. As the railway companies took 55% of the postage on postal parcels they carried, the Post Office had to set up many new road services by van and cart. Every Letter Carrier's walk had to be altered, so he did not have to carry too heavy a load. The men were given a new name -- in future, as they would no longer just be carrying letters, they were to be called 'Postmen'.
Registration of parcels was introduced on 1st June 1891.
Rates
| Date | Rates | Date | Rates | Date | Rates | Date | Rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883 (1 Aug) |
3d - 1lb 6d - 2lb 9d - 5lb 1s - 7lb |
1886 (1 May) |
3d - 1lb 4½d - 2lb 6d - 3lb 7½d - 4lb 9d - 5lb 10½d - 6lb 1s - 7lb 1s 1½d - 8lb 1s 3d - 9lb 1s 4½d - 10lb 1s 6d - 11lb |
1897 (1 Jun) |
3d - 1lb 4d - 2lb 5d - 3lb 6d - 4lb 7d - 5lb 8d - 6lb 9d - 7lb 10d - 8lb 11d - 9lb 1s - 11lb |
1906 (2 Jul) |
3d - 1lb 4d - 2lb 5d - 3lb 6d - 5lb 7d - 7lb 8d - 8lb 9d - 9lb 10d - 10lb 11d - 11lb |
| 1915 (1 Nov) |
4d - 1lb 5d - 2lb 6d - 3lb 7d - 5lb 8d - 7lb 9d - 8lb 10d - 9lb 11d - 10lb 1s - 11lb |
1918 (3 Jun) |
6d - 3lb 9d - 7lb 1s - 11lb |
1920 (1 Jun) |
9d - 2lb 1s - 5lb 1s 3d - 8lb 1s 6d - 11lb |
1923 (14 May) |
6d - 2lb 9d - 5lb 1s - 8lb 1s 3d - 11lb |
| 1935 (1 Jul) |
6d - 3lb 7d - 4lb 8d - 5lb 9d - 6lb 10d - 7lb 11d - 8lb 1s - 15lb |
1940 (1 Jul) |
7d - 3lb 8d - 4lb 9d - 5lb 10d - 6lb 11d - 7lb 1s - 8lb 1s 1d - 15lb |
1947 (1 Jun) |
8d - 3lb 9d - 4lb 10d - 5lb 11d - 6lb 1s - 7lb 1s 1d - 8lb 1s 2d - 15lb |
1947 (29 Dec) |
9d - 3lb 11d - 4lb 1s - 5lb 1s 1d - 6lb 1s 2d - 7lb 1s 3d - 8lb 1s 4d - 15lb |
| 1950 (31 Jul) |
10d - 3lb 1s - 4lb 1s 2d - 5lb 1s 3d - 6lb 1s 4d - 7lb 1s 5d - 8lb 1s 6d - 15lb |
1951 (1 Jul) |
11d - 3lb 1s 1d - 4lb 1s 3d - 5lb 1s 5d - 6lb 1s 6d - 7lb 1s 7d - 8lb 1s 8d - 15lb |
1952 (31 Mar) |
11d - 2lb 1s 1d - 3lb 1s 3d - 4lb 1s 5d - 5lb 1s 7d - 6lb 1s 9d - 7lb 1s 10d - 8lb 1s 11d - 11lb 2s - 15lb |
1953 (7 Apr) |
1s - 2lb 1s 2d - 3lb 1s 4d - 4lb 1s 6d - 5lb 1s 8d - 6lb 1s 10d - 7lb 1s 11d - 8lb 2s - 11lb 2s 1d - 15lb |
| 1954 (12 Apr) |
1s 1d - 2lb 1s 3d - 3lb 1s 6d - 4lb 1s 8d - 5lb 1s 10d - 6lb 2s - 7lb 2s 1d - 8lb 2s 3d - 11lb 2s 4d - 15lb |
1956 (1 Jan) |
1s 3d - 2lb 1s 5d - 3lb 1s 8d - 4lb 1s 11d - 5lb 2s 1d - 6lb 2s 3d - 7lb 2s 6d - 8lb 2s 8d - 11lb 2s 9d - 15lb |
1956 (1 Jun) |
1s 4d - 2lb 1s 6d - 3lb 1s 9d - 4lb 2s - 5lb 2s 3d - 6lb 2s 6d - 7lb 2s 9d - 8lb 3s - 15lb |
1957 (1 Oct) |
1s 6d - 2lb 1s 9d - 3lb 2s - 4lb 2s 3d - 5lb 2s 9d - 7lb 3s - 8lb 3s 3d - 11lb 3s 6d - 15lb |
| 1961 (1 Oct) |
2s - 2lb 2s 3d - 3lb 2s 6d - 4lb 2s 9d - 5lb 3s - 6lb 3s 3d - 7lb 3s 6d - 8lb 3s 9d - 11lb 4s - 15lb |
1963 (29 Apr) |
2s - 2lb 2s 3d - 3lb 2s 6d - 4lb 2s 9d - 5lb 3s - 6lb 3s 6d - 8lb 4s - 10lb 4s 6d - 12lb 5s - 15lb 5s 9d - 18lb 6s 6d - 22lb |
1965 (17 May) |
2s 9d - 2lb 3s - 3lb 3s 3d - 4lb 3s 6d - 6lb 4s - 8lb 4s 6d - 10lb 5s 6d - 14lb 6s 6d - 18lb 7s 6d - 22lb |
Summary and rates reproduced by courtesy of Post Office Archives.