Postal rates. Domestic, colonial & foreign
A TABLE of the Port of all Letters and Pacquets establish'd by Act of Parliament in the Ninth Year of the Reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne, Entituled An ACT for Establishing a General Post-Office for all Her Majesty's Dominions.
In ENGLAND.
For every Letter, Piece of Paper or Pacquet, the Rates following; viz.
BETWEEN London and any Place not exceeding 80 English Miles distant, | Single | 0s. 3d. |
(and not coming from, or directed on Board any Ship) | Double | 0s. 6d. |
And proportionably to the said Rates, for the Port of every Pacquet of Letters, | Treble | 0s. 9d. |
And for the Port of every Pacquet of Writs, Deeds, and other Things, | per Ounce | 1s. 0d. |
Between London and any Place above 80 Miles distant, within the Kingdom of | Single | 0s. 4d. |
England and Town of Berwick upon Tweed (Ship Letters excepted, as aforesaid) | Double | 0s. 8d. |
And proportionably to the said Rates for every Pacquet of letters, | Treble | 1s. 0d. |
And for every Pacquet of Writs, Deeds, and other Things, | per Ounce | 1s. 4d. |
PENNY-POST.
For the Port of all and every the Letters and Pacquets, Passing or Repassing by the Penny-Post within the Cities of London and Westminster, and Borough of Southwark, and within ten English Miles distant from London, | 0s. 1d. |
SCOTLAND.
Between London and Edinburgh, Dumfries, or Cockburnspeth, (and not coming from | Single | 0s. 6d. |
or directed on Board any Ship) | Double | 1s. 0d. |
And proportionably to the said Rates for the Port of every Pacquet of Letters | Treble | 1s. 6d. |
And for the Port of every Pacquet of Writs, Deeds, and other Things, | per Ounce | 2s. 0d. |
Between Edinburgh and any Place in Scotland not exceeding 50 English Miles | Single | 0s. 2d. |
distant (and not coming from, or directed on Board any Ship) | Double | 0s. 4d. |
And proportionably to the said Rates for the Port of every Pacquet of letters | Treble | 0s. 6d. |
And for the Port of every Pacquet of Writs, Deeds, and other Things, | per Ounce | 0s. 8d. |
Between Edinburgh and any Place in Scotland above 50 English Miles distant, and | Single | 0s. 3d. |
not exceeding 80 Miles, (Ship-Letters excepted, as aforesaid) | Double | 0s. 6d. |
And proportionably to the said Rates for every Pacquet of letters, | Treble | 0s. 9d. |
And for the Port of every Pacquet of Writs, Deeds, and other Things, | per Ounce | 1s. 0d. |
Between Edinburgh and any Place in Scotland above 80 English Miles distant, | Single | 0s. 4d. |
(Ship-Letters excepted, as aforesaid) | Double | 0s. 8d. |
And proportionably to the said Rates for the Port of every Pacquet of letters, | Treble | 1s. 0d. |
And for the Port of every Pacquet of Writs, Deeds, and other Things, | per Ounce | 1s. 4d. |
Between Donachadee in Ireland, and Port-Patrick in Scotland, for Port of all | Single | 0s. 2d. |
Letters and Pacquets, (over and above the Inland Rates) to be paid at the | Double | 0s. 4d. |
Place where such Letters or Pacquets are put in, | Treble | 0s. 6d. |
per Ounce | 0s. 8d. |
IRELAND.
Between London and Dublin, (and not coming from, or directed on Board any | Single | 0s. 6d. |
Ship, | Double | 1s. 0d. |
And proportionably to the said Rates, for the Port of every Pacquet of Letters, | Treble | 1s. 6d. |
And for the Port of every Pacquet of Writs, Deeds, and other Things, | per Ounce | 2s. 0d. |
Between Dublin and any Place in Ireland, not exceeding 40 English Miles distant, | Single | 0s. 2d. |
(Ship-Letters excepted, as aforesaid) | Double | 0s. 4d. |
And proportionably to the said Rates, for the Port of every Pacquet of Letters, | Treble | 0s. 6d. |
And for the Port of every Pacquet of Writs, Deeds, and other Things, | per Ounce | 0s. 8d. |
Between Dublin and any Place in Ireland above 40 English Miles distant, | Single | 0s. 4d. |
(Ship-Letters excepted, as aforesaid) | Double | 0s. 8d. |
And proportionably to the said Rates, for the Port of every Pacquet of Letters, | Treble | 1s. 0d. |
And for the Port of every Pacquet of Writs, Deeds, and other Things, | per Ounce | 1s. 4d. |
SHIP-LETTERS.
For the Port of all and every the Letters and Pacquets, directed to, or brought from on Board any Ship or Vessel, riding in any Port within His Majesty's Dominions, (over and above the Rates granted by this Act) | 0s. 1d. |
CROSS STAGES.
For the Port of all By and Way-Letters and Pacquets, convey'd by Post in any Cross Stages whatsoever within His Majesty's Dominions, to pay the same Rates in proportion to the Distances of the Places to which they are directed, from the Places at which they are put in, as Letters convey'd and reconvey'd to and from London are rated to pay.
FOREIGN LETTERS.
From any Part of Holland, France, or Flanders, to London, and to or from London | Single | 0s. 10d. |
to Hamburgh. | Double | 1s. 8d. |
Treble | 2s. 6d. | |
Ounce | 3s. 4d. | |
To, or from, London and any Part of Spain or Portugal through France, or by | Single | 1s. 6d. |
Pacquet-Boats. | Double | 3s. 0d. |
Treble | 4s. 6d. | |
Ounce | 6s. 0d. | |
To, or from, London and any Part of Italy, Sicily, Turkey, Switzerland, (except | Single | 1s. 3d. |
Geneva) Alsace, and Port-Mahon; and the Towns of Nancy, Barliduc and | Double | 2s. 6d. |
Luneville in Lorraine through France, | Treble | 3s. 9d. |
Ounce | 5s. 0d. | |
To, or from, London and any Part of Italy, Sicily, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, | Single | 1s. 0d. |
Sweden, Russia, and all Parts of the North, through Holland or Flanders, | Double | 2s. 0d. |
Treble | 3s. 0d. | |
Ounce | 4s. 0d. |
N. B. All Letters, &c. from any Part of Great Britain or Ireland for any of the aforementioned Places, are also to pay the Inland Port to London.
All Merchants Accounts, not exceeding one Sheet of Paper, and all Bills of Exchange, Invoices, and Bills of Lading, to or from any of the above foreign Parts or Places, and the Covers of Letters to or from Turkey, not exceeding one quarter of a Sheet of Paper, are to pass without Payment of the aforesaid Rates.
The Departure of the Foreign Mails from, and Arrival at London.
Depart to | Arrive, Wind permitting. |
France, Mondays and Thursdays. | Mondays and Wednesdays. |
Holland, Tuesdays and Fridays. | Mondays and Fridays. |
Flanders, Tuesdays and Fridays. | Mondays and Fridays. |
Portugal, every Tuesday. | Uncertain. |
Spain, every other Tuesday. | Uncertain. |
Directions to the DEPUTY-POSTMASTERS.
YOU are to take notice, That no Letters ought to be received by you, directed unto any Parts beyond the Seas, unless the full Port of the same unto London be paid, and also the Port that must be paid from the Inland Post-Office to the Foreign Post-Office, according to the Rates hereafter mentioned: viz.
For all Letters and Pacquets to any Part of Spain or Portugal, | Single | 1s. 6d. |
Double | 3s. 0d. | |
Treble | 4s. 6d. | |
per Ounce | 6s. 0d. | |
For all Letters and Pacquets to any Part of Italy, Sicily, Turkey, Switzerland, | Single | 1s. 3d. |
(except Geneva) Alsace, Port-Mahon, and the Towns of Nancy, Barliduc, and | Double | 2s. 6d. |
Luneville in Lorraine, through France, | Treble | 3s. 9d. |
per Ounce | 5s. 0d. | |
For all Letters and Pacquets to any Part of Italy, Sicily, Germany, Switzerland, | Single | 1s. 0d. |
Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and all Parts of the North, through Holland or | Double | 2s. 0d. |
Flanders, | Treble | 3s. 0d. |
per Ounce | 4s. 0d. | |
For all Letters and Pacquets to Hamburgh, | Single | 0s. 10d. |
Double | 1s. 8d. | |
Treble | 2s. 6d. | |
per Ounce | 3s. 4d. | |
But you are to take no Foreign Port for any Letters or Pacquets to France, Flanders or Holland, but only the full Inland Postage to London. | ||
For every Letter and Pacquet directed to Persons on Board Ships in any Port or Harbour in Great Britain or Ireland, you are (over and above the Postage due for the same to London and forwards) to receive one Penny, | 0s. 1d. |
THAT all Inland Letters and Pacquets shall pay the Rates abovementioned at the Place they are last deliver'd, unless the Party that puts them in desireth to pay it, and unless they are directed on Board any Ship (or are sent by the Penny-Post;) and unless they be Letters and Pacquets going out of Great Britain, which have usually paid the Rates in England.
That the Postmaster-General, and his Deputies, shall receive of every Person that they shall furnish with Horses and Furniture, or with Horses, Furniture and Guide, to ride Post in any of the Post-Roads of Great Britain or Ireland, Threepence British Money, for each Horse-hire for every English Mile, and Four-pence for the Guide of every Stage; but shall not charge any Person riding Post for the carrying any Bundle or Parcel along with him, so as the same exceed not the Weight of eighty Pounds Averdupois, to be laid on the Horse rid by the Guide: And no Deputy is oblig'd to carry above that Weight for any Person riding Post.
That if any Deputy-Postmaster in any of His Majesty's Dominions doth not, or cannot furnish any Person riding Post with sufficient Horses, within the Space of half an Hour after Demand, such Person is left at liberty to provide himself as well as he can to the next Stage, and so at every Stage where he shall not be furnished. And the Person who shall furnish such Horses shall not be liable to any Penalty contained in the said Act, by Reason thereof.
But if through Default or Neglect of the Deputy-Postmaster, the Person riding Post shall fail of being furnished with sufficient Horses, after Demand as aforesaid, then the Deputy-Postmaster so offending shall in every such Case forfeit five Pounds, one Moiety to the King, and the other to the Person who shall sue for the same.
That for the Encouragement of Masters of Ships, and other Persons on board Ships, on their Arrival at any Port, to deliver to the Deputy-Postmaster at such Port-Town all such Letters and Pacquets as they have on Board, The Deputy-Postmaster shall pay to such Masters or other Persons, One Penny per Letter for every Letter delivered by them; They signing a Certificate of the Number of Letters, by what Ship brought, and of the Time when delivered, and giving a Receipt for the Number of Pence they receive of such Deputy: Which Certificate and Receipt, together with the Letters so delivered, shall by the next Post be return'd to the Postmaster-General, and the Deputy shall have Credit for the Money paid by him on that Account.
Egmont & Robert Hampden, Postmaster General.