Before my brother, Mr Pearson Hill, died, he read through the greater portion of my work; and although since then much has been remodelled, omitted, and added, the narrative ought to be substantially correct. He supplied sundry details, and more than one anecdote, and is responsible for the story of Lord Canning's curious revelation which has appeared in no previous work. In all that my brother wrote his actual words have been, as far as possible, retained. The tribute to his memory in the first chapter on the Post Office was written after his decease. CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE PREFACE ix INTRODUCTORY 1 I. THE OLD POSTAL SYSTEM 39 II. SOME EARLY POSTAL REFORMERS 70 III. THE PLAN 92 IV. EXIT THE OLD SYSTEM 119 V. AT THE TREASURY 148 VI. THE STAMPS 185 VII. AT THE POST OFFICE 211 VIII. AT THE POST OFFICE (_Continued_) 245 IX. THE SUNSET OF LIFE 286 APPENDIX—RESULTS OF POSTAL REFORM 306 INDEX 311 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS SIR ROWLAND HILL (_Portrait by Rajon_) _Frontispiece_ FIRST SKETCH OF POSTAGE STAMP _Title-page_ ROWLAND HILL'S BIRTHPLACE, KIDDERMINSTER 7 BRUCE CASTLE SCHOOL 15 THOMAS WRIGHT HILL 17 JOSEPH PEARSON (_Bust by Chantrey_) 26 SIR ROWLAND HILL (_Photo by the London Stereoscopic Co._) 49 FACSIMILE OF ROWLAND HILL'S WRITING 97 NO. 2 BURTON CRESCENT 109 CAROLINE PEARSON, LADY HILL 141 NO. 1 ORME SQUARE 149 AN OLD POST OFFICE 157 THE MULREADY ENVELOPE 205 SIR ROWLAND HILL (_Photo by Maull & Polyblank_) 209 EARLY TRAVELLING POST OFFICE WITH MAIL-BAGS EXCHANGE APPARATUS 240 PEARSON HILL 244 SIR ROWLAND HILL (_“Graphic” portrait_) 286 THE STATUE, KIDDERMINSTER 301 INTRODUCTORY