Produced by Adrian Mastronardi, S.D., The Philatelic Digital Library Project at http://www.tpdlp.net and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Transcriber’s Note: This book contains Unicode characters, such as c̄ (c with combining macron). You may need to use a different font in order for them to display properly. In the plain-text versions of this book, superscripted letters are represented with curly brackets, as in W{m}. For detailed information about this transcription, please see the end of the text. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Papers from the Historical Seminary of Brown University Edited by J. FRANKLIN JAMESON, Ph. D., Professor of History II THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE COLONIAL POST-OFFICE by MARY E. WOOLLEY Reprinted from the Publications of the Rhode Island Historical Society PROVIDENCE, R. I. 1894 EARLY HISTORY OF THE COLONIAL POST OFFICE. A letter written in 1652, by Samuel Symonds of Ipswich, to John Winthrop, Jr., at Pequot, says: “I cannot say but its besides my intentions that I write not more frequently unto you; I can onely plead this for my excuse (soe farr as it will goe) ... and the uncertainty when and how to convey letters.”[1] [1] _Mass. Historical Collections_, 4th Series, Vol. VII., p. 128. A glance at the correspondence of that period shows that Mr. Symonds was not the only one inconvenienced by the “uncertainty when and how to convey letters.” With no domestic postal service the writers of that day were dependent upon individual bearers and pressed neighbors, relatives, merchants, sea captains, any and every one whom they could reach, into the service. Indians were often used as messengers. Roger Williams writing to John Winthrop, at some time in the ’30’s, speaks of word “by this bearer Wequash whome (being a Pequt himselfe) I commended for a guide in the Pequt expedition;” again, “I pray let your servant direct the native with this letter;” and at still another time, “From your owne hand (by Robin Causasenamont).”[2] [2] _Mass. Historical Collections_, 4th Series, Vol. VI., pp. 242, 256, 276. John Endicott writes to John Winthrop, April 13, 1638: “Your kinde lines I receaued by Mascanomet;” and a letter from the Isle of Wight (near Long Island), dated “Aprill 27, 1650,” says, “I resavid yours by the Indian.”[3] [3] _Mass. Historical Collections_, 4th Series, Vol. VII.