Acc. & P. Accounts and Papers. A. P. C. Acts of the Privy Council. Add. Additional. Cal. B. P. Calendar of Border Papers. Cal. S. P. Calendar of State Papers. A. & W. I., Col., D., For., and Ire., added to Cal. S. P., indicate respectively to the America and West Indies, Colonial, Domestic, Foreign, and Ireland sections of this series. Cal. T. B. Calendar of Treasury Books. Cal. T. P. Calendar of Treasury Papers. Cal. T. B. & P. Calendar of Treasury Books and Papers. D. N. B. Dictionary National Biography. Fin. Rep., 1797. Finance Reports 1797-98. Hist. MSS. Com. Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. Jo. H. C. Journals of the House of Commons. Jo. H. L. Journals of the House of Lords. Joyce. Joyce, H. The History of the Post Office to 1836. L. & P. Hen. VIII. Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII. Parl. Deb. Hansard, Parliamentary Debates. Parl. Papers. Parliamentary Papers. P. & O. P. C. Proceedings and Ordinances of the Privy Council. Rep. Commrs. Reports from Commissioners. Rep. Com. Reports from Committees. Rep. P. G. Reports of the Postmasters-General. Scobell, Collect. Scobell, H. A Collection of Acts and Ordinances made in the Parliament held 3 Nov., 1640 to 17 Sept., 1656. THE HISTORY OF THE BRITISH POST OFFICE CHAPTER I THE POSTAL ESTABLISHMENT SUPPORTED DIRECTLY BY THE STATE The history of the British Post Office starts with the beginning of the sixteenth century. Long before this, however, a system of communication had been established both for the personal use of the King and for the conveyance of official letters and documents. These continued to be the principal functions of the royal posts until well on in the seventeenth century.