E-text prepared by Adrian Mastronardi, The Philatelic Digital Library Project (http://www.tpdlp.net), Julia Neufeld, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 38328-h.htm or 38328-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/38328/pg38328-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/38328/38328-h.zip) Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals. The carat character (^) indicates that the following letter is superscripted (example: Y^e). If two or more letters are superscripted they are enclosed in curly brackets (example: Hon^{able.}). Archaic spelling and punctuation have been retained. THE HISTORY OF THE POST OFFICE From Its Establishment Down to 1836 by HERBERT JOYCE, C.B. Of the Post Office [Illustration: Publisher Logo] London Richard Bentley & Son, New Burlington Street Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen 1893 CONTENTS CHAPTER I Introduction--Master of the Posts--Posts centred in the Sovereign-- Instructions for their Regulation--Travelling Post--Object of the Post Office Monopoly Page 1 CHAPTER II The Post through the County of Kent--This Post put under the care of De Quester--Stanhope of Harrington, as Master of the Posts, asserts his Rights--Vacillating Decisions of the Privy Council--Sir John Coke--Thomas Witherings 8 CHAPTER III Decadence of the Posts--Witherings's Plan--Introduction of Postage-- Concessions to the common Carrier--Post-haste--Witherings appointed Master of the Inland as well as the Foreign Posts--His Dismissal--Philip Burlamachi--Dissensions between the Lords and Commons--Edmund Prideaux appointed Witherings's Successor 15 CHAPTER IV Prideaux's Activity--Unauthorised Post set up to Scotland--System of Farming--Prideaux ceases to be Master of the Posts--Secretary Thurloe-- The Posts become the Subject of Parliamentary Enactment--Rates of Postage--Letters circulate through London--The Travelling Post not a Source of Revenue--Clement Oxenbridge 24 CHAPTER V Frequent Change of Farmers--Tediousness of the Course of Post--Existence of the Posts not a matter of common Knowledge--Dockwra's Penny Post--Introduction of Postmarks--Penny Post incorporated into the General Post--Dockwra's Dismissal 33 CHAPTER VI