Post Office premises
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The Royal Mail Archive holds a variety of different sources that will assist local historians in their research on particular Post Office premises. The material is scattered over a number of archive classes as well as our Portfolio Collection:
- POST 74: Solicitor's Department (contains prosecution briefs)
- POST 118: Photographs 20th century
- POST 55: Handstruck Date Stamps Proof Books
- POST 29, 34, 39, 41 and 43 for packet records (mail sent by sea)
- POST 40 Postmaster General's Reports
- POST 92 Post Office Publications
Here are four examples of material on Post Office premises in our collection:
Extract from Packet Office Letter Book, 29 March 1705, finding number: POST 48/1
This
extract from the Falmouth, Harwich and Dover Packet Office Letter Book
is a letter dated 29 March 1705. It was written by the Postmaster
General to Mr Jones who was in charge of Falmouth Post Office Packet
Station. The letter informs Mr Jones of the imminent arrival of a Mr
Srudy to investigate reports of trouble in his Packet Station.
If
you are studying a coastal town post office or one of the
Packet Stations like Harwich or Falmouth then many of the packet
records are likely to prove of interest. The Packet Reports 1807-1837
can be found in POST 39 and POST 41, Packet Minutes 1811-1920 POST 29 and POST 34, and various packet records are contained in POST 43.
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Sketch from Postmaster General's Report, 22 May 1802, finding number: POST 40/79
This sketch, dating from 1802, is the earliest reference to Sanquhar Sub Post Office in our archive. Situated in the hills of Upper Nithsdale in Dumfries, Sanquhar is possibly the world's oldest working post office.
The sketch comes from a Postmaster General's Report recommending a three-day post between Cumnock and Sanquhar. This was intended to speed the mail between Ayr and Dumfries. The sketch shows the three different postal routes including the present route and the two shorter proposed lines.
The earliest known evidence of the existence of a post office in Sanquhar is an entry in the Edinburgh Almanack of 1763, which told the pubic that:
"...Post for Sanquhar left Edinburgh on Saturday evenings at 9.00pm, arriving back in Edinburgh on the following afternoon"
Local records suggest that there was a Postmaster in Sanquhar as early as 1739.
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Plan for land in Bristol, 13 September 1907, finding number POST 74/14
This plan is taken from a lease between the Trustees of the Bristol Municipal Charities and His Majesty's Postmaster General.
It shows a piece of ground situated in Pile Street in the Parish of St Mary Redcliffe in the City of Bristol. This is the land on which the Bristol temporary post office was built. The lease is for a term of five years from 21 December 1906. The plan shows skylights, drainage easement and 'Ancient Lights'.
Large image (232 KB)The Post Office in Bristol Information Booklet, undated, finding number 7 Gen
This information booklet published by the General Post Office is part of our Search Room Library.
The booklet covers the development of the postal services in Bristol from as early as c.1670. It contains some excellent images of mail coaches as well as photographs of the Bristol Head Post Office and the Bristol Postmen’s Office, both situated in Small Street. It also gives details of sorting office operations, and information on traffic and staff.
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