Read Ebook: The Early History of the Colonial Post-Office by Woolley Mary Emma

Font size: 10 px 15 px 20 px 25 px 30 px 35 px

Background color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Text color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Apply/Save settings

Ebook has 84 lines and 14535 words, and 2 pages

May, 1698, in response to a complaint that posts and other travellers met with great difficulty in journeying through the colony, especially in the township of Stonington, the court ordered the selectmen to lay out convenient highways, kept cleared and open, unless they passed through ancient common fields, or the general or county court ordered otherwise, and "made good with sufficient causeis and bridges as need shall require," failure to observe these instructions to be punished by a fine of ?10 into the public treasury, and for a continuance of the offence by an annual fine of ?10 to be levied upon the selectment or inhabitants.

In May, 1704, the general court decreed that since the post was often impeded, "in cases extraordinarie the authoritie may grant a bill to the Constables for the defraying of such charges as are really necessary."

The same year a law was passed at Philadelphia directing the way in which official letters should be dispatched, in order that the governor might obtain "true and speedy information regarding public affairs, as well from Europe as the neighboring colonies and remote parts of this province and territories thereof." "Be it Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every Justice of the Peace, Sheriff or Constable within the respective counties of this province and territories thereof, to whose hands or knowledge any Letter or Letters shall come, directed to or from the governor, shall dispatch them, within 3 hours at the farthest, after the receipt or knowledge thereof, to the next Sheriff or Constable, and so forwards, as the Letter directs, upon the penalty of 20s. for every hour's delay. And in such cases, all Justices of the Peace, Sheriffs or Constables are hereby empowered to press either man or horse for that service, allowing for a horse or man, 2 pence by the mile, to be paid out of the public stock."

September 5th, 1700, Penn writes to Logan that he sends a package for Governor Blackeston to be forwarded to the sheriff of New Castle, showing that the custom was in vogue seventeen years after its origin.

At an assembly held at Philadelphia, May 20th, 1697, Joseph Growden, "chairman of the grand comittee appointed to consider of Andrew Hamilton's memorial for encouragement to support the post," reported "that it was the vote of the comittee that a bill be prepared for encouragement to support the post both by the publick and upon private letters."

Since the charge of the office had much exceeded the postage, the assembly, "being sensible of the benefit of the said office to trade and commerce, and to the province and territories in general if it be continued, and of the great loss that will happen to both if it should happen to fall for want of encouragement," it was voted that the rates be raised on foreign letters received from 2d. to 4d., on those sent from Philadelphia to New York from 4 1/2 d. to 8d., and other rates proportionately. Hamilton was to receive ?20 in the silver money of the province from the public treasury annually for three years, the period during which the law was to be in force.

In 1700, a bill was passed to be in effect seven years, which says:

"Considering that maintenance of speedy correspondence is good for trade and is best carried on by public post, Be it enacted, that there be a General Letter Office erected and established in Philadelphia to send letters to colonies planted in America or in any of the King's Kingdoms in foreign lands." Rates were regulated by bulk, as well as by distance, a sheet of paper being accounted as a single letter and a packet equal to three letters, at the least; the post of a single letter from Philadelphia to Boston or Rhode Island was 18d., to Piscataqua and other parts east of Boston 2s., to New York 8d., to Maryland and Virginia 18d. if by post, if by private person to the office 4d., all letters for the proprietary or for the governor to be free. The fine for a neglectful ferryman was ?5, for any one who should presume to carry letters for hire or set up or employ any post, ?40.

"Whereas, letters to merchants were often delayed and given to untrustworthy persons who may open them and get trade secrets," shipmasters were ordered to give letters only to the postmaster or to his assistants.

In 1701 , in response to a petition from Patrick Robinson in behalf of Col. Andrew Hamilton, "Postmaster General in America and Gov of the Jerseys," praying for the payment from the "publick stock" of the ?20 per year for three years, which had been allowed him by the act of 1697, the treasurer was ordered to pay the sum as soon as there was sufficient money in his hands.

April 11th, 1706, a grant was given a certain Hugh Huddy to establish stages from Burlington to Perth Amboy, and April 4th, 1709, an act for the encouragement of the post office was passed by the New Jersey assembly. The masters of the offices were to be appointed from time to time by the postmaster-general. No other persons were to receive, dispatch or deliver letters or packets except such as were sent by masters or merchants in ships of which, or of the cargo of which, they were entirely or in part owners, or "except letters to be sent by any private Friend or Friends in their ways of journey or Travel, or by any Messenger or Messengers sent of purpose for or concerning the private affairs of any person or persons." The rates were fixed according to bulk as well as distance, the post of every single letter from Europe, the West Indies and other parts beyond the seas, was four pence half-penny, all letters to be accounted single if they did not exceed one sheet of paper. The postage on each "pacquet" of letters from these places was 9d. a "pacquet" being accounted three sheets, at the least. The post of every letter from Boston not exceeding one sheet of paper, was 1s. 3d., the post of every letter not exceeding two sheets, 2s. 6d., and the post of every "pacquet of letters or other things whatsoever, 2s. 6d. for every ounce, Troy weight, and for the post of every letter not exceeding one sheet of paper, for any place not exceeding one hundred and fifty miles, 9d., and so in proportion to the bulk." Carrying letters for hire, or setting up or employing any foot, post, horse or paquet boat for carrying letters or paquets or providing and maintaining horses or furniture for the horsing of any through post, was punishable by a fine of ?100 current money for every several offence, one-third to go to the governor, one-third to the use of the colony and the remaining third to the informer. Any ferryman neglecting, delaying or refusing to convey posts forfeited ?5.

Copied from the original.

As late as 1791 there were only six post offices in the colony, and none south of Trenton.

The Maryland archives contain no reference to a post before 1710.

In March, 1661/2, the following act was passed by the Virginia assembly: "Whereas the remotenesse of diverse places in the country from James Citty and the necessity of communicating diverse businesses to the utmost lymitts of itt, would put the country to an annuall greate expense for prevention whereof, Be it enacted that all letters superscribed for the service of his Majesty or publique shall be imediately conveyed from plantation to plantation to the place and person they are directed to under the penalty of 350 pounds of tobacco to each defaulter."

March 2d, 1692/3, an act was passed for encouraging the erection of a post office in each county of the colony, Thomas Neale and his deputies to settle and establish the post at their own cost. Rates were to vary according to bulk and distance, state letters and public orders of the governor and council were to be sent free, and merchants were not to be prohibited from sending letters by the masters of vessels or others. The act was to be in force during the term granted by their majesties' letters patent to Thomas Neale.

The first act regarding a post office in North Carolina was in 1787.

The correspondence of the period shows when the post became an established fact. About 1700, letters begin not with the names of the bearers, but with expressions such as the following: "The post is just blowing his horn and cannot help it that I write no more particularly." "I had not time to say more by the last post than I did." "Sent by post last week." "Having no letter from you by the post." Individual bearers were still made use of, often probably for the reason which Logan gives in a letter to Penn, written February, 1708. "I send this chiefly to accompany the enclosed to Wm. Aubrey, I therefore request thee to peruse it ... and to let it be sealed up, directed in some hand like mine, as J. Jeffreys, and delivered. I send it thus without cover to save postage, which is now very high to Boston." It is to be hoped that Lovelace's description of the first post as "active, stout and indefatigable," would apply equally to his successors, for they too went laden with "letters, portable goods and divers bags." Wait Winthrop writes from Boston to Fitz-John Winthrop, "Gov of his Maj Collonye of Conecticott in New London," "I have had yours by the post with little bundle;" "If Sudance can bundle up John's freise Jacket & Mingoe's cloth Jacket in an old towell pray let the post bring them." "Post will bring you a pair of Simpsons ... could not goe to direct the man about the glass, or els it had gone by this Post" and "If Anthony has lamed the horses he may dispatch them quite that they may be no further trouble; but if their legs are fit to bring them, I desire they may be sent by the post, unless some safer opportunity present in two or three days."

The early history of the colonial post office ends in 1710. With Queen Anne's Act of that year a new era began, introducing a system of greater uniformity, of greater detail and of closer connection with the home government.

MARY E. WOOLLEY.

PATENT TO THOMAS NEALE.

D co? } Neale Ar? } Grant } 3 }

WILLIAM AND MARY by the Grace of God &c To all to whome these presents shall come GREETING whereas our Trusty and welbeloved servant Thomas Neale Esquire hath lately humbly represented unto us that there never yet hath bin any post established for the conveying of Letters within or between Virginia Maryland Delaware New Yorke New England East and West Jersey Pensilvania and Northward as far as our Dominions reach in America And that the want thereof hath bin a great hindrance to the Trade of those parts And he the said Thomas Neale haveing humbly desired us to grant to him Letters Patents for the settling of such a post at his owne charge and Wee being fully satisfied that the same may be of service to Trade and correspondence and alsoe willing to encourage such an undertakeing know yee therefore that wee of our especiall grace certaine knowledge and meer moc?on and with and under the condic?ons and agreements herein after mentioned on the part and behalfe of the said Thomas Neale his executors and assignes to be performed have given and granted and by these presents for us our heires and successors doe give and grant unto the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes full power and authority to erect settle and establish and from time to time dureing the Terme herein after mentioned shall and may continue and enjoy within every or any the chiefe Ports of the severall Iselands Plantac?ons or Colonies belonging or to belong unto us our heires or successors in America an Office or Offices for the receiving and dispatching away of letters and packquetts with full power and authority and free liberty leave and lycence to and for him the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes and to and for such person or persons as he or they shall from time to time in this behalfe nominate to receive at the respective Offices aforesaid of and from any Masters of Ships Passengers or others any letters or Pacquetts whatsoever which shall be brought into the said Colonyes and Iselands or any of them from England or from any other parts whatsoever or which shall be sent from any parts or places of such respective Colony or Iseland to any other parts or places of the same and to dispatch send away carry and deliver the same to the respective persons and places to whome or which they shall be directed or sent within the said Colonys and Iselands or any of them and to take or receive to the onely use and behoofe of him the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes for the postage or conveyance of all such letters and Packquetts as shall be soe dispatcht sent away carried and delivered such rates and sumes of money as shall be proportionable to the rates for the post or carriage of letters sett downe and ascertained in and by an Act of Parliament made in the Twelfth yeare of the reigne of our late Royall Uncle King Charles the Second of Blessed memory entituled or such other rates or sum?es of money as the Planters and others will freely agree to give for their letters or Pacquetts upon the first settlement of such Office or Offices And further Wee have given and granted and by these presents for us our heires and successors doe give and grant unto the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes and to such person and persons as he or they shall from time to time nominate as aforesaid full power and authority and free liberty leave and lycence at the said Office or offices so to be settled as aforesaid to collect and receive such letters or pacquetts as the Planters or any others will send or bring to the same and to dispatch such of them away for England as shall be directed thither by the first ship that from time to time shall be bound for any Port Towne of England to be there delivered to the Deputy or Deputies of our Postmaster or Postmasters Generall for the time being by him or them appointed or to be appointed for the said Port Towne To the end such Deputy or Deputys may from time to time send the same away to the Generall Post Office in England to be delivered according to the severall and respective direc?c?ons of the same as by the said Act of Parliament is prescribed and to dispatch away such of the said letters or Pacquetts as shall be directed or are to be carried from any of the said Islands Colonys or Plantac?ons from time to time To have hold use exercise and enjoy the said Office and Offices with the powers authorities priviledges leave and lycence herein before mentioned and intended to be hereby granted and to take perceive and receive the rates and sumes aforesaid unto him the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes To the onely use and behoofe of him the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes from the date of these our Letters Patents for and dureing the Terme of twenty one yeares from thence next ensueing and fully to be compleate and ended without any account or other matter or thing to be therefore rendered or paid to us our heires or successors other then the rent covenants and agreements herein after mentioned rendring to us our heires and successors dureing the said Terme the yearly rent of six shillings and eight pence to be paid into our Exchequer in England at the Feast of St. Michaell the Archangell yearly And Wee doe hereby for us our heirs and successors authorize and com?and the Postmaster and Postmasters Generall now and for the time being of us our heires and successors from time to time to issue such Deputac?ons as may better enable the said Thom Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes and such person or persons as he or they shall from time to time nominate to exercise and execute the powers and authorities to him or them hereby given and granted or menc?oned or intended to be given and granted in and about the premisses dureing the said Terme of Twenty one yeares and Wee doe hereby also for us our heires and successors strictly prohibit and forbid all and every person and persons whatsoever to sett up exercise or execute the like Office or Offices within the Iselands Colonys and Plantations aforesaid or any of them at any time or times within or during the continuance of the said Terme of one and Twenty yeares hereby granted provided alwaies that nothing in these p'sents contained shall extend or be construed to extend to restreyne any merchants masters or others from sending any letters or pacquetts to or from the said Plantations or Colonys or any of them by any masters of Ships or other vessells or by any other person or persons which such merchants masters or others will specially imploy or intrust for the carriage of the same according to their respective direc?c?ons And the said Thomas Neale Doth for himselfe his executors administrators and assignes covenant promise and grant to and with us our heires and successors by these presents that he the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators or assignes or such person or persons as he or they shall nominate as aforesaid shall and will from time to time upon his or their receipt or receipts of any letters or Pacquetts which shall be directed into the said Iselands Colonyes and Plantations or any of them from England or any other parts or from any parts or places within the said Iselands Colonyes or Plantations to any other parts or places within the same cause the said letters or Pacquetts to be forthwith dispersed carried and delivered in the severall parts of the said Iselands Colonies and Plantations as they shall be directed and from time to time as he they or any of them shall collect or receive any letters or Pacquetts to be sent from the said Plantations Islands or Colonyes or any of them for England shall dispatch and send away the same by the first Ship that shall be bound for any Port of England to be there delivered to the next Deputy Postmaster as aforesaid and where any letters or Pacquetts shall be directed from any of the said Colonies Islands or Plantations to some other of them that he or they shall dispatch and send away the same according to the respective direc?c?ons by the first conveniency of carriage or conveyance thereof and that these services shall be performed with care and without any neglect or delay at the rates before mentioned And the said Thomas Neale doth further for himselfe his executors administrators and assignes covenant promise and grant to and with us our heires and successors by these presents That he the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators or assignes shall and will at his and their own costs and charges keep accounts in bookes fairely written of all the sum?es of money and profitts whatsoever ariseing in every yeare by the Office imployment or businesse aforesaid and of all charges thereupon and shall suffer the said Bookes to be inspected from time to time and coppies thereof or notes out of the same to be taken by such person or persons as the Com?issioners of the Treasury or High Treasurer of England for the time being shall appoint and shall and will within the Twentieth yeare of the said Terme of twenty one yeares hereby granted produce the said Bookes themselves or soe many of them as shall be then made to the Com?issioners of the Treasury or High Treasurer of England then being To the end he or they may have certaine knowledge of the yearly value of the said Office or Offices for the future benefitt of us our heires and successors And further that such publique orders as the Governors of the said respective Plantacons Islands or Colonies from time to time shall issue out for the Im?ediate service of us our heires and successors shall be dispatcht and distributed by the said respective Offices without any charge Provided that noe person or persons whatsoever shall be capable of exerciseing the said Office or Offices or any of them or any Deputac?on relateing thereunto untill he or they doe first take the oathes appointed by the Act of Parliament made in the first yeare of our reigne Entituled Provided alsoe that if it shall at any time hereafter be made appeare to us our heires or successors that this our grant is inconvenient to our subjects in generall or that the powers hereby granted or mentioned to be granted or mentioned to be granted or any of them is or are abused That then it shall and may be lawfull to and for us our heires and successors by any order of or made in our or their Privy Councill to revoake determine and make void these our Letters Patents and every clause power and thing therein contained any thing to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding Provided further that if the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators or assignes shall not within the space of two yeares next after the date of these our Letters Patents establish the Post or Office thereby intended within the Colonys Islands and Plantations aforesaid according to the true intent and meaning of these Presents Then this our grant and every power matter and thing therein contained shall cease and be void any thing to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding And the said Thomas Neale doth for himselfe his executors administrators and assignes covenant promise and grant to and with us our heires and successors that all letters or Pacquetts collected or received in any of the Plantations Iselands or Colonys aforesaid to be sent for England shall from time to time be carefully put up and dispatched away by the first Ship bound for any Port of England to be delivered by the next Deputy Postmaster in England without any charge to the Post Office here excepting and reserveing unto us our heires and successors the English Inland Postage of all such letters and Pacquetts last mentioned to be sent for England It being hereby intended and declared that the same shall not be accounted for to the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators or assignes but that he and they shall and is and are hereby obliged to satisfie and pay the masters of such vessells for such conveyance and delivery of such letters and pacquetts as shall be sent for England as aforesaid and alsoe that he the said Thomas Neale his executors administrator or assignes shall and will at his and their owne proper costs and charges nominate and appoint a sufficient Officer in our City of London to receive and collect from time to time all letters and Pacquetts for any of our Colonys or Plantations aforesaid and to take care to send them duely away from time to time by the first vessell bound for any of those Parts And further that all letters com?only called State letters which are usually carried Postage free here in England shall pass free thorow all our Plantations and Iselands aforesaid And further alsoe that he the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators or assignes shall and will at the end of the first three yeares next ensueing after the date of these Presents transmitt or cause to be transmitted to the Com?issioners of the Treasury or High Treasurer of England for the time being a true and faithfull account in writeing upon oath of the whole profitts and advantage ariseing or accrewing by and the charge of settling and mannageing the said Office or Offices herein before granted or mentioned to be granted and established and shall and will alsoe keep true and faithful accounts in writeing of all the receipts and charges aforesaid relating to the said Office or Imployment and that from and after the expirac?on of the said Three yeares next ensueing after the date of this our Grant the like account shall be yearly transmitted as aforesaid if thereunto required And for the better excution of the powers and direc?c?ons herein contained Wee have given and granted and by these Presents for us our heires and successors doe give and grant unto the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes full power and authority from time to time dureing the said Terme of twenty one yeares to sett up make use and have Ferrys over any River or Lake in our said Colonies Iselands or Plantations where noe Ferrys are yet made nor any grant thereof made or given to any other person or persons by us or any of our Predecessors for the better conveyance of Postage and Passengers as need shall require and to receive and take the Profitts and advantage comeing or ariseing by such Ferrys to the use and benefitt of him the said Thomas Neale his executors administrators and assignes provided always and our will and pleasure is and Wee do here for us our heires and successors Declare that in all cases where such Ferry or Ferrys are to be sett up and made over other Persons land or water the Proprietor or Proprietors thereof shall be first agreed with and his and their consent gained therein according to Law and Justice In Witnesse &c Witnesse ourselves at Westm? the seaventeenth day of February

I certify that the foregoing is a true and authentic copy:--

R. DOUGLAS TRIMMER Assistant Keeper of the Public Records 1 February 1894

Transcriber's Note, continued:

Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without note. Archaic and variant spellings, capitalization, and punctuation in quoted passages have been retained. A repeated phrase on p. 31 has also been retained.

The following changes were made to the text:

p. 6: Nothwithstanding to Notwithstanding

p. 11: Secreretary to Secretary

p. 11, Footnote 39: Legislaitve to Legislative

p. 17: 21? to ?21

p. 19: missing close quote added

p. 24: sucessors to successors

Share on: WhatsApp @Hash Facebook Tweet