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British Postal Museum and Archive: The Royal Mail Archive

Post Office: Telegraphs, Post Office (Overseas)


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0813 POST 83 Series

Held at: British Postal Museum and Archive: The Royal Mail Archive

Title: Post Office: Telegraphs, Post Office (Overseas)

Date(s): 1849-1934

Level of description: Series

Extent: 104 files

Name of creator(s):

No further information available

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The first transmission of telegraphic communication to overseas routes was by submarine cable from Dover to Calais in 1850. Private telegraph companies pioneered this work, with the Post Office becoming increasingly involved in the management of overseas cables following its takeover of the UK domestic telegraph network in 1870. Private companies remained active in the international arena, particularly in providing telegraph services to places outside Europe. Many of these companies merged in 1929 to form Cable and Wireless Ltd.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

This series consists of a collection of licences, concessions, agreements, treaties, conventions and conferences, correspondence and memoranda between foreign governments negotiating landing rights, maintenance and operation of submarine cable telegraphs; ocean survey reports as well as other reports by officers in the General Post Office and committee reports.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Please see Scope and Content.

Conditions governing access:

Public Record

Conditions governing reproduction:

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Finding aids:

Please contact the Archive for further information.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Please contact the Archive for further information.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Related material:

For records on telegraphs, private companies see POST 81.

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: Entry checked by Barbara Ball

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: Entry checked June 2011


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Telegraphy | Telecommunications
Underwater technology | Hydraulic engineering

Personal names

Corporate names
Cable and Wireless Ltd

Places
Calais | France | Western Europe | Europe
Dover | Kent | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe