IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0813 POST 53 Series
Held at: British Postal Museum and Archive: The Royal Mail Archive
Title: Post Office: Inland and Overseas Postage Rates
Date(s): 1735-1982
Level of description: Series
Extent: 42 volumes, 16 files and 1 sheet
Name of creator(s):
No further information available
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
'Post-stage rates' for letters carried on the post-roads out of London were introduced in 1635 with the establishment of a state run postal service for the public's letters. The rate was based, primarily, on mileage and on the number of sheets the letter comprised of, heavier letters were charged by weight. Later, Penny Posts were set up for the collection and delivery of local letters, based on cities and other major centres beginning in London in 1680 and later extended to other provincial centres. Postage on general mails was normally paid by the recipient upon delivery.
Acts of Parliament, and later Treasury Warrants, gave authority for changes in rates and laid down charges for new services as they were introduced. The most significant was the Act of 1839, which led to the introduction of Rowland Hill's scheme for a Uniform Penny Postage in 1840. Postage rates were now based on weight and prepayable by means of the newly introduced stamped stationery and the more popular adhesive postage labels (postage stamps). The Postal Reform of 1840 also removed from Peers and ordinary Members of Parliament their privilege of franking letters for free transmission through the post.
The formation of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 led to uniformity of postage rates for overseas mail. Penny Postage within the Empire began on Christmas Day 1898. Two-tier postage, based on speed and offering the choice of a higher first-class rate to give fast delivery or a second-class rate for slower service, was introduced on 16 September 1968.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
This Post class comprises material concerned with postage rates in the form of reports, correspondence relating to alterations of postage rates and franking privileges, postage rate tables based on individual post towns both inland and overseas, and House of Commons journal extracts covering franking privileges.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
Please contact the Archive for further information
Conditions governing access:
Public Record
Conditions governing reproduction:
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Finding aids:
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ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Archival history:
Please contact the Archive for further information
Immediate source of acquisition:
Please contact the Archive for further information.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Related material:
POST 114 for Treasury Warrants affecting Postage Rates.
POST 46 for Universal Postal Union and postage within the Empire and Abroad.
POST 23 for Postage Rates and Penny Post.
POST 100 for Rowland Hill's campaign for Uniform Penny Postage.
POST 17 for Post Towns and Postage Rates.
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Archivist's note: Record amended by Barbara ball
Compiled in compliance with General Internation 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: Record checked June 2011