Postal Services and Letters

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.04: English Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century, 1625-1688.
Vol. editors: Jennifer Brady (Rhodes College), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Neil Forsyth (Université de Lausanne), Claire Preston (Queen Mary, University of London), J A Roe (University of York), Virginia Mason Vaughan (Clark University)

Domains

Communications
National organisations (political)

Dates

Date of occurrence 1635

Places

United Kingdom (Location)

Resources

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Prior to the seventeenth century, parcels and letters were transported by private messengers. The first attempt at a centralised postal service was in 1635 when a separate public service was set by a royal proclamation “for the settling of the letter-office of England and Scotland.” The first service was organised by Thomas Witherings, a London merchant, who organised sorting offices and regular services to run by day and night along the great post roads. A standard fee of two pence was charged per letter. The “Penny Post” system, began in London in 1680, and was gradually adopted around the country.

The development of the postal system facilitated the circulation of information and was both utilised and abused by espionage during the civil wars, which led to the use of elaborate

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191 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Postal Services and Letters". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 June 2005; last revised 23 December 2008. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=888, accessed 25 April 2024.]

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