Britain, Parliamentary Papers on the Post Office, Sessions 1600 -
1800
See also, John Palmer's postal reforms,
Bank Post Bills, Forgery of bank
notes.
Introductory Notes
Indexes to Parliamentary Reports and Papers relating to the Post
Office and Postage: 1735-1839.
1840 (10) XLII.1.
Dates, Old and New Style
- The English (and Irish) legal year began March 25 until Jan.
1, 1752. The Scottish legal year began Jan. 1 since
1600. Dates are given here as if the legal year began Jan.
1.
- England, Scotland and Ireland adopted the Gregorian calendar
effective Sep. 14, 1752; Sep. 2 was followed by Sep. 14.
Dates are not adjusted for this change.
- Regnal years begin on the date when the monarch assumed the
throne, generally on the death of the previous monarch.
These are used primarily in reference to Sessions, Acts or
Statutes of Parliament.
1600's
Elizabeth I, 17 November 1558 - 24 March 1603
James I, 24 March 1603 - 27 March 1625
- James I, King of England and Ireland, from 24 March 1603
- James VI, King of Scotland, from 24 July 1567
Charles I, 27 March 1625 - 30 January 1649
Charles I, Royal Proclamations
- "A Proclamation concerning the Postmaster of England for
Forraigne Parts", 19 July 1632.
- "Proclamation for the settling of the Letter-office of England
and Scotland", 31 July 1635.
- 11 May 1636, exchanges between Britain and France, mentioned
in next
- "A Proclamation concerning the Carrying and Re-carrying of
Letters, as well within his Majesty's Realms and Dominions as
into and from Foreign Parts", 11 Feb. 1638.
Commonwealth of England, the Interregnum, 1649 - 1660
Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum
- 21 Mar. 1649, resolution, see preamble to 2 Sep. 1654
Ordinance
- 20 Sep. 1649, An Act against Unlicensed and Scandalous Books
and Pamphlets, and for better regulating of Printing (link)
- No seditious Books to be sent by Post or Carrier
- Warrants to search Packs and Packets
- 18 Jan. 1652/53, reopening of the public post
- 2 Sep. 1654, An Ordinance touching the Office of Postage of
Letters, Inland and Foreign (link)
- 9 June 1657, An Act for setling the Postage of England,
Scotland and Ireland (link)
- These were considered void after the English Restoration
[1660] due to their lack of Royal Assent.
- Peter Gaunt, Interregnum Governments and the Reform of the
Post Office, 1649-59, Historical Research, Oct. 1987, vol. 60,
p. 281-298 (link).
Charles II, 29 May 1660 - 6 February
1685
- The Regnal Year was backdated to 30 Jan. 1649, when Charles I
was beheaded.
1660, 12 Charles II c. 35, An Act erecting and establishing a
post-office (link,
link,
link)
1663, 15 Charles II c. 14, An act for settling the profits of the
post office, and power of granting wine licences, on his royal
highness the duke of York and the heirs males of his body (link,
title only; link;
link,
transcribed)
- An Act for setleing the Proffitts of the Post Office and Power
of granting Wine Licences on his Royall Highnesse the Duke of
Yorke and the Heires Males of his Body.
- James, Duke of York, was the brother of King Charles II, and
later King James II. The Post Office income reverted to
the Crown when James became King in 1685.
1670, 22 & 23 Charles II c. 18, An act for explaining of a
proviso contained in an act, intituled, An act for settling the
profits of the post office, and power of granting wine licenses, on
his royal the duke of York and the heirs males of his body (link,
title only; link;
link,
transcribed)
- An Act for explaining of a Proviso conteyned in an Act,
entituled An Act for setling the Profitts of ye Post-Office and
Power of granteing Wine-Licences on His Royall Highnes ye Duke
of Yorke and the Heyres Males of his Body.
- c. 27 in some compilations.
James II, 6 February 1685 - 23 December 1688 (deposed)
- James II, King of England and Ireland
- James VII, King of Scotland
1 James II c. 12, more details needed
William III, Mary II, 13 February 1689 - 8 March 1702
- William, Prince of Orange
- William and Mary, joint sovereigns, 13 February 1689 until
Mary's death on 28 Dec. 1694
- William III, Mary II, King and Queen of England, from 13
February 1689
- William II, Mary II, King and Queen of Scotland, from 11 April
1689
1694, 5 & 6 William & Mary c. 21, An act for granting to
their Majesties several duties upon vellum, parchment, and paper,
for four years, towards carrying on the war against France (link,
link).
- The first of the Stamp Acts. Came into force 28 June
1694, continued by further acts.
- Wikipedia, Stamps
Act 1694
- H. Dagnall, Taxation of the Printed Word, The Introduction of
Stamp Duty on Almanacs & Newspapers 1711 & 1712, 1999.
1700's
Anne, 8 March 1702 - 1 August 1714
- Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland, from 8 March 1702
- Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1 May 1707
- last monarch of the House of Stuart
1706, 5 & 6 Anne c. 4, An Act for settling upon John Duke of
Marlborough and his Posterity, a Pension of five thousand Pounds per
Annum, for the more honourable Support of their Dignities, in like
Manner as his Honours and Dignities, and the Honour and Manor of
Woodstock, and House of Bleinheim, are already limited and settled (link)
- The payments to the Dukes of Marlborough, from the Post
Office receipts, continued until 1857, when they were
transferred to the Consolidated Fund (link).
- Similar payments were made to the Duke of Grafton, and the
Heirs of the late Duke of Schomberg, from before 1800 to 1857.
1710, 9 Anne c. 10 [or c. 11], An Act for establishing a General
Post Office for all Her Majesties Dominions, and for settling a
weekly Sum out of the Revenues thereof for the Service of the War
and other Her Majesties Occasions (link,
link).
1711, 9 Anne c. 23, An act for licensing and regulating hackney
coaches and chairs, and for charging certain new duties upon stampt
vellum, parchment, and paper, ... (link).
- Effective for 32 years commencing 1 Aug. 1711; later made
perpetual.
- Stamped Paper Duty, per sheet for many types of legal and
commercial documents.
- Almanac Duty. Repealed in 1834.
- Annual payment from the Post Office, sec. 54 (link).
- H. Dagnall, Taxation of the Printed Word, 1999.
1712, 10 Anne c. 19, An act for laying several duties upon all sope
and paper made in Great Britain, or imported into the same; ... (link).
- Duties on newspapers, pamphlets and advertisements, sec. 101,
etc. (link).
The Newspaper Duty rate was increased by additional duties in
1757, 1776, 1789, 1797 and 1815 (total 4 pence), reduced in 1836
(1d with postage included), made optional in 1855 (but still
with postage included), and repealed in 1870. Payment of
the Newspaper Duty granted free postage, and proposals to remove
the duty prompted the introduction of postage stamps.
- Paper Tax, sec. 32, etc. (link).
Repealed in 1861.
- Wikipedia, Stamp
Act 1712, Stamp Act
1712
- H. Dagnall, Taxation of the Printed Word, 1999.
George I, 1 August 1714 - 11 June 1727
- first monarch of the House of Hanover
George II, 11 June 1727 - 25 October 1760
Post-Office Revenue. Franking. Report from the Committee
to whom the Copy of His Majesty's Warrant, whereby Letters are
permitted to pass free from the Duty payable upon Post Letters, was
referred; April 16, 1735.
- Journals of the House of Commons, vol. 22, 16 Jan. 1732 - 8
Dec. 1737, p. 385,
393,
436,
442,
462-465,
472,
476.
- The warrant, dated 18 Oct. 1727, is reproduced on p.
393. The committee's report on p. 462-465 includes a
history of the franking privilege, and references to earlier
documents of the 1660's.
- summary
(1840 index p. I.1)
George III, 25 October 1760 - 29 January 1820; Regency, 5
February 1811 - 29 January 1820
Post-Office Revenue. Franking. Report from Committee on
the Frauds and Abuses in Relation to the Sending or Receiving of
Letters and Parcels free from Postage, etc.; March 28, 1764.
1763, 4 George III c. 24, An Act for preventing Frauds and Abuses in
relation to the sending and receiving of Letters and Packets free
from the Duty of Postage (link,
link).
1765, 5 George III c. 12. Duties in American Colonies Act.
1765, 5 George III c. 25, An Act to alter certain Rates of Postage,
and to amend, explain, and enlarge, several Provisions in an Act
made in the Ninth Year of the Reign of Queen Anne, and in other Acts
relating to the Revenue of the Post Office (link).
1767, 7 George III c. 50, An Act for amending certain Laws relating
to the Revenue of the Post Office, ... (link,
link).
1769, 9 George III c. 35 sec. 5-7, An Act ... for preventing Frauds
and Abuses in relation to the sending and receiving Letters and
Packets free from the Duty of Postage; ... (link,
link).
Report from Post Office Committee, on abuses and corruption in the
Post Office; 23 May 1787.
- Journals of the House of Commons, vol. 42, p. 800-832.
Report from the Committee appointed to enquire into Certain Abuses
in the Post Office, presented to the House of Commons, May 23d,
1787.
Coms. of Inquiry into Fees and Emoluments received in Public
Offices:
Reports of the commissioners appointed by act 25 Geo. III. cap. 19.
to enquire into the fees, gratuities, perquisites, and emoluments,
which are or have been lately received in the several public offices
therein mentioned.
1806 (309) VII.1, 909 p.; PDF [ProQuest]
- Tenth Report, The Post Office, 30 June 1788, p. 755-905.
- subject
index (1840 index p. I.2-31)
- The ten reports are dated 11 April 1786 to 30 June 1788;
ordered to be printed 15 July 1806. Each report has an
appendix.
- Secretaries of State, p. 3, 17
- Treasury, p. 49, 61
- Admiralty, p. 93, 107
- Treasurer of the Navy, p. 131, 143
- Commissioners of the Navy, p. 165, 191
- Dockyards, p. 277, 319
- Sick and Hurt Office, p. 507, 519
- Victualling Office, p. 549, 591
- Naval and Victualling Departments Abroad, p. 723, 739
- Post Office, p. 755-797, 799-905
- The reports alone, ordered to be printed 17 June 1793, London
: J. Debrett, 1793, 312 p.
Sixth Report from the Select Committee on Finance, Collection of the
Public Revenue, Stamp Office, dated 19 July 1797, 45 p.
- Excerpted, J. Debrett, The Parliamentary Register, 1798, vol.
5, p. 75-82 (link).
- Reprinted in full, Reports from Committees of the House of
Commons, 1803, vol. XII, p. 154-177 (link).
- The Public Revenue for 1797-98; the Stamp Office, vol. XIII,
p. 5 (link),
716-717 (link),
744 (link).
Seventh Report from the Select Committee on Finance, Collection of
the Public Revenue, Post Office, dated 19 July 1797, 45 p.
- Excerpted, J. Debrett, The Parliamentary Register, 1798, vol.
5, p. 83-118 (link).
- Reprinted in full, Reports from Committees of the House of
Commons, 1803, vol. XII, p. 178-222 (link).
- The Public Revenue for 1797-98; the Post Office, vol. XIII, p.
6 (link),
81-82 (link),
717-720 (link),
745 (link).
- subject
index (1840 index p. I.2-31)
Twenty-third Report from the Select Committee on Finance, The Public
Revenue for the year 1797, 337 p.
Session 1796-97, 27 September 1796 - 20
July 1797
<work in progress>
18th Parliament of Great Britain, 1st Session, 37 George III
- Hansard, The Parliamentary History of England, vol.
32, Session
1796-97; vol.
33, Session
1796-97
- Journals of the House of Commons, vol.
52, Session
1796-97, index
- Journals of the House of Lords, vol.
41, Session
1796-97
- Parliamentary Papers, Table and Index of Public General Acts
- The Statutes at Large, 37
George III
Session 1797-98, 2 November 1797 - 29 June
1798
<work in progress>
18th Parliament of Great Britain, 2nd Session, 38 George III
- Hansard, The Parliamentary History of England, vol.
33, Session
1797-98
- Journals of the House of Commons, vol.
53, Session
1797-98, index
- Journals of the House of Lords, vol.
41, Session
1797-98
- Parliamentary Papers, Table and Index of Public General Acts
- The Statutes at Large, 38
George III
Session 1798-99, 20 November 1798 - 12
July 1799
<work in progress>
18th Parliament of Great Britain, 3rd Session, 39 George III
- Hansard, The Parliamentary History of England, vol.
33, Session
1798-99
- Journals of the House of Commons, vol.
54, Session
1798-99, index
- Journals of the House of Lords, vol.
42, Session
1798-99
- Parliamentary Papers, Table and Index of Public General Acts
- The Statutes at Large, 39
George III
Session 1799-1800, 24 September 1799 - 29
July 1800
<work in progress>
18th Parliament of Great Britain, 4th Session, 39 & 40 George
III
- Hansard, The Parliamentary History of England, vol.
34, Session
1799-1800; vol.
35, Session
1799-1800
- Journals of the House of Commons, vol.
55, Session
1799-1800, index
- Journals of the House of Lords, vol.
42, Session
1799-1800
- Parliamentary Papers, Table and Index of Public General Acts
- The Statutes at Large, 39
& 40 George III
Session 1800, 11 November - 31 December
<work in progress>
18th Parliament of Great Britain, 5th Session, 41 George III (GB)
- Hansard, The Parliamentary History of England, vol.
35, Session
1800
- Journals of the House of Commons, vol.
55, Session
1800, index
- Journals of the House of Lords, vol.
42, Session
1800
- Parliamentary Papers, Table and Index of Public General Acts
- The Statutes at Large, 41
George III (GB)
Last changed 5 April 2021
Timeline of Philatelic Literature,
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