| CHAPTER I |
| Introduction—Master of the Posts—Posts centred in the Sovereign—Instructions |
| for their Regulation—Travelling Post—Object of the Post |
| Office Monopoly | 1 |
|
| CHAPTER II |
| The Post through the County of Kent—This Post put under the care of De |
| Quester—Stanhope of Harrington, as Master of the Posts, asserts his |
| Rights—Vacillating Decisions of the Privy Council—Sir John Coke—Thomas |
| Witherings | 8 |
|
| CHAPTER III |
| Decadence of the Posts—Witherings's Plan—Introduction of Postage—Concessions |
| to the common Carrier—Post-haste—Witherings appointed |
| Master of the Inland as well as the Foreign Posts—His Dismissal—Philip |
| Burlamachi—Dissensions between the Lords and Commons—Edmund |
| Prideaux appointed Witherings's Successor | 15 |
|
| CHAPTER IV |
| Prideaux's Activity—Unauthorised Post set up to Scotland—System of |
| Farming—Prideaux ceases to be Master of the Posts—Secretary Thurloe—The |
| Posts become the Subject of Parliamentary Enactment—Rates of |
| Postage—Letters circulate through London—The Travelling Post not a |
| Source of Revenue—Clement Oxenbridge | 24 |
|
| CHAPTER V |
| Frequent Change of Farmers—Tediousness of the Course of Post—Existence |
| of the Posts not a matter of common Knowledge—Dockwra's Penny |
| Post—Introduction of Postmarks—Penny Post incorporated into the |
| General Post—Dockwra's Dismissal | 33 |
|
| CHAPTER VI |
| Posts regarded as Vehicles for the Propagation of Treason—Wildman—Cotton |
| and Frankland—Post Office Establishment—Revenue—Building in |
| Lombard Street—Dispersion of Letters—Salaries and Wages—Newspapers—Drink |
| and Feast Money—Post-horses—Quartering of Soldiers—Postmasters' |
| Emoluments—Scotland—Ireland—Bye-letters—Illicit |
| Traffic—Treasury Control—Post Offices grouped together and let out to |
| farm—Stephen Bigg—Expresses—Flying Packets—State of the Roads—Progress |
| of the Penny Post—Appointment of Secretary and Solicitor—Purchase |
| of Premises in Lombard Street | 43 |
|
| CHAPTER VII |
| State of the Packet Service—Ship Letters—Special Boats built for the |
| Harwich Station—M. Pajot, Director of the French Posts—Establishment |
| of West India Packets—Edmund Dummer, Surveyor of the Navy—Regulations |
| for the Management of the Packet Stations—Conditions |
| of Employment—Smart and Bounty Money—Passes required for Passengers—and |
| for Goods—Regulations habitually infringed—Smuggling—Packets |
| forbidden to give Chase—Practice on Capture of a Prize—Packet |
| Stations at Falmouth and at Harwich conducted on different Principles—Packets |
| employed to carry Recruits—Letters not to be carried in Foreign |
| Bottoms—Court-Post—Restoration of Packet Service with Flanders—John |
| Macky, Packet Agent at Dover—The Postmasters-General act as |
| Purveyors of News to the Court—Their Interview with Godolphin—Posts |
| set up for the Army in Flanders—Packet Establishment placed on |
| a Peace Footing—Dummer's Bankruptcy and Death | 72 |
|
| CHAPTER VIII |
| American Posts—Thomas Neale—Andrew Hamilton—Ocean Penny Postage—Posts |
| transferred to the Crown—Become self-supporting | 110 |
|
|
| CHAPTER IX |
| Condition of the Post Office in Scotland at the time of the Union—Inaction |
| of the English Post Office—Charles Povey—William Lowndes—Diversion |
| of Postage from the Crown to the Public—Postage Rates increased—Electoral |
| Disabilities—Restrictions on the common Carrier—Modification |
| of the Penny Post—Post-horses—Franking—Illicit Traffic in Letters—Treasury |
| Inconsistency—Post Office Farmers converted into Managers—Treaty |
| with France—Matthew Prior—Single and Double Letters—Change |
| of Postmasters-General—Disagreements with Merchants—Twopenny |
| Post—Comparative Statement of Revenue—Gross and Net Revenue |
| confounded | 117 |
|
| CHAPTER X |
| Allen's Contract—General Review—The Secretary's Dismissal—Earl of Abercorn's |
| Complaint—Sketch of Allen's Plan—His Qualifications for carrying |
| it into effect—His local Knowledge—His Difficulties with Postmasters—Post-boys—Illegal |
| Conveyance of Letters—Contrast between Allen's Mode |
| of Procedure and that of the Post Office—Posts increased in Frequency—Opening |
| of Letters—Falmouth Packets—Late Delivery of Foreign |
| Letters—Erection of Milestones—Letters containing Patterns and Writs—Apertures |
| to Letter-boxes—Expresses—Highwaymen—Bank Notes—Decadence—Allen's |
| Death
|
