(Vol. iii., p. 186.)
In a recent number of "NOTES AND QUERIES" (which, by the way, I have only
recently become acquainted with) I saw the Queries of your correspondent
G. P. P. upon the above subject, and having some time ago had occasion to
investigate it, I accumulated a mass of notes from various sources,--and
these I send you, rough and unpolished as they are, in the hope that in the
absence of better information, they may prove to be acceptable.
Herodotus (viii. 98.) mentions the existence of a method of communication
among the Persians, by means of horsemen placed at certain distances.
In the Close and Misae Rolls (_temp. King John et post_) payments are
recorded for nuncii who were charged with the carriage of letters.
In 1481, Edward IV., during his war with Scotland, established horse riders
at _posts_ twenty miles apart, by which letters were conveyed two hundred
miles in two days (Gale's _Hist. Croyland_); and the Scottish Parliament
issued an ordinance for facilitating the expedition of couriers throughout
the kingdom. Carriers of letters also existed in England about this time,
for in a letter from Sir J. Paston, written in 1471, we are informed that
"Courby, the carrier, hath had 40d. for the third hired horse," for a
journey from Norwich to London and back. (Fenn's _Paston Letters_, 4to.
vol. v. p. 73.)
In 1542, letters reached Edinburgh on the fourth day from their despatch
from London. (Sadler's _Letters and Negociations_.)
In 1548, the rate to be charged for post-horse hire was fixed by statute (2
& 3 Edw. VI. cap. 3.) at one penny per mile.
In 1581 (according to Camden), Thomas Randolph was appointed the first
Chief Postmaster of all England.
James I. established (date unknown) the office of Foreign Postmaster, which
was first held by Mathewe le Questor.
In 1631, Charles I. appointed William Frizell and Thomas Witherings (in
reversion) to the sole management of the foreign post-office. And at this
date it seems a regular home post was also carried on, as appears by the
following entry from the Corporation Books of Great Yarmouth:--"1631.
Agreed, June 6, with the Postmaster of Ipswich to have Quarterly 20s. paid
him for carrying and bringing letters to and from London to Yarmouth for
the vse of the Towne."
In 1635, Charles I. issued a proclamation for the establishment of "a
running post or two, to {267} run night and day between Edinburgh and
Scotland and the City of London, to go thither and come back again in six
days:" branch posts were also to be established with all the principal
towns on the road: the rates of postage were fixed at 2d. under 80 miles;
4d. for 140 miles; 6d. beyond; and 8d. to Scotland. This is conclusive
evidence that a regular post-office establishment existed nearly ten years
_before Prideaux had anything to do with the post-office_.
In 1640, a proclamation was issued by the Long Parliament, by which the
offices of Foreign and Inland Postmaster (then held by Witherings) were
sequestrated into the hands of one Philip Burlamachy, a city merchant. Soon
after this we find a Committee of the Commons, with "Master Edmund
Prideaux" for chairman, inquiring into the matter.
In 1644, a resolution of the Commons declared that "Edmund Prideaux, Esq.,
a member of the House," was "constituted master of the posts, messengers,
and couriers."
In 1649 Prideaux established a weekly conveyance to every part of the
kingdom; and also appears to have introduced other judicious reforms and
improvements,--indeed he seems to have been the Rowland Hill of those days;
but he has not the slightest claim to be considered as the "Inventor of the
Post-office." The mistake may have arisen from a misapprehension of the
following statement frown Blackstone: "Prideaux first established a weekly
conveyance of letters into all parts of the nation, _thereby saving to the
public the charge of maintaining postmasters_, to the amount of 7000l. per
annum."
I have not been able to obtain any particulars of Prideaux's personal
history.