The Bristol Royal Mail Post, Telegraph, and Telephone   By: Robert Charles Tombs (1842-1923)

No copyright date is indicated in the source material, but the last date mentioned is November, 1899.

Found at the end of the text is a list of corrections of discovered publisher's typographic errors.

THE BRISTOL ROYAL MAIL.

[Illustration: THE POSTMASTER'S OFFICE, BRISTOL.

From a photograph by Mr. Protheroe, Wine St., Bristol. ]

All rights reserved.

THE BRISTOL ROYAL MAIL.

POST, TELEGRAPH, AND TELEPHONE.

BY

R. C. TOMBS,

Postmaster of Bristol, Ex Controller of the London Postal Service.

BRISTOL: J. W. ARROWSMITH, 11 QUAY STREET.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. Page DEVELOPMENT OF THE MAIL SERVICES. RALPH ALLEN. 1532 1764 1

CHAPTER II. MAIL COACH ERA. JOHN PALMER. 1770 1818 17

CHAPTER III. 1818 ONWARDS. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. OLD MAIL GUARDS 35

CHAPTER IV. VICTORIAN ERA, 1837 1899. MAIL TRANSPORT BY RAILWAY. TRAVELLING POST OFFICES 49

CHAPTER V. BRISTOL POSTMASTERS. 1678 1899 68

CHAPTER VI. NOTABLE POST OFFICE SERVANTS OF BRISTOL ORIGIN 82

CHAPTER VII. POST OFFICE BUILDINGS 89

CHAPTER VIII. THE LOCAL POST OFFICE IN EARLY DAYS. SIR ROWLAND HILL. RECENT PROGRESS 121

CHAPTER IX. BRISTOL AS A MAIL PORT 141

CHAPTER X. POSTAL SERVICE. STAFF: ITS COMPOSITION, DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES. VOLUME OF WORK 160

CHAPTER XI. CHRISTMAS AND ST. VALENTINE SEASONS 175

CHAPTER XII. PUBLIC OFFICE: ITS BUSINESS. THE SAVINGS BANK. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS 186

CHAPTER XIII. TELEGRAPHS. TELEPHONES. EXPRESS DELIVERY 198

CHAPTER XIV. TELEGRAPH MESSENGERS 222

CHAPTER XV. LETTER DELIVERY SYSTEM. POSTMEN: THEIR DUTIES AND RECREATIONS 234

CHAPTER XVI. POST LETTER BOXES: POSITION, VIOLATION, PECULIAR USES 253

CHAPTER XVII. RURAL DISTRICT SUB POSTMASTERS. RURAL POSTMEN. INCIDENTS 257

CHAPTER XVIII. GENERAL FREE DELIVERY OF LETTERS 287

CHAPTER XIX. RETURNED LETTER OFFICE 292

ILLUSTRATIONS.

THE POSTMASTER'S OFFICE, BRISTOL Preface iv

RALPH ALLEN OF CROSS POST FAME Page 8

" HIS RESIDENCE AT PRIOR PARK, BATH 10

" HIS TOWN HOUSE IN BATH 12

" HIS TOMB AT CLAVERTON 16

JOHN PALMER, INTRODUCER OF MAIL COACHES 20

OLD ENGLISH "FLYING" MAIL COACH 22

MAIL COACH. PLATE DEDICATED TO PALMER 34

THE WEST COUNTRY MAIL COACHES ABOUT TO LEAVE PICCADILLY 36

THE LAST OF THE MAIL GUARDS 44

ARRIVAL OF THE BATH AND BRISTOL MAIL COACH AT ROADSIDE INN 48

START OF MAIL COACHES FROM BUSH INN, BRISTOL 52

THE OLD PASSAGE, AUST 56

JOHN GARDINER 70

THOMAS TODD WALTON, SENIOR 72

THOMAS TODD WALTON, JUNIOR 74

EDWARD CHADDOCK SAMPSON 80

SIR FRANCIS FREELING, BART 82

THE BRISTOL HEAD POST OFFICE IN 1899 118

THE "GREAT WESTERN" 152