



Produced by Adrian Mastronardi, Henry Gardiner, The
Philatelic Digital Library Project at http://www.tpdlp.net
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
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Transcriber's Note:

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

  R.M.S. "MONTEREY"                                 158

  THE PUBLIC HALL OF THE BRISTOL POST OFFICE        186

  THE TELEGRAPH INSTRUMENT ROOM, BRISTOL            204

  CRIBBS CAUSEWAY POST OFFICE                       261

  MR. EDWARD BIDDLE                                 263

  LETTER BOX AT WINTERBOURNE                        269

  HANNAH BREWER, THE BITTON POSTWOMAN               276




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