It was not until 1635 that a general or public post was properly established, for inland letters as for foreign ones. On 31 July that year, King Charles I issued a proclamation 'for the settl… See more

The Post Office Savings Bank was introduced in 1861, when there were few banks outside major towns. By 1863, 2,500 post offices were offering a savings service. Gradually … See more

When new forms of communication came into existence in the 19th and early 20th centuries the GPO claimed monopoly rights on the basis that like the postal service they involved de… See more

By 1900 house-to-house mail delivery was taking place across England (and was close to being in place in Scotland and Ireland). Employing over 250,000 people and with a… See more