The King's Post Part 5

THE BRISTOL, BATH AND LONDON COACH TAKING UP MAILS WITHOUT HALTING.]

"Royal mail to Portsmouth, daily, five-fifteen p.m., return journey, Portsmouth seven p.m., arrive White Lion eight-thirty next day."

In 1830, the "Bull and Mouth" in St. Martin's-le-Grand was a great coach rendezvous. A strong and penetrating aroma of horses and straw pervaded its neighbourhood, in Bull-and-Mouth Street.

The Gloucester and Aberystwith mail-coach continued to run until the year 1854, and it is believed that was the last regular main road mail-coach which was kept on the road. Its guard from 1836 to its abolition in 1854 was Moses James n.o.bbs.

The London mail coaches of the period loaded up at about half-past seven at their respective inns, and then a.s.sembled at the Post Office yard in St. Martin's-le-Grand to receive the bags. All, that is to say, except seven coaches carrying West of England mails--the Bath, Bristol, Devonport, Exeter, Gloucester, Southampton, and Stroud--which started from Piccadilly.

A contemporary writer said:--"Wonderful building, the new General Post Office, opened in 1829, nearly opposite. They say the Government has got something very like a white elephant in that vast pile. A great deal too big for present needs, or, indeed, for any possible extension of Post Office business."

And yet, in the 75 years which have elapsed two other Post Offices of equal size have been built near it, and acres of ground at Mount Pleasant--a mile off--have been covered with buildings for Post Office purposes!

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE GENERAL POST OFFICE, ST. MARTIN'S-LE-GRAND, LONDON, IN 1830.]

CHAPTER VII.

THE BRISTOL AND PORTSMOUTH MAIL FROM 1772 ONWARDS.--PROJECTED SOUTH COAST RAILWAY FROM BRISTOL, 1903.--THE BRISTOL TO SALISBURY POST BOY HELD UP.--MAIL COACH ACCIDENTS.--LUKE KENT AND RICHARD GRIFFITHS, THE MAIL GUARDS.

In 1903, in connection with a projected new railway from Bristol to Basingstoke the promoters made a strong point of the fact that the letters for the first delivery in the important South Coast towns, such as Portsmouth and Southampton, could not be posted quite so late in Bristol then as could those which were carried in the olden days by the mail coaches throughout.

A deputation, consisting of Mr. John Mardon, Mr. Sidney Humphries, Mr.

Bolt, and Mr. H.J. Spear (Secretary), representing the Chamber of Commerce and s.h.i.+pping, waited on the Postmaster-General, at the House of Commons, London, respecting the imperfect service, and they did not fail to point out to him (Mr. Austen Chamberlain) the time-table of the old mail coach by way of contrast with the present service by railway.

Mr. Austen Chamberlain, replying to the deputation, said that, as regarded the mail arrangements, he thought he had no need to show them that he recognised the importance of Bristol as a great commercial centre, or how largely recent developments had increased that importance. He was also alive to the necessity of prompt means of communication, but he was not wholly his own master. They had complained that the train service to the South and South-Eastern Counties was very inconvenient. That, unfortunately, was the only means of communication upon which he had to rely. If they had been able to put before him trains which he did not use for the transmission of mails, he might have been able to provide facilities. With the existing train facilities the Post Office business was conducted as well as it could be conducted.

That being so, there was no way by which he could improve that service, except by requiring of the companies concerned that they should provide a special train for Post Office purposes. He was afraid that trains run at the hours which would be necessary to meet their wishes would not secure much pa.s.senger traffic, and the whole cost of the running would fall upon the Postmaster-General. He would closely watch the matter, and if he could see his way he would not be reluctant to provide them with what they desired. At present the service was the best in his power to afford. They were probably aware that the Post Office was experimenting in certain places with motor-cars, and if they were found to be reliable, that might be a way out of the difficulty. He should keep that before him as a possibility, if further railway facilities were not forthcoming. He regretted that he could not make a more hopeful statement. All he could say was that he did not think the service was satisfactory for a great commercial centre like Bristol, and if he saw his way to provide them with something better he would certainly not neglect to do so.

It may be opportune here to recall the mail services of the past.

From an "Account of the Days and Hours of the Post coming in and going out at Salisbury," the following has been gleaned. The "Account" is a broad sheet, and was printed in Salisbury in 1772 by Sully and Alexander. The name of Daniel P. Safe, postmaster, is inscribed at the foot of the "Account":--

Comes in from Bristol through Bath, Bradford, Trowbridge, Devizes, Westbury, Warminster, Heytesbury, Wells, Shepton Mallet, Frome, etc., etc., Monday about Seven at Night; and Wednesday and Friday, about Three in the Afternoon.

Goes out to Heytesbury, Westbury, Devizes, Trowbridge, Bradford, Bath, Bristol, Warminster, Frome, Shepton Mallet, Wells, etc., etc., Sunday at Ten at Night; and Wednesday and Friday at Six in the Evening.

Comes in from Portsmouth, Gosport, Isle of Wight, Guernsey, Jersey, Southampton, New Forest, Winton, Romsey, on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, at Six in the Evening.

Goes out to Romsey, Winton, New Forest, Southampton, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Wight, Gosport, Portsmouth, on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at Eleven in the Morning.

The official bag seal of the period was inscribed thus:--

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The Bristol and Portsmouth Mail Coach was established under the immediate superintendence of Francis Freeling, Secretary to the General Post Office, who travelled on the coach on its first journey about the year 1786.

In the year 1793 the Salisbury, Portsmouth, and Chichester mails went out from Bristol every morning at seven, and arrived in Bristol every evening between nine and eleven. At that period the coaches from Bristol for the Southern Counties started thus:--Bush Tavern, Corn Street, John Weeks; for Weymouth a post coach every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 5; for Portsmouth a post coach every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sat.u.r.day morning at four, so that probably the mail which left at 7 a.m.

daily was carried by mail cart and postboy.

In about the year 1798 a "long" coach set out from Mr. Crosse's, the Crown Inn, Portsmouth, to Southampton, Salisbury, Bath, and Bristol, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon; and from Gosport every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sat.u.r.day, to the White Hart Inn, Bristol.

The methods of service in 1798 and the perils of the road are indicated by the following public notice, viz.:--

"General Post Office, "October 11th, 1798.

"The postboy carrying the mail from Bristol to Salisbury on the 9th instant was stopped between the hours of eleven and twelve o'clock at night by two men on foot within six miles of Salisbury, who robbed him of seven s.h.i.+llings in money, but did not offer to take the mail. Whoever shall apprehend the culprit, or cause to be apprehended and convicted both or either of the persons who committed this robbery, will be ent.i.tled to a reward of fifty pounds over and above the reward given by Act of Parliament for apprehending highwaymen. If either party will surrender himself and discover his accomplice he will be admitted as evidence for the Crown, receive His Majesty's most gracious pardon, and be ent.i.tled to the said reward.

"By command of the Postmaster-General.

"FRANCIS FREELING, Secretary."

There is no record that anyone claimed the reward.

In 1828 the mail went out from Bristol at twenty minutes past five o'clock for Salisbury, Southampton, Portsmouth, and Chichester, and arrived every day previously to the London mail--thus Chichester, in Suss.e.x, was linked up with the Wilts.h.i.+re, Dorsets.h.i.+re, and Hamps.h.i.+re mails at that early period. The charge for the postage of a letter from Bristol to Portsmouth was at that time ninepence.

Luke Kent was the first individual who filled the place of Guard of the Chichester mail coaches. At his death he left a sum of money, on the condition of the Mail Guard always blowing the horn when he pa.s.sed the place of his interment, Farlington Church, near Havant.

Prior to becoming a Mail Guard, Luke Kent kept the turnpike gate at Post Bridge, and afterwards became landlord of the Goat public house, where he ama.s.sed a good fortune. He then opened the Sadler's Wells and was a.s.sisted by James Perry, the most celebrated mimic of his time, who a.s.sumed the name of Rossignal. He was accustomed to procure a variety of birds, and, having first given his excellent imitation of the songs of each, to let them loose amongst the audience, to their no small gratification. The scheme failed.

In June, 1804, one of the Portsmouth night coaches, having six inside and fifteen outside pa.s.sengers, besides a surplus of luggage, was overturned near G.o.dalming, Surrey. Twelve of the pa.s.sengers sustained considerable hurt, and nine were obliged to be left behind; the lives of two children were said to be despaired of. "We are astonished at the temerity of the public in trusting themselves to such vehicles."

A Time Bill of 1823, which gives details of a Coach Service at that period, appears on page 83.

GENERAL POST-OFFICE.

THE EARL OF CHICHESTER AND THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY, HIS MAJESTY'S POSTMASTERS-GENERAL.

PORTSMOUTH AND BRISTOL:

Contractors' Number of Time Dispatched from the Post Office, Portsmouth, Names. Pa.s.sengers. Miles. allowed 1823, at 7.20, 22nd March.

In. Out. H. M. by Clock.

{With a Time-Piece safe.

{ Coach No. 240 sent out {No. 69 to Devons.h.i.+re.

Rogers { 4 4 9 1 10 Arrived at Fareham, at 8.30.

{ 4 4 12-1/2 1 50 Arrived at Southampton, at 10.20.

{ 10 Ten Minutes allowed for Office Duty.

Rogers 3 4 8 1 5 Arrived at Rumsey, at 11.35.

Weeks 3 4 16 2 20 Arrived at Salisbury, at 1.55.

10 Ten Minutes allowed for Office Duty.

Hilliar 1 1 22 3 0 Arrived at Warminster, at 5.5.

{ 1 1 8 1 5 Arrived at Beckington, at 6.10.

Pickwick { 1 1 10 1 40 Arrived at Bath, at 7.50.

{ 10 Ten Minutes allowed for Office Duty.

{ 1 2 13-1/2 1 40 Arrived at the Post-Office, Bristol, the 23 of +------+-------+March, 1823, at 9.40 by Time-Piece 99 14 20 at 9.40 by Clock.

+------+-------+ Devons.h.i.+re.

{Delivered the Time-Piece safe.

Coach No. 240 arrived {No. 69 to Office.