Declared Accounts: Post Office

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 26, 1712. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1954.

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'Declared Accounts: Post Office', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 26, 1712, (London, 1954) pp. ccclxxxiii-cccxc. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol26/ccclxxxiii-cccxc [accessed 24 April 2024]

Post Office

DECLARED ACCOUNTS: POST OFFICE.
PIPE OFFICE: ROLL 2784 [E351/2784].
AUDIT OFFICE: ROLL 1959, BUNDLE 44 [A.O.1/1959/44].
STEPHEN LILLY, Receiver General of the General Letter Office and of the Penny Post Office.
26 March 1711 to 25 March 1712.
Charge. £ s. d. £ s d.
Arrears: remaining in the Accomptant's hands on his last preceding Accompt. nil
depending on several persons at Ladyday 1685 2,125 6 0
depending on divers Postmasters etc. of the General Letter Office at Ladyday 1711 69,100 9 8
depending on several persons of the Penny-Post Office, ditto 2,438 8 0½
and upon several other persons in arrear, ditto 950 6 1
74,614 9 9½
Receipts: revenue and profits of the General Post Office, 25 March 1711 to 25 March 1712:
in the Foreign Office [of the General Post Office]:
the produce of letters brought in by the mails; by months 23,418 19 9
letters to and from Lisbon not included in the above 7,680 3 9
received of Capt. Richard Grey for the freight of passengers in the Holland pacquet boats between Brill and Harwich 925 3 3
received of Joseph Durden and Mr. Rogers for letters and passengers etc. between Lisbon and Falmouth 3,153 7 4
received of John Six of Amsterdam by virtue of his contract with the Lords Burgomasters there for freight between England and Amsterdam 1,200 0 0
received of John Payne of Brussells for letters sent him 40 0 0
total for the Foreign Office 36,417 14 1
in the Inland Office [of the General Post Office]:
money received for letters at the Inland window; by months 2,042 2 11
money received of the Letter Receivers 943 3 1
the Letter Carriers' charge for letters sent up from the Country; ditto 62,506 13 1
the Postmasters' charge for letters sent into the Country; ditto 72,035 5 6
money due on contract with the several farmers:
Edward Hall of Rye, co. Sussex, for letters between London and Hastings and Battle, co. Sussex, and adjacent parts of Kent; half year to Mich. 1712 75 0 0
William Rawson and Sarah Wain-wright, for letters between London and Ferrybrigg and Tadcaster, Settle and Kirkby Lonsdale with towns adjacent; half year to Mich. 1712 735 0 0
John Smith and Mathew Stoughton for all letters between London and Sheffield, Chesterfeild, Mansfeild, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Uppingham, Woodburne, Ampthill and Bedford, Wellingbrough, Kettering, Rockingham and adjacent places in cos. Bedford and Bucks.; half year to Mich. 1712 785 0 0
John George at Thetford, co. Norfolk, for Walsingham Branch letters; same time 200 0 0
Thomas Atwood, at St. Neots, for letters between London and St. Neots, co. Hunt., Bideswade, co. Bedford, Stevenage, Welling and Hatfield, co. Hertford; same time 120 0 0
Samuel Johnson of Walden, for letters between London and towns in cos. Hertford, Essex, Suffolk and Cambridge, with the villages adjoining; same time 200 0 0
John Brett of Tunbridge for letters between London and Kent; same time 165 0 0
John Barnes of Chichester, for letters to and from Chichester, Arundell, Petworth, Hazlemore, Godalmin, Guilford, Kingston and places adjacent in Sussex and Surrey; same time 775 0 0
Richard Bigg of Buckingham, for letters between London and Edg-worth, Stanmore, Watford, King's Henley, Hemstead, Barkhamp-stead, Buckingham, Chesham, Agmondesham, Great Marlow, Wendover, Banbury, Warwick and places adjacent; same time 590 0 0
total due on contracts as above 3,645l.
way letters taken in at one stage and delivered at another, farmed to divers postmasters:
John Stuckley of Plymouth 230 0 0
Mary Hayman at Dartmouth 20 0 0
James Buckley of Totnes 10 0 0
Joseph Quash of Exeter 100 0 0
Abraham Hackett of Chelmsford 3 0 0
Charles Coven of Dorchester 6 0 0
William Waterman of Sarum 4 0 0
Moses Baxter of Portsmouth 7 0 0
Robert Rodham of Berwick 4 0 0
John Bell of Newcastle 30 0 0
Nicholas Paxton of Durham 10 0 0
John Willson of Darlington 5 0 0
Elizabeth Harker of Northalerton 9 0 0
Barbara Twaites of Great Habridge [Greta Bridge] 2 0 0
Richard Gowland of Borough Bridge 5 0 0
Katherine Dawson of York 40 0 0
Mary Mould of Hull 50 0 0
Robert Pattison of Beverley 4 0 0
John Herring of Newark 5 0 0
Hannah Petty of Gainsbrough 24 0 0
John Sharpe of Grantham 5 0 0
Francis Ward of Boston 10 0 0
John Rishton of Spalding 10 0 0
Edward Tinckerson of Peterborough 1 0 0
John Exton of Lynn 20 0 0
Jonathan Benns of Halston on account 2 6 8
total for way letters 616l. 6s. 8d.
money received from Isaac Manly, manager of the Letter Office in Dublin for letters sent from Chester within the time of this Accompt 699 14 2
ditto for letters sent from Holyhead 18 6 0
money received of Thomas Reynell of Chester for four months by-letters received in the Chester road 353 8 1
money received of letter carriers [for letters] short-taxed this year 1 9 0
money received of several persons for the port of express-letters 120 17 8
money received for expresses sent to London by the several Postmasters 114 1 3
money received of Henry Price, Postmaster of Bristol, for American letters 98 5 0
money received of the farmers for four months advance on letters, 1 June 1711 to 29 Sept. 1711 1,575 11 5
money received of Joseph Quash of Exeter for rent 700 0 0
money received of Francis Stanley of Wantage, for two months rent to 1 June 1711 158 6 8
total for the Inland Office 145,628 10 6
in the North British Office [of the General Post Office]:
money arising by profits of the Scotch Office:
Midsummer quarter 1711 514 4 6
Michaelmas quarter 1711 994 0 10
Christmas quarter 1711 723 8 4
Ladyday quarter 1712 780 4 2
total for the North British Office 3,011 17 10
in the Irish Office [of the General Post Office]:
money arising by profits of the Irish Office:
for half year to Mich. 1711 6,092 17 11
ditto for half a year to Ladyday 1712 5,682 15 6
total to the Irish Office 11,775 13 5
total for the General Post Office 196,833l. 15s. 10d.
revenue and profits of the Penny Post Office, 25 March 1711 to 25 March 1712:
the produce of 807,128 letters taken in by the Officers of the Penny Post Office at Id. per letter 3,363 0 8
the produce of the second 1d. for 70,738 letters taken in by letter receivers in London and directed and delivered to persons in the Country 294 14 10
the produce of 52,139 letters taken in by the several Penny Post Offices at 1d. each 217 4 11
total for the growing Duty of the Penny Post 3,875 0 5
overpays remaining due at Ladyday 1712:
John Hiches of Winbourn 2 0 2
Edward Downs of Hartford bridge 34 8 3
John Beauchamp of Staines 15 16 6
Richard Harrison of Caxton 6 16 6
Sarah Clifford of Maidenhead 16 11 4
Edward Lock of Hounslow 20 3 0
Richard Wellington of the Hay 7 5 5
Margarett Griffith of Llanimdiffry [Llandovery] 3 15 4
Samuel Coates of Pickadilly 28 5 6
Maurice Owen of Holyhead 21 8 1
John Draper of Conway 12 15 1
Margaret Buckley of Beaumarris 14 1 6
John Mercer of Old Street 15 0 0
John Atkinson of Whitechappell 13 10 6
Mary Gardiner of Southwarke 7 10 4
John Simson of Bourn 18 2 2
Joseph Darden of Falmouth 97 13 10
Monsieur Richards of Paris 2,633 18 9
Thomas Longbotham of Barnet 17 13 5
John Palmer of Halston 4 16 5
2,991 12 1
total charge and receipts (viz. Arrears 74,614l. 9s. 9½d., General Letter Office receipts 196,833l. 15s. 10d., Penny Post Office receipts 3,875 0s. 5d. and overpays 2,991l. 12s. 1d.)
£278,314 18 1½
Discharge. £ s. d. £ s. d.
Abatements out of the General Charge and Revenue of the Post Office:
Country letters brought from foreign parts and from the Deputy Postmasters in England, being first charged at the General Post Office in London and sent as directed to persons in the Country, whereby the growing duty in those parts is increased, and likewise on the Deputy Postmasters 12,812 12 8
letters charged on several Postmasters and Letter-carriers, returned because the addressees could not be found 2,272 10 2
her Majesty's and Members of Parliament, their letters brought and delivered free 20,267 6 7
foreign letters etc. enclosing bills of exchange etc. exempted by Act of Parliament, errors, statements, and overtaxed letters allowed Postmasters 592 3 3
letters sent up to the General Post Office by persons who farmed the same at yearly rents and so doubly charged 3,388 16 5
39,333 9 1
money due to Postmasters and others for the balances of these Accompts 2,990 11 8
salaries: including Sir Thomas Frankland, kt., and John Evelyn, Postmasters General, for three quarters and 68 days to Ladyday 1712, 1,872l. 12s.; Thomas Foley, Auditor, 260l.; George Searle, Accomptant, 300l.; Stephen Lilly, this Accomptant, for three quarters and 68 days to Ladyday 1712, 280l. 17s.; William Frankland, Comptroller of the Inland Office, 200l.; Benjamin Waterhouse, Secretary, 200l.; Richard Swift, Solicitor, 200l.; Ashburnham Frowd, Comptroller of the Foreign Office, 150l.; several Postmasters, detailed at length 10,616l. 6s. 1d. 18,754 7 9
annuities and pensions:
the Dukes of Northumberland and Grafton 4,700 0 0
Henry, Earl of Rochester 4,000 0 0
Thomas, Duke of Leeds 3,500 0 0
the Duke of Schonberg at 5,000l. per an. for Ladyday quarter 1711, and thereafter at 4,000l. per an. 4,250 0 0
the Duke of Marlborough 5,000 0 0
Simon, Lord Harcourt, Lord Keeper 4,000 0 0
James, Duke of Queensbury, one quarter's pension 750 0 0
John, Duke of Argyle, ditto 750 0 0
James, Earl of Seafield, ditto 750 0 0
John, Earl of Marr, ditto 750 0 0
Thomas, Earl of Pembroke, ditto 750 0 0
John Hill, ditto 250 0 0
William Brockett, ditto 100 0 0
Maud Johnson, ditto 75 0 0
Rebecca Chadwick, late widow of Dr. Titus Oates, ditto 75 0 0
Charles Osborne, ditto 50 0 0
the Professors in the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow; year to Martinmas 1711 420 0 0
30,170 0 0
Court Post: Henry Andrews for carrying Royal letters etc. between the Court and the first Post Stage 365 0 0
charges of Expresses:
Midsummer quarter 1711 366 6 3
Michaelmas quarter 1711 463 7 0
Christmas quarter 1711 312 5 6
Ladyday quarter 1712 480 2 11
1,622 1 8
charges of the packet boats:
Richard Grey, for hire etc. of the Harwich packet boats, the Eagle, Despatch, Dolphin, Marlborough and Prince; details given 7,138 0 3
Zachariah Rogers, for ditto of the Lisbon packet boats, the Swallow, Expedition, Queen, Prince, Mercury, Diligence and others; details given 11,173 1 8
Edmund Dummer, for the Union, a new packet boat for Lisbon, and for a pinnace; detailed 2,803 5 0
Edward Swallow, for the Dispatch, a new packet boat for Lisbon, and for her tackle etc. 2,723 1 6
the Duke of Montagu for the frame of the Queen packet boat for Lisbon and James Herring, shipwright, and sundry tradesmen for finishing her and for her tackle 2,409 6 0
John Mead and Edmund Dummer for hire of the Resolution packet boat 556 0 0
John Macky of Dover, for disbursements etc. of the Ostend packet boats 2,403 4 0
Edmund Dummer for hire of the West India packet boats 3,000 0 0
32,205 18 5
sundry incident charges, detailed (tradesmen's bills etc. for stationery, candles, glazier's work, leather bags, upholsterer's work, plumber's work, smith's work, punches, brasses and stamps, newspapers; rent; extra allowances; Xmas box money; charges in passing the Accompt; coach-hire; 60l, to Benjamin Waterhouse, steward of the Post Office feast, for the half yearly feasts to the Clerks and Officers of the General Post Office at 20l. each feast; parish dues etc. to St. Mary Woolnoth and St. Mary Abchurch; New River water, etc.) 3,112 16 0
allowances of various natures:
William Brown, agent at Lisbon, for John Duart de Costa at 10 per cent, for all money paid; and for returning money 563 13 0
John Six of Amsterdam, for his mojety of frank letters from Hamburgh, the Northern Crowns and Italy 1,089 14 10
Robert Walker, for the tax on Officers' salaries not exceeding 60l. per an. 358 0 0
John Travers, for the redemption of the Pembroke packet boat ransomed from the French, etc 129 7 6
Edward Warren, for his share of the Continent letters in America 252 0 0
John Stuckley of Plymouth, for his care of the West India packet boats for six years (less 17 days) 89 6 0
ditto, for examining complaints against Capt. Rogers at Falmouth 102 0 0
Thomas Reynell of Chester, for collecting by-letters 193 6 8
Richard Bigg, for settling the Oxford stages 64 6 9
allowed the several farmers for their trouble etc. at 10 per cent. for half year to Ladyday 1712 674 17 4
money remitted to John Sharpless, late Postmaster of Preston, co. Lanc., for his poverty and imprisonment (20l. to be paid in three months) 81 14 9
ditto to Ralph Rishton, present Postmaster there, in consideration of inability to pay (72l. 17s. to be paid) 100 0 0
3,698 6 10
charges of the Scotch Office:
George Maine, Deputy Postmaster of North Britain:
salaries 1,168 13 7
stationery wares 66 3 5
rent 13 17 9
expresses 7 16 6
Members' letters 26 15 4
country letters charged to Edinburgh and not paid there, being sent forward to the Postmasters in North Britain 948 10 10
Members of Parliament, their letters 232 6 3
insolvent letters returned to London and from the Country 87 18 11
exchange of money 59 10 0
2,611 12 7
charges of the Irish Office:
Isaac Manley, Deputy Postmaster at Dublin:
salaries 3,211 1 0
stationery wares 641 12 6
expresses 12 14 2
country letters charged to Dublin and not paid there, but sent forward to the Postmasters in Ireland 2,089 19 3
insolvent Irish letters and letters from Dublin through the Kingdom [of Ireland] 446 7 7
exchange of money remitted 387 17 10
State and Members of Parliament letters 4,321 10 10
ship-letters paid for by Postmasters 32 18 6
English insolvent letters returned to London 150 0 0
11,294 1 8
money paid into the Exchequer at several times detailed 56,724 17 7
total payments out of the Revenue of the General Post Office as above 160,559l. 2s. 6d.
charges of the Penny Post Office:
salaries and wages (Nathaniel Castleton, Comptroller; Edmund Green, Collector; Nathaniel Golling, Accomptant; Joshua Baker, Comptroller's clerk; six sorters; eight subsorters; messengers) 2,136 17 6
rent of the Penny Post Offices (the Chief Office, the Westminster, Temple, St. Paul's, Southwarke and Hermitage Offices and the Exchange House) 117 10 0
incident charges, detailed 452 17 3½
several letter-receivers for tenths of 807,128 letters allowed them 336 6 0
the value of several letters returned as the addressees could not be found 4 9 10
Officers' taxes 110 0 0
3,158 0 7½
total payments and allowances £206,041 3 10½
and so remains £72,273 14 3
against which depending in super:
arrears due at Ladyday 1685, detailed 2,125 6 0
upon several Postmasters, etc. detailed at length 67,221 6 4
arrears of the Penny Post, ditto 2,255 8 10
arrears due from several other persons (the Duke of Leeds and Anthony Rowe for money received; Oliver Hill of Spain; George Levet, purser of a Spanish packet boat; Mark Fletcher, for fitting up the Spanish Princess; Mr. Simonds, Master of the Irish packet boats; Mr. Manley for the feasts paid the Officers) 671 14 1
total Supers £72,273 14 3
and so this Accompt of the Revenue of the General and Penny Post Office is even and Quit.
Memorandum.—In pursuance of the Act 20 Car 2 [19 & 20 Car. II, c. 7] the several Receivers and Postmasters abovementioned are chargeable with damages at 12 per cent, per an. for the respective sums received by them and remaining in their hands and here noted that the same may be charged on them by the Court of Exchequer.
Declared 30 June 1714.
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