Declared Accounts: Post Office

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 27, 1713. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1955.

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'Declared Accounts: Post Office', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 27, 1713, (London, 1955) pp. ccclxxx-ccclxxxvi. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol27/ccclxxx-ccclxxxvi [accessed 14 April 2024]

Post Office

DECLARED ACCOUNTS: POST OFFICE.
PIPE OFFICE: ROLL 2785 [E351/2785].
AUDIT OFFICE: BUNDLE 1959, ROLL 45 [A.O.1/1959/45].
Stephen Lilly, Receiver General of the General Letter Office and of the Penny Post Office.
26 March 1712 to 25 March 1713.
Charge. £ s. d. £ s. d.
Arrears: remaining in the Accomptant's hands on his last preceding Accompt, nil, he being even and Quit nil
depending on several persons at Ladyday 1685 2,125 6 0
depending on divers Postmasters etc. of the General Letter Office at Ladyday 1712 67,221 6 4
depending on several persons of the Penny Post Office, ditto 2,255 8 10
and upon several other persons in arrear, ditto 671 14 1
(fn. 1) 72,273 14 3
Receipts: revenue and profits of the General Post Office, 25 March 1712 to 25 March 1713:
in the Foreign Office [of the General Post Office]:
the produce of letters brought in by the mails; by months 23,411 6 11
letters to and from Portugall not included in the above 6,732 17 6
received of Capt. Phillipson for the freight of passengers in the packet boats between Holland and Harwich 869 16 3
received of John Durden for letters and passengers etc. between Lisbon and Falmouth and of Mrs. Anne Rogers of Falmouth 2,795 13 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 Paine of Brussells for letters sent him 303 8 4
total for the Foreign Office 35,313 2 4
in the Inland Office [of the General Post Office]:
received for letters at the Inland window; by months 1,286 2 4
received of the Letter Receivers; ditto 725 2 4
the Letter Carriers' charge for letters sent up from the country; ditto 60,442 18 2
the Postmasters' charge for letters sent into the country; ditto 74,660 17 11
way letters, taken in at one stage and delivered at another, farmed to divers Postmasters:
John Stukley of Plymouth 230 0 0
Mary Hayman of Dartmouth 20 0 0
James Buckley of Totness 10 0 0
Joseph Quash of Exeter 100 0 0
Abraham Hacket of Blandford 3 0 0
Charles Coven of Dorchester 6 0 0
William Waterman of Sarum 4 0 0
Moses Baxter of Portsmouth 7 0 0
Richard Bodham of Berwick 4 0 0
John Bell of Newcastle 30 0 0
Nicholas Paxton of Durham 10 0 0
John Wilson of Darlington 5 0 0
Elizabeth Harker of Northalerton 9 0 0
Barbara Thwaites of Great Habridge [Greta Bridge] 2 0 0
Richard Gowland of Boroubridge [Boroughbridge] 5 0 0
Catharine 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
Francis Ward of Boston 10 0 0
John Rishton of Spalding 10 0 0
Edward Tinkerson of Peterborough 1 0 0
John Exton of Lynn 20 0 0
Hannah Petty of Gainsborough 24 0 0
and John Sharp of Grantham 5 0 0
total for way letters 614l. 0s. 0d.
received from Isaac Manley, Manager of the Letter Office in Dublin, for letters sent from Chester 699 18 4
ditto, for letters sent from Holyhead 15 7 6
received from Thomas Reynell of Chester for 1 year 10 months by letters received in Chester Road 1 June 1711 to 25 March 1713 1,092 2 11
received of the Letter carriers for letters short taxed 0 14 9
received for the port of expresses 130 16 0
received for expresses sent to London 130 14 3
received from an unknown hand for having (as is supposed) defrauded the Queen of so much in postage 0 5 0
received of John Hague for letters sent to Croydon from London 24 June 1711 to 2 Feb. 1711–12 78 0 2
received of Joseph Quash of Exeter for the Cross-Road 25 March 1712 to 13 Feb. 1712–13 at 700l. per an. and for the additional 1d. per letter from 1 June 1711 to 13 Feb. 1712–13 2,427 12 4
Edmond Green for letters to Isleworth, Enfield, Grays, Croyden, Richmondsworth, Uxbridge and Southall formerly belonging to the Penny Post Office but more than 10 miles distant therefrom, Midsummer 1711 to Midsummer 1712 606 4 5
total for the Inland Office 142,910 16 5
in the North British Office [of the General Post Office]:
profits of the Scotch Office, Midsummer quarter 1712 758 11 9
ditto, Michaelmas quarter 1712 778 10 5
ditto, Xmas quarter 1712 686 18 7
ditto, Ladyday quarter 1713 729 19 10
total, as by the Accompts of George Maine, Deputy Postmaster of Scotland, and attested by the Accomptant General 2,954 0 7
in the Irish Office [of the General Post Office]:
profits of the Irish Office; half year to 29 Sept. 1712 5,661 11 7
ditto; half year to 25 March 1713 5,925 12 4
total for the Irish Office 11,587 3 11
total for the General Post Office 192, 765l. 3s. 3d.
revenue and profits of the Penny Post Office, 25 March 1712 to 25 March 1713:
for the produce of 753, 221 letters at 1d. a letter 3,138 8 5
the produce of the second 1d. for 65,405 letters taken in by the Letter-receivers in London and directed and delivered to persons in the country 272 10 5
the produce of 51,432 letters taken in by six several Penny Post Offices at 1d. each 214 6 0
total as sworn by Edmund Green, Collector, and Nathaniel Colling, Accomptant, and attested by the Postmaster General 3,625 4 10
overpays due at Ladyday 1713:
Capt. Justinian Hooper of 239 0 4
John Goodman of Ockhampton 24 2 7
James Prideaux of Camelford 20 0 2
John Smith of Bodmin 5 16 10
Blith Hagcroft of St. Columb 5 13 5
Lucy Downes of Hertford-bridge 29 4 3
John Beauchamp of Staines 13 8 7
Richard Harrison of Caxton 8 5 10
John Foxcroft of Enfield 17 2 7
Edward Lock of Hownslow 10 11 5
John Powell of Cyrencester 12 11 5
Richard Willington of the Hey 6 0 7
Margaret Griffith of Llanndefry 3 0 8
John Eliot of Habiston 0 7 11
James Callow of Tenbigh 3 5 8
Samuel Coats of Pickadilly 24 3 6
Maurice Owen of Holy-head 33 11 4
Margaret Buckley of Beaumaris 23 0 4
John Draper of Conway 12 2 2
John Wickins of Towcester 0 12 10
John Mercer of Oldstreet 15 0 0
John Atkinson of Whitechappell 16 13 6
George Palmer of Halston 2 17 1
Mary Gardner of Southwark 11 5 0
Joseph Durden of Falmouth 665 0 3
Monsieur Richards of Paris 2,633 18 9
3,836 17 0
total charge and receipts (viz. arrears 72,273l. 14s. 3d., General Letter Office receipts 192,765l. 3s. 3d., Penny Post Office receipts 3,625l. 4s. 10d. and overpays 3,836l. 17s. 0d.) £272,500 19 4
Discharge.
Money due to several Postmasters etc. for the balances of their previous Accompts 2,991 12 1
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 charged on the Deputy Postmasters (Foreign Office 3,870l. 3s. 8d., Inland Office 8,207l. 12s. 5d.) 12,077 16 1
letters charged on several Postmasters etc., brought back to the Post Office as the addressees could not be found 2,391 12 5
her Majesty's letters and those of Members of Parliament, brought and delivered free 19,820 1 10
foreign letters and packets, enclosing bills of exchange, etc., excepted by Act of Parliament and for errors, abatements and overtaxed letters 662 10 1
34,952 0 5
salaries, pensions and other payments out of the Revenue of the General Post Office:
salaries: including Sir Thomas Frankland and John Evelyn, Postmasters General at 1,000l. per an. each; Edward Hasley, Auditor, 260l.; Stephen Lilly, Receiver General, 300l.; George Searl, Accomptant, 300l.; Arnold Biby, Comptroller of the Inland Office, 200l.; Benjamin Waterhouse, Secretary, 200l.; Richard Swift, Solicitor, 200l.; the clerks of the several Roads (named); Ashburnham Froud, Comptroller of the Foreign Office, 150l.; window-men, sorters, clerks, letter receivers etc.; the several Postmasters, detailed at length, 13,194l. 19s. 4d. 21,496 15 0
annuities and pensions:
the Dukes of Northumberland and Grafton 4,700 0 0
Henry, Earl of Rochester 4,000 0 0
the Duke of Schonberg 4,000 0 0
John, Duke of Marlborough 5,000 0 0
Simon, Lord Harcourt, Lord Keeper 4,000 0 0
Thomas, Duke of Leeds 1,375 0 0
Guy Palmes 750 0 0
the Professors of the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow 420 0 0
24,245 0 0
Court Post:
Henry Andrews, for carrying Royal letters etc. between the Court and the First Post Stage 366 0 0
charges of Expresses:
Midsummer quarter 1712 369 8 10
Michaelmas quarter, 1712 420 2 4
Xmas quarter, 1712 260 11 10
Ladyday quarter 1713 369 5 8
1,419 8 8
charges of the packet boats:
Capt. Phillipson, for sundry charges of the Harwich packet boats (the Marlborough, the Eagle, the Dispatch, the Dolphin, the Prince packet boats; hire of fishing boats; Mr. Haslefoot, chirurgeon; Capt. Phillipson's own salary, 150l.) 5,211 8 9
Joseph Durden etc., for charges of the Lisbon packet boats (the Expedition, the Mercury, the Union, the Dispatch; the Queen; the King William; the Resolution; Mr. Code, surgeon; Mr. Durden's own salary 150l.) 11,260 13 6
Sarah Buggins for stores for the Queen packet boat; Ralph Richardson for inspecting work on the Queen; Mr. Hunt for guns for the Mayflower 55 8 0
John Mead, for hire of the Resolution employed in the Lisbon correspondence 540 0 0
John Mackay for disbursements on the Ostend packet boats and for his own salary of 150l. 2,376 16 4
Mrs. Ann Rogers, for money paid Mr. Durden of Falmouth 1,001 0 0
hire of the Swallow packet boat for Lisbon; 21 July 1711 to 25 Jan. 1711–12; and paid Mrs. Rogers for three boats thrown overboard when chased by privateers to preserve the mails and for damage done to the hull of the Swallow 260 18 4
20,706 4 11
incident charges, detailed at length 3,273 2 9
allowances of various natures:
John Caulfield, agent at Lisbon, for so much allowed John Duarta de Costa and for exchange of milreas 290 19 11
John Browne, late ditto, for exchange 49 1 5
John and Samuel Traverse, for the redemption and charges of the Anne packet boat taken by the French on the station between Holyhead and Dublin and for the ransom of the
Pembroke packet boat taken by the French on the Irish station and afterwards re-taken by the Dutch and carried into Zealand 234 8 10
the several farmers for their trouble and expense in their Branches at 10 per cent. for a year to 25 March 1713 1,253 15 5
John Six of Amsterdam for his moiety of frank letters conveyed from Hamborough and the Northern Crowns and Italy 1,074 8 10
the same for his moiety of French letters conveyed from Amsterdam; half year to Ladyday 1713 258 12 8
Thomas Reynell of Chester; for collecting by-letters from 1 June 1711 to 25 March 1713 448 12 8
Edmond Green, for collecting and carrying letters for Isleworth, Enfield, Grays, Richmondsworth, Uxbridge, and Southall, formerly belonging to the Penny Post Office, detailed 365 6 9
John Hague of Croyden, for collecting letters there, etc. 52 11 9
4,027 18 3
George Maine, Deputy Postmaster, for the charges of the Scotch Office, detailed 2,730 0 0
Isaac Manley, Deputy Postmaster at Dublin in Ireland, for the charges of the Irish Office, detailed 10,118 16 11
money paid into the Exchequer at several times, detailed 70,192 9 10
total payments out of the Revenue of the General Post Office as above 158,575l. 16s. 4d.
charges of the Penny Post Office:
salaries and wages (Nathaniel Castleton, Comptroller, 200l.; Edmond Green, Collector, 70l.; Nathaniel Golling, AcComptant, 70l.; Joshua Baker, Comptroller's clerk, 30l.; six sorters, eight subsorters, 62 messengers) 2,118 17 9
rents (the Chief Office, 60l.; the Westminster Office 14l.; the Temple Office, 10l.; St. Paul's Office, 10l.; Southwark Office, 10l.; the Hermitage Office, 10l.; the Exchange House, 1l. 10s.) 117 10 0
incidents, detailed (fn. 2) 474 12 6
several Letter-receivers for the tenths of
letters allowed them 313 16 10
the value of letters returned 3 14 8
Officers' taxes 110 0 0
3,138 11 9
total payments and allowances £199,658 0 7
and so remains 72,842 18 9
against which depending in super:
arrears due at Ladyday 1685, detailed 2,125 6 0
upon several Postmasters, detailed at length 67,898 8 11
arrears of the Penny Post, ditto 2,147 9 9
arrears due from several other persons [as in the previous Accompt] 671 14 1
total supers £72,842 18 9
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 and 20 Car. II, c. 7] the several Receivers and Postmasters abovementioned are chargeable with damages at 12l. 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 11 August 1715.

Footnotes

  • 1. So also in Vol. XXVI, p. cccxc.
  • 2. The Pipe Office Copy has 474l. 12s. 6½d., an error.
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