Declared Accounts, 1704-5: Post Office

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 20, 1705-1706. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1952.

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'Declared Accounts, 1704-5: Post Office', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 20, 1705-1706, (London, 1952) pp. cccxxi-cccxxix. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol20/cccxxi-cccxxix [accessed 25 April 2024]

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Post Office

Declared Accounts :
Audit Office, Bundle 1957, Roll 38.
The Declaration of the accompt of Stephen Lilly, Receiver General of the Letter Office and Penny Post Office.
For one year from 26 March 1704 to 25 March 1705.
Charge.
l. s. d. l. s. d.
Arrears. Remains in his own hands upon his last preceding accompt nil. he being quit thereupon
depending upon several persons for money due to her Majesty for the balances of their accompts ended at Lady day 1685 2,125 6 0
depending upon divers Postmasters and others belonging to the General Letter Office for the balances of their respective accounts ended at Lady day 1704 49,606 6 11
depending upon several persons belonging to the Penny Post Office at the same time 1,553 15 10½
depending upon several other persons in arrear at the same time 671 14 1
53,957 2 10½
received of the revenue and profits of the General Post Office in the year 1704-5
l. s. d.
the Foreign Office
the produce of letters brought in by the Mails
April 1704 1,602 18 4
May 2,084 0 0
June 1,122 8 3
July 1,933 18 11
August 2,039 19 1
September 1,385 13 1
October 1,509 4 10
November 1,880 0 6
December 1,438 1 5
January 1704-5 2,058 5 0
February 1,529 4 3
March 1,393 11 2
19,977 4 10
money received from William Brown for letters carried to and from Lisbon not included in the Mails 7,485 19 3
money received of Capt. Hendrick Edisbury for the freight of passengers which went and came in the packet boats between the Brill in Holland and Harwich in Essex within one year ended 1704 March 25 610 19 9
money received of Mr. Godbolt Muilman of Amsterdam under his contract dated 24 June 1677 with the Lords Burgomasters and Regents there, for the freight of goods and passengers going or coming in the packet boats from any of the ports of England to Amsterdam at the rate of 1,200l. per an. 1,200 0 0
Total of receipts in the Foreign Office £29,274 3 10
The Inland Office.
money received for letters taken in at the Window 2,239 17 2
money received of the Letter Receivers 722 15 8
the Letter Carriers' charge being unpaid letters sent up from the Stages in the Country 48,255 19 10
the [local or Deputy] Postmasters' charge being paid letters received and unpaid letters sent them into the several Cross Roads 54,246 19 3
l. s. d.
money due by contracts from the several Farmers as follows viz.
Edward Hall of Hastings, co. Sussex, Farmer of all the letters to and from London to and from Hastings, Battle, Cranbrooke, Biddenden, Tenterden, Appledore, Hurst Green, Lyd, New Romney, Hythe, and Folkestone in Kent for the said year 130 0 0
Mathew Staughton and John Smith of Wellingborough, Co. Northants., Farmers of all letters to and from London to and from Sheffield, Co. Yorks, Chesterfield, Co. Derby and several other places as in their contract dated 1702 March 27 1,550 0 0
William Rawson and Sarah Wainwright, Co. Yorks., Farmers of all letters to and from London to and from Ferrybridge and Tadcaster and the several towns formerly belonging to those stages and the towns of Settle, Kirkby Lonsdale and the towns and villages adjacent 1,450 0 0
Thomas Atwood of St. Neots, Farmer of all letters to and from London to and from St. Neots, Co. Huntingdon, Biggleswade, Co. Beds. and other places 200 0 0
John Howlett of Thetford, Farmer of all letters to and from London to and from Thetford, Walsingham and other places in Co. Norfolk 350 0 0
Henry Warren of White Chapel, Farmer of all letters to and from London to and from Havering at Bower, Lambourne, Haybridge and other places in Cos. Herts., Essex, Sussex and Cambridge 400 0 0
John Brett of Tonbridge, Farmer of all letters to and from several towns in Cos. Kent and Sussex 330 0 0
John Barnes of Chichester, Farmer of all letters to and from London to and from Chichester, Arundel, Petworth and other places in Cos. Sussex, Surrey and Southampton 1,500 0 0
Richard Begg of Winslow, Co. Bucks, Farmer of all letters to and from London to and from Edgeworth [Edgeware], Stanmore, Watford and sundry other places 1,100 0 0
7,010 0 0
Way letters taken in at one Stage and delivered at another [stage] this year farmed to divers Postmasters for the following :
John Stukely of Plymouth 230 0 0
Mark Hayman of Dartmouth 20 0 0
Richard Cocks of Totnes 10 0 0
Joseph Quash of Exeter 100 0 0
Ann Woodfreys of Blanford 3 0 0
Charles Coven of Dorchester 6 0 0
William Waterman of Sarum 12 0 0
James Wansbrough 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 Wilson of Darlington 5 0 0
Eliz. Harker of Northallerton 9 0 0
Barbarah Thwayts of Great Abridge 2 0 0
Richard Gowland of Burrowbrigs 5 0 0
Katherine Dawson of York 40 0 0
Eliz. Engles of Hull 50 0 0
William Hardwick of Beverly 4 0 0
Samuel Smith of Bantry 4 0 0
John Herring of Newark 5 0 0
John Petty of Gainsborough 6 0 0
John Sharp of Grantham 5 0 0
Stephen Bridge of Boston 20 0 0
Francis Stennet of Lincoln 20 0 0
Jonathan Gaule of Horncastle 40 0 0
John Hinton of Peterborough 1 0 0
John Exton of Lynn 20 0 0
Benj. Bigg of Chester 157 10 0
825 10 0
Money due upon articles from the several carriers following viz.
Jonathan Bens of Halston, Co. Essex, carryer, farmer of all letters and packets between there and London for one year ended Lady day 1705 10 0 0
Joseph Marshall of Luton, Co. Beds., carrier, farmer of the like between Luton and Harding, Co. Beds, for same time 10 0 0
Thomas Richards of Ashby de la Zouche, Co. Leicester, carrier, farmer of the like between London and the towns of Ashby de la Zouche, Bagworth, Croft or any other town or village in that Road between Northampton and Ashby aforesaid, for the same time 5 0 0
25 0 0
Money received from the Scotch Secretary [of State] sent and received per express between London and Berwick within the year ended Lady day 1705 162 15 0
money received from Isaac Manley, manager of the Letter Office in Dublin, for letters sent to him from Chester, within the same time 314 18 0
money received from the said Isaac Manley for letters sent to him from Holyhead within the same time 15 17 6
money received from Godbolt Muilman of Amsterdam for ship letters directed to Holland within the same time 13 9 8
money received of several persons for the port of Express letters sent and received within the same time 85 10 4
money received from the Letter Receivers for Letters short taxed within the same time 1 8 5
Total for Inland Office 113,921 0 10
The revenue arising by the Irish Office
in the quarter ended 1704 June 24 2,574 12 11
in the quarter ended Michaelmas 1704 2,611 8 1
in the quarter ended Xmas 1704 2,497 15 11
in the quarter ended Lady day 1705 2,778 4 8
Total for Irish Office 10,462 1 7
Total of the revenue and profits arising by the General Post Office in England (Foreign and Inland) and Ireland 153,657 6 3
l. s. d. l. s. d.
The revenue arising by the Penny Post Office within the said year
the produce of 959,104 letters taken in by the Officers of the Penny Post at 1d. per letter 3,996 5 4
the produce of the 2d. letters for 95,405 letters taken in by the Letter Receivers in London which were directed and delivered to several persons in the Country 397 10 5
the produce of letters taken in the 60 several Penny Post Offices being 24,758 letters at 1d. per letter 103 3 2
4,496 18 11
as by an accompt thereof examined by Nathaniel Castleton, Comptroller of this Office, and sworn to by Daniell Darnelly, Accomptant, and John Williams, Receiver of this revenue
Overpayments by the several Postmasters hereafter named being overpaid upon their respective accompts and due to be repaid by her Majesty [upon their succeeding accompts] viz.
Joseph Warkman of Ashburton 2 19 2
Edward Downes of Hartfordbridge 35 11 4
John Corpes of Petersfield 24 2 5
John Beauchamp of Staines 3 16 4
Grace Carr of Belford 6 11 7
Robert Robinson of Taxford 10 8 6
Richard Harrison of Coxthon 5 6 2
Edward Lock of Hounslow 3 11 6
Samuell Johnson of Pickadilly 46 13 0
Richard Owen of Holyhead 9 0 9
Margaret Buckley of Beaumaris 4 1 0
John Roberts of Barnet 2 15 9
John Mercer of Old Street 15 0 0
Mary Lecandle of Dover 11 5 0
William Gardner of Southwick 11 5 0
Edward Hall of Rye 8 8 1
Monsieur Richards of Paris 2,633 18 9
Stephen Lilly, gent, this accomptant 450 0
3,284 14 10½
Total of the charge and receipts aforesaid £215,396 2 11
Discharge.
l. s. d. l. s. d.
Money due to Postmasters and others for the balances of their accounts ended at 1704 Lady day [as in the said preceding year's accompt] 4,733 19
abatements out of the aforegoing General Charge and Produce of this revenue viz.
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 several persons in the Country, whereby the growing Duties of those parts where the letters are directed is [artificially] increased and likewise charged on the Deputy Postmasters viz. in the Foreign [Post] Office 2,613l. 10s. 10d. and in the Inland Office 7,204l. 19s. 7d., in all 9,818 10 5
her Majesty's and the Members of Parliament, their letters and packets : being so much herein charged for them but brought and delivered free viz. her Majesty's 11,653l. 8s. 5d. and Members of Parliament's letters 339l. 7s. 1d. 11,992 14 6
Carried forward £4,733 19
l. s. d. l. s. d.
Brought forward 4,733 19
letters charged on several postmasters and letter carriers which were brought back to the Post Office by reason the persons to whom they were directed could not be found 1,559 2 8
foreign letters and packets wherein were infolded bills of exchange, merchants' accompts, bills of lading, etc. exempted by Act of Parliament ; and overtaxed letters, errors and abatements 616 5 11
letters sent unto the General Post Office by several persons who farmed the same at the yearly rents charged in this accompt [and hereby allowed] for that they are doubly charged to her Majesty's accompt [credit] 5,015 10 1
29,002 3 7
Salaries of Postmasters General, Receiver General, accomptant, clerks, including 8,078l. 11s. 10d. for the sundry Postmasters, detailed, in England and Wales : 15,765 14 6
Annuities and Pensions
Duke of Marlborough 5,000 0 0
Duke of Leeds 3,500 0 0
Duke of Schomberg 3,750 0 0
Duchess of Cleveland 5,050 0 0
Sir Nathan Wright, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal 4,000 0 0
Lawrence, Earl of Rochester 4,000 0 0
William, Earl of Rochford 1,000 0 0
Dr. Titus Oates 300 0 0
Mris. Maud Johnson 300 0 0
William Brocket 400 0 0
Charles Osbourne 200 0 0
Guy Palmes 1,000 0 0
53,500 0 0
Court Post viz. James de Cardonell, Esq. 366 0 0
charge of expresses 1,120 2 3
charge of the Harwich and Lisbon packet boats Hendrick Edisbury of Harwich for the hire of the Marlborough packet boat, Despatch packet boat, Dolphin packet boat, Eagle packet boat and extraordinaries, detailed 5,857 18 10
Edmund Dummer, for the hire of the packet boats Prince, Queen, Lisbon 5,146 16 4
11,004 15 2
incidents, detailed 2,911 17 3
expense of divers natures, detailed 2,729 13 8
remitted and discharged by warrants from the Queen or Treasury Lords, detailed 299 19 9
Charges, detailed, of the Irish Office 8,841 15 11
money paid into the Receipt of the Exchequer 6,332 18 7
136,609 0
Penny Post Office
Salaries and Wages, Nathaniel Castleton, comptroller ; Daniel Darnelly, accountant ; John Williams, Collector ; Nathaniel Golling, comptroller's clerk ; 6 sorters, 8 sub-sorters, 64 messengers 2,160 12 5
rents of the several Penny Post Offices, viz. Michael Brett 60l. for rent of the General Post Office ; Edward Reddish 14l. for rent of the Westminster Penny Post Office ; Robert Kempton 10l. for rent of the Temple Penny Post Office ; John Worts 12l. for rent of the St. Pauls Penny Post Office ; Peter Hall 6l. for rent of the South Penny Post Office ; William Wildman 7l. for rent of the Hermitage Office ; Thomas Ellis 7l. for rent of the Exchanging House 110 10 0
sundry incident charges, detailed, of the Penny Post Office 288 7 8
Taxes of the Officers of the Penny Post Office 110 0 0
976 letters returned at 1d. each 4 1 4
several Letter Receivers for the Tenths of letters allowed them 399 12 6
3,073 3 11
Total payments and allowances £139,682 4
Remains 75,713l. 18s. 8½d.
Whereof
depending upon a long list, detailed, of Postmasters and others for money remaining in their hands at the end of this accompt 71,239 7 9
ditto ditto of the Penny Post Office, detailed, due at Lady day 1704 1,077 13 10½
ditto ditto due at Lady day 1705 599 17 0
ditto ditto due at Lady day 1685 2,125 6 0
Total supers depending £75,713 18
And so this Accomptant is Even and Quit.
Declared 13 November, 1707.