Declared Accounts: Post Office

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 29, 1714-1715. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1957.

This free content was digitised by double rekeying. All rights reserved.

'Declared Accounts: Post Office', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 29, 1714-1715, (London, 1957) pp. ccclxxiv-ccclxxx. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol29/ccclxxiv-ccclxxx [accessed 26 March 2024]

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Post Office

DECLARED ACCOUNTS: POST OFFICE.
PIPE OFFICE: ROLL 2787 [E.351/2787].
AUDIT OFFICE: BUNDLE 1960, ROLL 47 [A.O.1/1960/47].
Stephen Lilly, Receiver General of the Revenue and Profits of the General Letter Office and Penny Post Office.
25 March 1714 to 25 March 1715.
Charge. £ s. d. £ s. d.
Arrears: depending on several persons for the balance of their Accompts to Ladyday 1685 2,125 6 0
depending on divers Postmasters etc. in the General Letter Office for ditto to Ladyday 1714 66,740 5 5
depending on several persons belonging to the Penny Post Office for ditto, ditto 1,860 10 10
and on several other persons in arrear at the same time 671 14 1
(total arrears 71,397l. 16s. 4d.)
Receipts: profits of the General Post Office 25 March 1714 to 25 March 1715:
in the Foreign Office [of the General Post Office]:
the produce of the letters brought in by the Mails; detailed by months 26,253 2 0
letters sent and received to and from Portugal, not included in the above 1,819 1 6
money received of Capt. Phillipson for freight of passengers between Holland and England; year to 25 Dec. 1714 238 12 8
ditto of Joseph Durden for ditto to and from Lisbon, Ladyday to Xmas 1714 and for letters to and from Lisbon for the same time and for six tons of iron ballast sold in Michaelmas quarter 202 10 6
ditto of John Mackey for freight of passengers to and from Dover, Callis and Ostend within the time of the Accompt 70 0 0
ditto of Clement Buck for passengers, goods and horses to and from Dover, Callis and Ostend, Xmas 1713 to Xmas 1714 410 8 6
ditto of Capt. Zachary Rogers of Falmouth on accompt of the shipSuccess lent to the Post Office by the Navy Commissioners 327 17 1
ditto of John Six of Amsterdam under his contract with the Lords Burgomasters for freight of goods and passengers from England to Amsterdam; year to Ladyday 1715 1,200 0 0
ditto of Mr. Willson for letters sent him at Dunkirk 106 1 1
30,627 13 4
in the Inland Office:
money received for letters at the Inland window, by months 732 3 0
money received of the Letter Receivers, ditto 346 13 2
the Letter-carriers' charge for letters sent up from the Country, ditto 58,768 18 9
the Postmaster's charge for letters sent from London into the Country, ditto 73,068 12 4
way letters taken in at one stage and delivered at another, farmed to divers Postmasters:
John Stuckley of Plymouth 230 0 0
Anne Hayman of Dartmouth 20 0 0
James Buckley of Totness 10 0 0
Abraham Hacket of Blanford 3 0 0
Mary 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
Barbarah Thwaites of Greatabridge [Greta Bridge] 2 0 0
Robert Cowland of Burroughbrigs 5 0 0
Catherine Dawson of York 40 0 0
Mary Mould of Hull 50 0 0
Robert Pattison of Beverley 4 0 0
John Hearing of Newark 5 0 0
Hanna Petty of Gainsborough 24 0 0
John Sharp of Grantham 5 0 0
Frances Ward of Boston 10 0 0
John Rishdon of Spalding 10 0 0
Edward Tinkerson of Peterborough 1 0 0
John Exton of Lynn 20 0 0
(total 514l.)
money received from Isaac Manley, Manager of the Letter Office in Dublin, for letters from Chester 594 8 1
ditto, ditto for letters from Holyhead to Dublin 16 2 4
ditto, ditto for by-letters 290 11 9
money received for cross-road letters, Xmas 1714 to Xmas 1715 3,236 16 4
money received for expresses sent to London 23 8 3
money received of Letter-carriers for letters short-taxed 0 10 8
money received for letters sent into the Country 103 2 9
money received for by- or wayletters by the several Postmasters in the Chester Road 25 March 1713 to 1 Aug. 1714 457 10 10
138,152 18 3
in the North British Office (George Maine, Deputy Postmaster of North Britain):
the profits to 1 Aug. 1714 1,041 17 1
Michaelmas quarter [1714] 439 8 1
Xmas quarter [1714] 772 2 11
Ladyday quarter [1715] 777 15 5 3,031 3 6
in the Irish Office (Isaac Manley, Deputy Postmaster of Ireland):
profits of the half year to Michaelmas 1714 4,353 12 6
ditto of the half year to 25 March 1715 7,965 17 1
12,319 9 7
(total profits of the General Post Office 184,131l. 4s. 8d.)
interest on South Sea Stock; the half year's interest at 6l. per cent. per an. of 727l. 7s. 3d. in South Sea Stock, being the debt of Mr. Gayton, Postmaster of Portsmouth 21 16 5
Memorandum (in margin).—This interest is to Xmas 1714 but the half year to Midsummer 1714 is not received and is to carry interest to Midsummer 1716.
profits of the Penny Post Office: £ s. d. £ s. d.
for the produce of 743,331 letters taken in by the Officers of the Penny Post at 1d. a letter 3,097 4 3
for the produce of the second 1d. for 65,107 letters taken in by the Letterreceivers in London and directed and delivered to persons in the Country 271 5 7
for the produce of 49,905 letters taken in the six Penny Post Offices in London 207 18 9
3,576 8 7
overpayments due to the several Postmasters:
Martinus Sonter of Ashburton 0 14 11
James Prideaux of Camelford 0 13 10
Lucey Downes of Hartfordbridge 23 2 1
John Dunn of Malton 6 3 3
William Wimberley of Postwitham 8 14 6
John Simpson of Bourn 18 9 6
Richard Harrison of Caxton 11 4 9
Edward Lock of Hounslow 8 19 0
Henry Pine of Bristoll 22 5 6
Richard Wellington of the Hay 4 4 5
John Elliot of Hubberstone 1 18 3
Anne Coales of Piccadilley 24 14 6
Maurice Owen of Holly Head 35 7 5
Margaret Buckley of Beaumaris 21 12 11
John Draper of Conway 10 4 11
Thomas Jones of Denbigh 9 11 8
John Mercer of Old Street 15 0 0
George Palmer of Halston 5 17 5
Nicholas Sharpley of Whitechappell 11 5 0
Jeremiah Ford of Southwark 11 5 0
George Richmond of Usk 18 12 8
Mounsieur Richards of Paris 2,633 18 9
2,904 0 3
total charge and receipts £262,031 6 3
Discharge.
Money due to Postmasters and others for the balance of their Accompts at Ladyday 1714 2,907 0 8
abatements out of the General Charge:
Country letters from foreign parts and from the Deputy Postmasters in England, first charged at the General Post Office in London and sent as directed into the Country and likewise charged on the Deputy Postmasters; in the Foreign Office 3,802l. 19s. 7d., in the Inland Office 7,308l. 1s. 10d. 11,111 1 5
the late Queen's and the King's and Members of Parliament letters,brought and delivered free 21,821 9 1
returned letters 2,291 12 10
foreign letters enclosing bills of exchange etc. exempted by Act of Parliament and overtaxed letters, errors and abatements 848 12 6
36,072 15 10
salaries, detailed:
the Hon. Sir Thomas Frankland and Sir John Evelyn, bts., Postmasters General; three quarters to Xmas 1714 at 1,000l. per an. each, with 131l. 10s. for 24 days to Ladyday 1712 omitted in the Accompt ended that day 1,631 10 0
Edward Harley, for the Auditor's fee 260 0 0
Stephen Lilley, late Receiver General, at 300l. per an.; three quarters to Xmas 1714, with 19l. 4s. for 24 days to Ladyday 1712 as above 244 4 0
George Searle, Accomptant; three quarters to Xmas 1714 225 0 0
Arnold Beeby, Comptroller of the Inland Office; ditto 150 0 0
Benjamin Waterhouse and Henry West successively Secretaries; ditto 150 0 0
Richard Swift, Sollicitor; ditto 150 0 0
the Postmaster General's clerk; ditto 45 0 0
the Receiver's and the Accomptant's clerks; ditto 75 0 0
Charles Jackson, clerk of the Chester Road; ditto 75 0 0
Robert Giddings, his assistant; ditto 45 0 0
George Colley, clerk of the North Road; ditto 45 0 0
Abraham Brooksbank and Robert Russell, successively his assistants 45 0 0
Thomas Sawtrell, clerk of the West Road 45 0 0
Philip Musgrave, his assistant; ditto 45 0 0
William Green, clerk of the Bistoll Road and Evan Lewis, his assistant; ditto 90 0 0
Robert Calcroft, clerk of the Yarmouth Road: ditto 45 0 0
Hugh Hays, his assistant; ditto 37 10 10
Martin Buckle, clerk of the Kent Road;
ditto 45 0 0
Richard Turbutt, his assistant; ditto 37 10 0
Edmund Warren, clerk of the Kent Road on by-nights; ditto 45 0 0
Alexander Say, Alphabet-keeper and windowman; ditto 45 0 0
James Walker, windowman for the bydays; ditto 37 10 0
ten sorters at 50l. and 40l. per an. each; ditto 360 0 0
Ashburnham Frowd, Comptroller of the Foreign Office; ditto 112 10 0
William Gosling, Alphabet-keeper; ditto 75 0 0
six clerks in the Foreign Office, at 50l. and 40l. each; ditto 255 0 0
sundry Letter-receivers etc. in and aboutLondon and Westminster; ditto 154 0 0
Elizabeth Boys, Mail-maker; ditto 112 10 0
Margaret Lang, Housekeeper; ditto 15 0 0
sundry Letter-carryers etc. for 53 weeks to 28 March 1715 and seven Foreignletter-carriers for 52 weeks to 24 March 1714-15 2,361 16 0
the Postmasters in England and Wales for the time of this Accompt 14,217 9 9
21,276 9 9
annuities and pensions:
the Dukes of Northumberland and Grafton; year to Xmas 1714 4,700 0 0
Henry, Earl of Rochester; same time 4,000 0 0
the Duke of Schonburg, same time 4,000 0 0
the Duke of Marlborough; same time 5,000 0 0
Simon, Lord Harcourt; two quarters to Midsummer 1714 and arrears to 20 Sept. 1714 2,975 6 0
William, Lord Cowper, Lord High Chancellor; 21 Sept. to Xmas 1714 at 4,000l. per an. 1,087 13 0
the Professors of the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow; half year to Whitsunday 1714 210 0 0
21,972 19 0
Court post: Henry Andrews and Dennis Bond, successively Court Posts, for carrying Royal Letters etc. to the first Post Stage; year to Xmas 1714 365 0 0
charges of expresses; by quarterly totals 1,242 19 7
charges of the packet boats:
Capt. John Phillipson, for the Harwich packet boats, viz. for the Eagle, Dispatch, Dolphin and Prince packet boats, 29 Dec. 1713 to 25 Dec. 1714 and for wages and victualling 25 Dec. 1713 to 25 Dec. 1714, to Abraham Pidgeon, master of the Anne sloop for carrying four mails to Holland in Feb. 1713-14; and for Captain Phillipson's own salary and disbursements 1,785 6 9
Joseph Durden, agent at Falmouth, for several packet boats,Ladyday to Xmas 1714, for wages etc. of the Mercury, the Expedition and the Queen packet boats, for sick and wounded, for incidents and for his own salary 2,659 4 1
Clement Buck, agent at Dover, for several packet boats between Dover and Calais, Ostend and Dunkirk 24 Dec. 1713 to 25 Dec. 1714; for his own salary; to Francis Fountaine for two mails from Calais and one from Dunkirk to Ostend; to Matthew Norris for transporting Brig. Sutton from Dover to Dunkirk; to Stephen Teage for a mail to Calais; for the Sarah sloop 24 March 1714 (sic) to 24 June following; for the Sarah sloop and Holloway hooks 1 to 23 Aug. 1714; to John Hedgcock for a mail to Holland; to Capt. Hodgson for subsisting poor British subjects on the Courier packet boat to Ostend, Dunkirk and Calais and back to Dover Midsummer to Xmas 1714; to John Macky, late agent at Dover, for several packet boats to 20 May 1713 and for his own salary to that date 1,957 1 2
6,401 12 0
sundry incident charges, detailed with names of tradesmen etc. 3,812 3 2
allowances of various natures, detailed:
John Six of Amsterdam, for his moiety of the Hamborough and Italian letters, pursuant to his contract, as also for his moiety of the French letters 1,117 2 11
John Canefield of Lisbon, for the exchange etc. of money 89 14 5
the same for a payment to Duarta de Costa for collecting 908l.10s.at 10l.per cent. by a Treaty between the Postmaster General of England in behalf of the Postmasters of Portugal 90 16 11
James Jobson, for vessels carrying the correspondence between Britain and France during the negotiations for a Peace 746 5 0
Capt. Patrick Galway, for transporting the late Queen's messengers and expresses between Dover and Calais 120 0 0
Mounsieur Lewis Leon Pajot, Comptroller of the Posts of France in full discharge of an old Accompt for letters etc. between England and France, 21 July 1698 to 1 May 1702 358 4 0
the same for letters of Spain, Italy and Turkey sent to London and letters from London to Paris and thence conveyed to those countries, by quarters 1,662 1 9
allowed the Farmers for collecting the money from the Deputy Postmasters at 10l. per cent. 1,164 15 4
Monsr Janpaine, Postmaster of Brussells for letters brought from Italy etc. through Brussells 934 19 3
Mr. Neal, Postmaster of Port Mahone, for postage and packet boats between that place and Marceilles in France 241 13 3
the Collectors of the Land Tax, for Inferior Officers' taxes 179 0 0
William Nicholls, for salaries etc. paid the Postmasters who collected the South Wales crossroad letters 35 13 6
6,740 6 4
George Main, Deputy Postmaster General of North Britain for the charges of the North British Office, detailed 2,718 1 2
Isaac Manley, Deputy Postmaster General of Dublin, for the charges of the Irish Office, detailed 9,506 8 10
money paid into the Exchequer, by dates 75,957 2 3
(total for salaries, pensions, expresses, packet boats, incident charges, disbursements etc. and for money paid into the Exchequer 149,993l. 2s. 1d.)
charges of the Penny Post Office:
salaries and wages detailed 2,118 17 9
rents of the Penny Post Offices (the Chief Office, the Westminster Office, the Temple Office, St. Pauls Office, the Southwark Office, the Hermitage Office, the Exchange Office) 117 10 0
sundry disbursements, detailed 425 0 8
the Letter-receivers for their Tenths on 743,231 letters 309 14 5
Nathaniel Colling, late Accomptant, for 852 returned letters at 1d. each 3 11 0
2,974 13 10
total payments and allowances £191,947 12 5
and so remains £70,083 13 10
whereof depending in super for arrears due at Ladyday 1685 2,125 6 0
and depending on several Postmasters and others, detailed at length 65,424 8 2
arrears of the Penny Post, detailed 1,862 5 7
arrears due from several other persons 671 14 1
£70,083 13 10
and so this Accompt of the General and Penny Post Offices is even and Quit.
Auditors' Memorandum.—In pursuance of the Act 20 Car. 2 [19 and 20 Car. II, c. 7] the several Receivers and Postmasters are chargeable with damages at 12l.per cent. per an. for sums received and remaining in their hands, and here noted etc.
Declared 6 August 1717.