Declared Accounts: Post Office

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 21, 1706-1707. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1952.

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Citation:

'Declared Accounts: Post Office', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 21, 1706-1707, ed. William A Shaw( London, 1952), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol21/cccix-cccxiv [accessed 23 November 2024].

'Declared Accounts: Post Office', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 21, 1706-1707. Edited by William A Shaw( London, 1952), British History Online, accessed November 23, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol21/cccix-cccxiv.

"Declared Accounts: Post Office". Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 21, 1706-1707. Ed. William A Shaw(London, 1952), , British History Online. Web. 23 November 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol21/cccix-cccxiv.

Post Office

Declared Accounts: Post Office (General Letter Office and Penny Post Office).
PIPE OFFICE, ROLL 2778.
Stephen Lilly, Receiver General of the Post Office.
26 March 1705 to 25 March 1706.
Charge. l. s. d. l. s. d.
Arrears: remaining upon his last accompt, nil.
depending upon several persons for the balances of their Accompts ending Lady day 1685 2,125 6 0
depending upon divers Postmasters and others belonging to the General Letter Office for balance of their Accompts ended at Ladyday 1705 71,239 7 9
depending upon several persons belonging to the Penny Post Office at the same time 1,677 10 10½
and upon several other persons in arrear at the same time 671 14 1
75,713 18 8½
Revenue and profits of the General Post Office from 25 March 1705 to 25 March 1706:
in the Foreign Office; for letters brought in by mails, detailed by dates 18,828 11 5
for letters to and from Lisbon for a year to Ladyday 1706 7,068 13 3
received of Mr. Edisbury for the freight of passengers between Brill and Harwich 733 19 9
received of Mr. Zachary Rogers of Falmouth for the freight of goods and passengers between Lisbon and Falmouth and for letters to and from Lisbon, etc. 141 12 6
and of Mr. Wigbolt Muilman of Amsterdam by his contract with the lords burgomasters there of 14 June 1677 for freight of goods and passengers between England and Amsterdam for a year to Ladyday 1706 1,200 0 0
total in the Foreign Office.. 27,975 16 11
in the Inland Office: for letters taken in at the windows 2,757 1 7
received of the Letter Receivers 821 4 11
the letter carriers' charge being unpaid letters sent up from the country 49,577 9 9
the postmasters' charge being letters sent them [into the country] 54,334 2 5
Money due upon contracts with several farmers: l. s. d.
Edward Hall of Rye, for letters between London and Hastings and Battle co. Sussex with parts of Sussex and Kent adjacent 130 0 0
Matthew Stoughton and John Smith for letters between London and Sheffield, Chesterfield, Mansfield, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Uppingham, “Woodburn,” Ampthill, Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering, Rockingham and places adjacent in Bedford and Bucks. 1,500 0 0
Carried forward £1,630 0 0 £107,489 18 8 £103,689 15 7½
Brought forward 1,630 0 0 107,489 18 8 103,689 15 7½
William Rawson and Sarah Wainwright for letters between London and “Ferrybriggs” and Tadcaster, Settle and Kirkby Lonsdale with places adjacent not exceeding the half way to any other post town in the Northern or Chester roads 1,412 10 0
Thomas Atwood of St. Neots for letters between London and St. Neots, co. Hunt. “Biccleswade,”co. Bedford, Stevenage, Welling and Hatfield, co. Hertford 230 0 0
Henry Warren, of London, Inn-holder, for letters between London and towns in Hertford, Essex, Suffolk and Cambridge and places adjoining 400 0 0
John Howlett of Thetford, co. Norfolk, for letters of Walsingham branch, co. Suffolk 350 0 0
John Brett, of Tonbridge, for letters between London and Kent 330 0 0
John Barnes, for letters between Chichester, Arundel, Petworth, “Hazelmore,” “Godolmin,” Guildford, Kingston and places in Sussex and Surrey 1,537 10 0
Richard Bigg of Buckingham, for letters between London and “Edgworth,” Stanmore, Watford, “King's Henley,” (fn. 1) “Hempstead,” “Barkhamstead,' Buckingham, Chesham, “Agmondisham,” Great Marlow, Wendover, Banbury, Warwick and places adjacent 1,100 0 0
6,990 0 0
way letters taken in at one stage and delivered out to another, farmed to divers postmasters: l. s. d.
John Stuckley of Plymouth 230 0 0
Mark Hayman of Dartmouth 20 0 0
Edward Langworthy of Totnes 10 0 0
Joseph Quash of Exeter 100 0 0
Anne Woolfries of Blandford 3 0 0
Charles Coven of Dorchester 6 0 0
William Waterman of Salisbury 4 0 0
James Wansborough of Portsmouth 7 0 0
James Rodman of “Barwick” 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 Northallerton 9 0 0
Barbarah Thwaites of “Greathabridge” 2 0 0
Richard Gowland of “Burrow-bridge” 5 0 0
Carried forward £445 0 0 £114,479 18 8 £103,689 15 7½
Brought forward 445 0 0 114,479 18 8 103,689 15 7½
Catherine Dawson of York 40 0 0
Elizabeth Engeles of Hull 50 0 0
Jane Hardwick of Beverley 4 0 0
Samuel Smith of “Bautry” 4 0 0
John Herring of Newark 5 0 0
Hannah Petty of Gainsborough (½-year) 3 0 0
John Sharp of Grantham 5 0 0
Samuel Ward of Boston 20 0 0
George Rugby of Lincoln (½-year) 10 0 0
Jonathan Gaul of Horacastle (½-year) 20 0 0
John Rishton of Spalding (½-year) 5 0 0
Edward Tinckerson of “Peter-burgh” 1 0 0
John Exton of Lynn 20 0 0
Benjamin Bigg of Chester Road 160 0 0
792 0 0
total in the Inland Office 115,271 18 8
money due upon Articles from the several carriers:
Jonathan Bens of Halstead, Essex, farmer of letters between there and London 10 0 0
received from the Scotch Secretary's letters and packets between London and Berwick 178 5 0
due from Isaac Manley, Manager of the Letter Office in Dublin for letters sent him from Chester 357 12 3
ditto for letters sent him from Holyhead 14 6 0
received of Godbolt Muilman of Amsterdam for the port of ship letters directed to Holland 17 13 2
received of several persons for the port of expresses 98 0 3
and of Letter Receivers for letters “short taxt” 1 3 8
and of Edward Dummer for passengers to and from the West Indies 348 14 0
1,025 14 4
in the Irish office: money arising by the profits of the Irish Office for ½-year to 29 Sept. 1705 5,721 9 5
ditto to 25 March 1706 5,135 8 1
total in the Irish Office 10,856 17 6
(the full produce of the General Letter Office 155,130l. 7s. 6d.)
the Growing Revenue of the Penny Post Office within the said year:
for 965,04l letters at 1d. a letter taken in by the Officers of the Penny Post 4,021 0 1
for 32,607 letters at 1d. each taken in at the several Penny Post Offices 135 17 3
and for the profits of the second penny for 95,392 letters taken in by the Letter Receivers in London and directed to and delivered in the country 397 9 4
deducted out of the collector's salary on accompt of Mr. Blackhall's debt 128 5 0
total revenue of the Penny Post Office 4,682 11 8
Carried forward £235,520 17 9½
Brought forward 235,526 17 9½
Overpayments: money due and payable to several Postmasters and others, being the balances of their respective accounts:
Charles Blight at Launceston 0 15 1
Joseph Warkman at Ashburton 3 5 4
Joseph Quash of Exeter 131 0 0
John Cookson of Crewkerne 6 1 4
Edward Downes of Hartfordbridge 35 9 3
John Beauchamp of Stanes 23 10 7
George Maine of Edinburgh 13 12 8
Richard Dixon of Bourne 36 8 5
Richard Harrison of Caxton 5 9 8
Edward Lock of Hounslow 9 8 4
Richard Wellington of the Hay 0 0 1
Samuel Johnson of Piccadilly 41 18 0
Maurice Owen of Hollyhead 8 19 5
Margaret Bulkly of Beaumaris 12 10 6
John Draper of Conway 3 7 2
Francis Roberts of Barnett 2 17 2
John Messer of Old Street 15 0 0
Mary Lecandle of Dover Riding 11 5 0
Edward Hall of Rye 9 19 3
William Gardner of Southwark 11 5 0
“Mounsieur Richards of Paris” 2,633 18 9
3,016 10 10
total charge and receipts 238,543 8 7½
Discharge.
Abatements out of the General Charge:
country letters brought from foreign parts and from the Deputy Paymasters 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 duty in those parts is increased and charged on the Deputy Postmasters 10,386 13 4
letters sent up to the General Post Office by the several persons who farmed the same at the yearly rents charged in this Accompt they being doubly charged 5,078 19 4
her Majesty's and Members of Parliament's letters and packets, being so much herein charged for them but brought and delivered free 11,466 3 1
letters herein charged on several Postmasters and Letter Carriers which were brought back to the Post as the addressees could not be found 1,700 18 11
foreign letters and packets wherein were enclosed Bills of Exchange, Merchants Accounts, Bills of Lading, etc., exempted by Act of Parliament and for errors and abatements allowed Postmasters 597 3 5
29,229 18 1
money due to several Postmasters and others for the balances on their Accompts to Ladyday 1705 3,284 14 10½
Carried forward £32,514 12 11½
Brought forward 32,514 12 11½
Expenses of the General Letter Office:
salaries, etc., detailed; (Sir Robert Cotton and Sir Thomas Franckland, kts., Postmasters General at 750l. p.a. each, 1,500l.; Arthur Maynwaring, auditor, 200l.; George Searle, Accomptant, 300l.; Stephen Lilly, Receiver General, 300l.; the Inland Office [2,150l.]; the Foreign Office [3.237l. 2s. 8d.]; postmasters, detailed, 8,659l. 13s. 7d.) 16,346 16 3
pensions and annuities:
H.R.H. Prince George of Denmark for his pension 25,000 0 0
the duke of Marlborough, ditto 5,000 0 0
the duke of Leeds, ditto 3,500 0 0
the duke of Schomberg ditto (1¼ years) 6,250 0 0
the duchess of Cleveland ditto (at 4,700l p.a.) 5,200 0 0
Laurence, earl of Rochester ditto 4,000 0 0
William, earl of Rochford ditto 1,000 0 0
Sir Nathan Wright, late lord Keeper ditto 3,000 0 0
(¾-year)
William Cowper, lord Keeper ditto (at 4,000l. p.a. from 11 Oct. 1705 to Christmas following) 832 17 0
Guy Palmes ditto 1,000 0 0
Charles Osborne ditto 200 0 0
William Brockett ditto 400 0 0
Dr. Titus Oates and Rebecca his Relict for a pension 300 0 0
Maud Johnson for her pension 300 0 0
55,982 17 0
Court post: James de Cardonell and Henry Andrews for carrying the Royal letters etc., between the Court and the first post stage 365 0 0
charges of Expresses to several postmasters for expresses sent for her Majesty's Service 1,385 3 10
charges of the packet boats:
Kendrick Edisbury for the charges of several packet boats, detailed 7,174 0 8
repairs to the Prince packet boat 577 17 0
John Mackay of Dover for balance of his account of the Warner packet boat and for his pension 243 0 0
Zachariah Rogers for the Expedition packet boat, etc 540 2 11
Edmund Dummer for the charges of several packet boats including the Mansbridge taken by the French 6,313 5 8
Mr. Popley for the Godolphin packet boat and sundry tradesmen for tackle 4,435 11 6½
Edmund Dummer for the hire of several West India packet boats 12,512 12 5
total for the packet boats 31,826 19 2½
incident charges detailed 2,272 6 5
allowances of various natures, detailed 2,369 4 3
charges of the Irish office (including salaries 3,167l. 19s. 7d.; franked letters 2,501l. 3s. 4d.,) 8,057 14 7
Carried forward £152,020 14 6
Brought forward 152,020 14 6
money paid into the Exchequer, detailed by dates 6,592 9 4
total expenses of the General Letter Office 126,098l. 10s. 10½d.
Expenses of the Penny Post Office:
salaries and wages 2,160 12 5
rent of the Penny Post Office 117 10 0
sundry disbursements, detailed 856 16 11
total expenses of the Penny Post Office 3,134 19 4
total payments and allowances £161,748 3 2
and so remains 76,795 5 5½
against which depending in super arrears due at Ladyday 1685, detailed 2,125 6 0
arrears due from Ladyday 1685 to Lady-day 1706, detailed 72,943 16 9
arrears due on account of the penny post at Ladyday 1706 1,054 8 7½
arrears due from several other persons 671 14 1
£76,795 5 5½
and so the said Accomptant is even and Quit.
Declared 21 April 1708.

Footnotes

  • 1. i.e. Kine's Langley.
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