Declared Accounts: Post Office

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 30, 1716. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1958.

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'Declared Accounts: Post Office', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 30, 1716, ed. William A Shaw, F H Slingsby( London, 1958), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol30/cdii-cdviii [accessed 25 November 2024].

'Declared Accounts: Post Office', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 30, 1716. Edited by William A Shaw, F H Slingsby( London, 1958), British History Online, accessed November 25, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol30/cdii-cdviii.

"Declared Accounts: Post Office". Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 30, 1716. Ed. William A Shaw, F H Slingsby(London, 1958), , British History Online. Web. 25 November 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol30/cdii-cdviii.

Post Office

DECLARED ACCOUNTS: POST OFFICE

AUDIT OFFICE: BUNDLE 1960, ROLL 48 [A.O.1/1960/48]

Stephen Lilly and Arthur Onslow, successively Receivers General of the Revenue and Profits of the General Letter Office and Penny Post Office

25 March 1715 to 25 March 1716

Charge. £ s. d. £ s. d.
Arrears: depending on several persons for the balance of their Accompts to Ladyday 1685 2,125 6 0
depending upon divers Postmasters etc. in the General Letter Office for ditto to Ladyday 1715 65,424 8 2
depending on several persons belonging to the Penny Post Office; ditto 1,862 5 7
and upon several other persons in arrear at the same time 671 14 1
(total arrears 70,083l. 13s. 10d.)
Receipts: profits of the General Post Office 25 March 1715 to 25 March 1716:
in the Foreign Office [of the General Post Office]:
the produce of the letters brought in by the mails; detailed by months		 23,987 17 5
letters sent and received to and from Portugal, not included above 897 19 6
money received of Capt. Philipson for freight of passengers in the Packet boats between Holland and Harwich 143 15 6
ditto of Joseph Durden for ditto to and from Lisbon 25 Dec. 1714 to 24 June 1715 and for letters to and from Lisbon for the same time 137 7 0
ditto of Clement Buck and Charles Lovell for goods, passengers and horses to and from Dover, Calais and Ostend, year to Xmas 1715, 256l. 5s.; and for postage of letters from Calais delivered at Dover, same time, 5l. 2s. 261 7 0
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 1716 1,200 0 0
— 26,628 6 5
in the Inland Office:
money received from letters at the Inland window, by months		 1,003 5 0
money received of the Letter Receivers, ditto 382 13 0
the Letter-carriers' charge for letters sent up from the Country, ditto 55,416 0 6
the Postmaster's charge for letters sent from London into the Country, ditto 72,932 7 6
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 Hackett of Blandford 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 Wilson of Darlington 5 0 0
Elizabeth Harker of Northallerton 9 0 0
Barbara Thwayts of Great Abridge [Greta Bridge] 2 0 0
William Mann of Burrowbriggs 5 0 0
Catherine Dawson of York 40 0 0
Mary Mold of Hull 50 0 0
Robert Patterson of Beverley 4 0 0
John Herring of Newark 5 0 0
Hannah Petty of Gainsborough 24 0 0
John Sharp of Grantham 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
(total 514l.)
money received of Isaac Manley, Manager of the Letter Office in Dublin, for letters sent from Chester 661 1 11
ditto for letters sent from Holyhead 15 3 6
money received for the charge of the Crossroad letters; year to Xmas 1715 3,242 13 1
money received for the port of expresses sent into the Country 146 15 9
money received for by-letters in the Chester road 457 18 8
money received of Letter-Carriers for letters short taxed 0 9 7
money received for expresses sent to London 37 15 9
— 134,810 4 3
in the North British Office:
profits in Midsummer quarter 1715		 792 19 10
in the Irish Office:
profits for half-year to 29 Sept. 1715		 6,073 5 10
ditto for half year to 25 March 1716 7,764 12 10
— 13,837 18 8
(total Receipts of the General Post Office 176,069l. 9s. 2d.)
profits of the Penny Post Office:
for the produce of 753,693 letters taken in by the Officers of the Penny Post Office at 1d. per letter		 3,140 7 9
for the produce of the second penny for 62,778 letters taken in the Letter-Receivers in London and directed and delivered to persons in the Country 261 11 6
for the produce of 52,512 letters taken in the six Penny Post Offices in London 218 16 0
— 3,620 15 3
surcharge on the Penny Post Office in the accompt of Ralph Blackhall, Collector, for the year to Ladyday 1702 22 15 0
overpayments due to the several Postmasters:
Martinus Souter of Asburton		 2 14 4
John Smith of Bodmin 3 7 8
Edward Wood of Wells Road 8 11 10
Lucy Downs of Hartford Bridge 35 14 8
Grace Alder of Belford 0 2 0
Joseph Legard of Almusk 2 7 4
Catherine Young of Morpeth 1 13 1
John Merfin of Bautry 20 0 3
William Wimberley of Portwitham 0 8 0
Eleanor Fox of Stilton 6 9 11
Richard Snow of Royston 4 9 8
Richard Phillips of Newbury 3 15 7
Edward Lock of Hounslow 10 11 9
Richard Wellington of the Hay 2 3 5
Margaret Griffith of Lamindefry 3 2 5
James Egnon of Tenby 0 3 5
Ann Coats of Pickadilly 24 4 0
Margaret Buckley of Beaumaris 28 18 6
John Mackey of Holyhead 21 10 7
John Brook of Colshill 0 5 1
Richard Davis of Fenny Stratford 14 5 7
John Tranter of Aldersgate 15 0 0
Ann Armiger of Ely 1 19 7
Nicholas Sharpley of Whitechappell 11 5 0
Thomas Fulks of Sittingbourn 6 8 7
John Elliot of Hubberstone 2 15 4
George Palmer of Halston 1 3 1
Mounsiur Richards of Paris 2,633 18 9
Arthur Onslow, being overpaid by him 520 0 0
— 3,387 9 5
—
total charge and receipts £253,184 2 8
Discharge.
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 3,412l. 11s. 5d.; in the Inland Office 7,265l. 9s. 9d.; with a short allowance made in the Accompt to Ladyday 1702 171l. 13s. 1½d. 		10,849 14 3½
returned letters charged on several Postmasters etc. 2,030 0 3
the King's and Members of Parliament letters, brought and delivered free 20,800 10 7
foreign letters and packets, enclosing bills of exchange etc. exempted by Act of Parliament and for errors etc. allowed Postmasters 832 14 3
— 34,512 19 4½
money due to several Postmasters for the balance of their Accompts 2,904 0 3
salaries detailed:
the Hon. Sir Thomas Frankland and Sir John Evelyn, bts., late Postmasters General at 1,000l. per an. each, 25 Dec. 1714 to 8 March 1714–15; Charles, Lord Cornwallis, and James Craggs, senior, succeeding them to 25 Dec. 1714		 2,000 0 0
Arthur Maynwaring, for the Auditor's fee for the Accompt to Ladyday 1702, not before allowed 200 0 0
Thomas Foley, for ditto for this Accompt 260 0 0
Stephen Lilley and Arthur Onslow, successively Receivers General 300 0 0
George Searle, Accomptant 300 0 0
Arnold Beeby, Comptroller of the Inland Office 200 0 0
Henry Weston, Secretary, for Ladyday quarter 1715 and John Lloyd succeeding him 200 0 0
Richard Swift, Solicitor, to Michaelmas 1715 and John Fowle succeeding him 200 0 0
Charles Jackson, clerk of the Chester Road, at 100l. per an. and Robert Giddings, his assistant, at 60l. per an. 160 0 0
George Colley, clerk of the North Road, and Robert Russell, his assistant; at 60l. per an. each 120 0 0
Thomas Sawtell, clerk of the West Road, and Philip Musgrave, his assistant; ditto 120 0 0
William Green, clerk of the Bristol Road and Evan Lewis, his assistant; ditto 120 0 0
Robert Colcroft, clerk of the Yarmouth Road, at 60l. per an. and Hugh Hay, his assistant, at 50l. per an. 110 0 0
Martin Buckle, clerk of the Kent Road and Richard Turbutt, his assistant, same rates 110 0 0
Edmund Warren, clerk of the Kent Road on by-nights 60 0 0
Alexander Say, Alphabet keeper and Windowman 60 0 0
James Walker, Windowman for the by-days 50 0 0
ten sorters at 50l. and 40l. each 480 0 0
the Postmaster General's clerk 60 0 0
the Receiver and Accomptant's clerks 100 0 0
Jacob Vanderpoole, Manager of the packet boats at Helversluice, at 120l. per an. nil
Ashburnham Froud, Comptroller of the Foreign Office 150 0 0
William Gostling, Alphabet keeper 100 0 0
seven clerks in the Foreign Office at 50l. and 40l. per an. each 340 0 0
letter receivers etc. London and Westminster 205 6 8
Elizabeth Boys, Mailmaker 150 0 0
Margaret Lang, Housekeeper 20 0 0
sundry letter carriers etc. 2,321 16 0
the Postmasters, detailed 14,046 11 2
— 22,543 13 10
pensions and annuities:
the Dukes of Northumberland and Grafton; year to Xmas 1715		 4,700 0 0
Henry, Earl of Rochester; same time 4,000 0 0
the Duke of Marlborough; same time 5,000 0 0
the Duke of Schonberg; same time 4,000 0 0
William, Lord Cowper, Lord Chancellor; same time 4,000 0 0
the Duke of Grafton as Executor to the late Duchess of Cleveland in part of an arrear 2,050 0 0
— 23,750 0 0
Court post: Dennis Bond for carrying Royal letters etc. to the first Post Stage 365 0 0
charges of Expresses 1,815 9 1
charges of the packet boats:
Capt. John Philipson, for the Harwich packet boats; for the Eagle, Dolphin, Dispatch and Prince; 29 Dec. 1714 to 27 Dec. 1715; for the Endeavour hoy (Edward Hunt, master) and the Batchellor hoy (Richard Bagett, master); to Cornelius Vanheusden for bringing over two Holland mails; to William Meeds for three ditto; and for disbursements and for his own salary		 1,792 14 8
Joseph Durden, agent for Falmouth, for several packet boats, 25 Dec. 1714 to 24 June 1715, and for his own salary 1,249 18 3
Clement Buck and Charles Lovell, successively agents at Dover; for ditto, 25 Dec. 1714 to 25 Dec. 1715; for subsisting poor British subjects etc.; to Captain Pybus for sending on Ostend mail from Calais to Ostend; to Michael Etteinre for an express from Calais; to Amos Sanders and Samuel Potter for a boat to carry Mr. Palmer to Ostend; to Abraham Webster for carrying Humphrey Beckly to Calais; to George Stuckey for hire of a boat to Ostend; for small expenses and for the agent's own salary 1,482 17 6
Henry Neale, Postmaster of Port Mahon, for the Resolution packet boat plying between there and Marseilles etc., 11 Nov. 1714 to 10 Aug. 1715 349 5 10
Robert Bradyll and Robert Hull, for the King George packet boat carrying mails between Falmouth and Corunna, 17 Feb. 1714–15 to 18 Jan. 1715–16 720 0 0
Samuel Eyre, for the Boscawen packet boat, carrying mails between Falmouth and the Groyne, 28 March to 5 Dec. 1715 540 0 0
— 6,134 16 3
sundry incident charges, detailed with names of tradesmen etc. 4,118 4 0
allowances of various natures, detailed:
John Six of Amsterdam, for his moiety of the Hambrough and Italian letters		 1,076 0 7
John Camfield of Lisbon, for the exchange of money 63 14 1
the same, for money paid John Duarta de Costa for exchange of 549l. 6s. 54 18 7
Monsieur Pajot, Comptroller of the French Posts, for the port of Spanish, Italian and Turkey letters 1,880 13 2
allowed the Farmers for collecting money from the Deputies at 10l. per cent. 1,159 13 9
Robert Walker and John Smart, Collectors for the Land Tax, for Inferior Officers' taxes 179 0 0
George Bugby, Postmaster at Lincoln, and Frances his wife, being remitted to them after payment of 50l. for discharging a debt of 171l. 12s. 1d. due to the Crown 121 12 1
the six surveyors of the main Post Roads (Laurence Stanyan, Kent; John Jess, Chester; Joseph Bell, Bristol; George Thompson, North; Joseph Gadman, West; Richard Swift, Yarmouth) 1,038 0 0
discharge to the Executors of Edmund Dummer, late Manager of the West India packet boats, of a sum set in super upon him 19,000 0 0
— 24,573 12 3
George Main, Deputy Postmaster General of North Britain for charges of the North British Office [of the General Letter Office], detailed 795 19 0
Isaac Manley, Deputy Postmaster General at Dublin, for charges of the Irish Office [ditto], detailed 12,645 18 5
money paid into the Exchequer, detailed by dates 63,006 4 7
(total allowance for salaries, pensions, expresses, packet boats incident charges etc. and for money paid into the Exchequer 159,748l. 17s. 5d.)
payments and allowances of the Penny Post Office:
salaries and wages, detailed: Robert Baylis, Comptroller, 200l.; Joshua Baker and Richard Titterton, successively his clerk, 30l; Nathaniel Golling and Edmund Green, successively Accomptant, 70l; Edmund Green and William Pate, successively Collector, 70l; sorters, messengers etc. 1,936l. 16s. 11¼d.)		 2,306 16 11¼
rents of the Penny Post Offices: the late Office in Broad Street; the Chief Office in St. Christopher's Court, Threadneedle Street; St. Pauls Office; the Temple Office; Westminster Office; Southwark Office; the Hermitage Office; the Exchange House Office 147 10 0
sundry disbursements, detailed 904 17 4½
— 3,359 4 3¾
allowance of an overpayment to the Penny Post Office 13 17 6
—
total payments and allowances £200,538 18 10¼
and so remains 52,645 3 9¾
whereof depending in super:
for arrears due at Ladyday 1685 (Welchpoole, Wellington, Dublin, Wisbitch, Llandiffery)		 2,125 6 0
and upon several Postmasters and others, detailed at length 47,995 17 2½
arrears due for Penny Post letters, ditto 1,852 6 6¼
arrears due from several other persons (the Duke of Leeds; Anthony Row; Oliver Hill of Spain; George Levet, purser of a Spanish boat; March Fletcher for fitting up the Spanish Princess; Oliver Hill on accompt of his salary; Mr. Symonds, master of the Irish packet boats; Mr. Manley for the feasts paid to the Officers) 671 14 1
—
£52,645 3 9¾
and so this Accompt is even and Quit.
Memorandum. In pursuance of the Act 20 Car. 2 [19 & 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 7 February 1717–18.
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