Declared Accounts: Post Office

Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 32, 1718. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1962.

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'Declared Accounts: Post Office', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 32, 1718, ed. William A Shaw, F H Slingsby( London, 1962), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol32/ccclii-ccclviii [accessed 24 November 2024].

'Declared Accounts: Post Office', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 32, 1718. Edited by William A Shaw, F H Slingsby( London, 1962), British History Online, accessed November 24, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol32/ccclii-ccclviii.

"Declared Accounts: Post Office". Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 32, 1718. Ed. William A Shaw, F H Slingsby(London, 1962), , British History Online. Web. 24 November 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol32/ccclii-ccclviii.

Post Office

DECLARED ACCOUNTS: POST OFFICE.

AUDIT OFFICE: BUNDLE 1961, ROLL 50 [A.O.1/1961/50].

Arthur Onslow, Receiver General of the General Letter Office and Penny Post Office.

25 March 1717 to 25 March 1718.

Charge. £ s. d. £ s. d.
Arrears: depending on several persons at Ladyday 1685 2,125 6 0
depending on divers Postmasters etc. of the General Letter Office at Ladyday 1717 51,445 8 1½
depending on several persons of the Penny Post Office 1,826 4 9¾
and upon several other persons in arrear 671 14 1
— 56,068 13 0¼
Receipts: revenue and profits of the General Post Office, 25 March 1717 to 25 March 1718:
in the Foreign Office [of the General Post Office]:
the produce of the letters brought in by the mails; by months		 25,949 7 3
letters to and from Portugal, not included in the above; by quarters 576 5 6
received for freight of passengers between Holland and Harwich, as by the accompt of Capt. John Phillipson; three quarters to Michaelmas 1717 128 2 0
received for freight of passengers, goods and horses between Dover, Calais and Ostend, as by the accompt of Capt. Charles Lovell; same time 170 5 0
received for passengers between Lisbon and Falmouth and for carriage, as by the accompt of John Penhallow; year to Michaelmas 1717 259 19 2
received for freight of passengers between Lisbon, Falmouth and the Groine and for postage of letters, as by the accompt of Joseph Durden; Michaelmas quarter 1715 68 14 6
received from the Transport Office for carrying soldiers in packet boats 132 0 0
received at Dover for letters from Calais, delivered by Charles Lovell; year to Ladyday 1718 7 0 0
received of John Six of Amsterdam by virtue of his contract with the Lords Burgomasters there, for freight between England and Amsterdam; same time 1,200 0 0
— 28,491 13 5
in the Inland Office [of the General Post Office]:
money received for letters at the Inland window; by months		 858 13 10
money received of Letter Carriers; ditto 323 9 0
the produce of letters sent up from the Country; ditto 57,931 11 9
the produce of letters sent from London into the Country; ditto 75,603 4 10
way letters taken in at one stage and delivered at another, farmed to divers Postmasters:
John Stuckly of Plymouth		 230 0 0
Anne Hayman of Dartmouth 20 0 0
James Backley of Totness 10 0 0
Abraham Hackett of Blanford 3 0 0
Mary Coven of Dorchester 6 0 0
Henry Paine of Salisbury 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 Northallerton 9 0 0
Barbara Thwaites of Great Abridge [Greta Bridge] 2 0 0
William Mann of Borough Bridge 5 0 0
Katherine 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
Anne Wharton of Gainsborough 24 0 0
John Sharp of Grantham 5 0 0
William Wyatt of Boston 10 0 0
John Rushton of Spalding 10 0 0
Edward Tinkerson of Peterborough 1 0 0
John Exton of Lynn 20 0 0
(total for way-letters 514l. 0s. 0d.)
the produce of the cross-road; by quarters to Xmas 1717 3,556 13 5
money received for letters from Chester to Dublin; by half years to Ladyday 1718 759 3 5
ditto for letters from Holy Head to Dublin; ditto 13 17 6
ditto for the port of expresses sent into the Country; year to Ladyday 1718 175 7 11
ditto for ditto sent by the several Postmasters to London 179 11 6
ditto for by-letters in the Chester Road; same time 752 1 4
ditto for letters short-taxed; same time 0 16 0
— 140,668 10 6
in the North British Office [of the General Post Office]:
Midsummer 1715 to Ladyday 1717		 5,854 13 3
Ladyday quarter 1718 855 3 9
— 6,709 17 0
in the Irish Office [of the General Post Office]:
half year to Michaelmas 1717		 8,925 18 9
half year to Ladyday 1718 8,136 18 1
— 17,062 16 10
(total for the General Post Office 192,932l. 17s. 9d.)
revenue and profits of the Penny Post Office, 25 March 1717 to 25 March 1718:
the produce of 905,840 letters taken in by the Officers of the Penny Post Office at 1d. a letter		 3,774 6 8
the produce of the second 1d. on 69,664 letters taken in by the said Officers and directed and delivered to persons in the Country 290 5 4
— 4,064 12 0
gain by the sale of South Sea Stock and Interest on the same received from Mrs. Margaret Lilly, Executrix of Stephen Lilley the late Receiver General:
profit on sale of 727l. 7s. 3d. Stock		 32 8 3
2½ years interest to Xmas 1716 109 2 1
— 141 10 4
surcharge: money deducted from Mr. Chapman of St. Neots to make good an overpayment of salary 7 10 0
overpayments to Ladyday 1718:
Edward Wood of Wells		 3 3 8
Lucy Downes of Hertford Bridge 22 8 5
Grace Alder of Belford 1 11 3
William Wimberley of Postwitham 4 8 11
John Simson of Bourne 4 11 0
Eleanor Fox of Stilton 4 0 5
Thomas Sanson of Hownslow 5 19 3
Richard Holding of Nettlebed 4 10 1
John Boucher of Pickadilly 20 0 0
Maurice Parry of Holyhead 11 15 10
Margaret Backley of Beaumaris 22 0 9
John Draper of Conway 12 4 7
William Rodes of Barton 2 11 4
Richard Lloyd of Sarpley 8 5 0
Richard Davis of Fenny Stratford 2 3 9
Edward Salmon of Dunstable 7 18 10
Cornelius Chapman of Barnet 15 4 8
John Tranter of Aldersgate Street 15 0 0
Thomas Willson of Leadenhall Street 11 5 0
Edward Marshall of Wickham 6 1 7
Jeremiah Ford of Southwark 11 5 0
Charles Timson of Long Lane 24 7 3
Thomas Banks of Halston 4 14 9
William Alamonde of the Brill 150 0 0
Samuel Martin of Epping 6 14 11
Monsieur Richards of Paris 2,633 18 9
— 3,016 5 0
(total charge and receipts [viz. Arrears 56,068l. 13s. 0¼d.; General Letter Office receipts 192,932l. 17s. 9d.; Penny Post Office receipts 4,064l. 12s.; South Sea Stock 141l. 10s. 4d.; surcharge 7l. 10s. 0d. over payments 3,016l. 5s. 0d.])
—
£256,231 8 1¼
Discharge.
Abatements out of the general charge and revenue of the Post Office within the time of this Accompt:
Country letters brought from foreign parts and from the Deputy Postmasters in England, first charged in London and then sent as directed to persons in the Country, whereby the growing Duty in those parts is increased and charged on the Deputy Postmasters: in the Foreign Office 3,887l. 2s. 10d. and in the Inland Office 7,785l. 16s. 2d. 		11,672 19 0
letters charged on Postmasters and Letter Carriers, returned because the addresses could not be found 2,360 19 11
his Majesty's letters and packets: in the Foreign Office 1,458l. 2s.; in the Inland Office 6,296l. 6s. 6d.; letters sent beyond sea 11,213l. 11s. 5d. 18,967 19 11
letters sent by several Members of Parliament, taxed to the Postmasters but delivered free 121 6 6
foreign letters and packets, wherein were enclosed bills of exchange etc. 632 4 10
abatements for errors and overcharges 252 11 11
— 34,008 2 1
money due to Postmasters and others for the balance of their Accompts to Ladyday 1717 3,273 17 1
salaries at the General Post Office: Lord Cornwallis and James Craggs, senior, Postmasters General, 2,000l.; Thomas Voley, for the Auditor's fee, 260l.; Arthur Onslow, Receiver General, 300l.; George Searle, Accomptant General, 300l.; Arnold Beeby, Comptroller of the Inland Office, 200l.; John Jesse, his assistant, 75l.; John Lloyd, Secretary, 200l.; John Fowle, Solicitor, 200l.; Joseph Goodman and Joseph Bell, clerks to overlook the franks and mis-sent letters, three quarters to Xmas 1717, 150l.; clerks of the several Roads (Chester, North, West, Bristol, Yarmouth, Kent), 740l.; clerks, named, to the Postmasters General, to the Receiver General and to the Accomptant General, 160l.; Foreign Officers, detailed, 590l.; inland windowmen, ditto, 110l.; sorters, named, 480l.; Thomas Horne, to inspect accompts, three quarters to Xmas 1717, 67l. 10s.; letter receivers, detailed, 168l. 6s. 8d.; Evan Lewis, to check the letter carriers, three quarters to Xmas 1717, 45l.; letter bringers, detailed, 37l.; housekeepers, named, 20l.; Elizabeth Boys, mail maker, 150l.; letter carriers, detailed without names, 2,326l. 9s. 8,639 5 8
salaries and riding allowances to the Postmasters and others in the Country, detailed at length 13,596 1 9
— 22,235 7 5
sundry incident charges, detailed, including disbursements in apprehending three highwaymen who robbed the West and Bristol mails and a reward to James Holiday, one of them, for convicting the other two 3,168 6 9
charge of expresses; by quarters 901 19 8
charges of the packet boats, detailed:
the Dover packet boats: Charles Lovell, director, for hire etc. of the Courier, Eagle, Anne and Frankland packet boats and for hire of other boats for the French and Flanders mails; and for his own salary of 150l. a year		 1,178 0 9
the Falmouth packet boats: Joseph Durden, agent, for wear and tear etc. of the Expedition, Mercury and Queen packet boats, and for his own salary of 150l. a year 3,024 4 3
the Harwich packet boats: Capt. John Phillipson, director, for wear and tear etc. of the Eagle, Dolphin, Dispatch and Prince packet boats and for hire of other boats etc., and for his own salary; three quarters to Michaelmas 1717 1,420 18 7
the Port Mahon packet boats: Capt. Arthur Pye for wear and tear etc., of the Cornwallis packet boat plying between Port Mahon and Marseilles, and for collecting and delivering letters at Minorca 412 10 0
the Groyne packet boats: Samuel Eyre and John Torway for the hire etc. of the Biscawen packet boat, plying between Falmouth and the Groyne; Roger Bradyl and Robert Hales for the hire etc. of the King George packet boat between Falmouth and Corunna 983 9 6
money paid on accompt of the West India packet boats: John Hopkins, assignee of Edmond Dummer, for the balance of Dummer's accompt 377 9 7
— 7,396 12 8
charges of the North British Office:
Midsummer 1715 to Lady day 1717		 5,699 0 8
Xmas 1717 to Ladyday 1718 723 10 10
— 6,422 11 6
charges of the Irish Office:
Isaac Manley, Deputy Postmaster General of Ireland; salaries		 3,480 14 0
State letters and letters of Members of Parliament delivered frank 7,887 3 3
Country letters charged to Dublin but not paid there being sent forward to several Postmasters of that Kingdom 2,565 3 2
insolvent letters etc. 728 9 2
stationery wares and incidents 1,020 14 9
expresses 14 13 9
exchange of money remitted to the Post Office in London 614 13 2
— 16,311 11 3
pensions etc.:
Henry, Duke of Rochester		 4,000 0 0
the Duke of Grafton as Executor to Barbara, Duchess of Cleveland 4,700 0 0
the same, for an arrear 2,000 0 0
the Duke of Marlborough 5,000 0 0
the Duke of Schonberg and Leinster 4,000 0 0
William, Lord Cowper, late Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain 4,000 0 0
Dennis Bond, Court Post 365 0 0
William Brocket 400 0 0
— 24,465 0 0
sundry extraordinary services:
John L'Argent, Edward Russell and Solomon Hucks, owners of the Endeavour hoy, hired to carry a mail from Harwich to Holland but taken on her return by a Swedish privateer 250l., and to Elizabeth Hunt, widow of Edward Hunt, master, who lost his life when it was taken, 50l. 		300 0 0
Officers' taxes (on salaries under 60l. per an.) 358 0 0
John Six of Amsterdam for the moiety of Dantzig, Hamborough and Italian letters conveyed by him 1,092 12 2
M. Payot, Comptroller General of the Posts of France, for the produce of Spanish, Italian and Turkey letters brought to the Post Office at Paris and sent through France 3,340 15 5
M. Joupain, Postmaster General of Bruxels, for the balance of his Accompt for the post of Italian and German letters to 14 Dec. 1716 456 0 7
John Parker, agent at Corunna, for his balance to Ladyday 1717 35 4 0
John Duarta Decester (sic) [Da Costa] at 10l. per cent. for returning money from Lisbon 53 0 9
John Campfield for 268l. 10s. returned in bills from Lisbon; at 2l. per cent. 5 7 5
the farmers for collecting 4,154l. 4s. 11d. from the Deputies at 10l. per cent. 415 8 4
— 6,056 8 8
money paid into the Exchequer, detailed by dates 70,205 13 11
(total for salaries, incidents and other annual charges of the General Post Office as above 157,163l. 11s. 10d.)
charges of the Penny Post Office:
salaries and wages: Robert Baylis, Comptroller, 200l.; Edmond Green, Accomptant, 70l.; William Pate, Collector, 70l.; Richard Titterton, Comptroller's clerk, 30l.; six sorters, 234l. 15s.; eight sub-sorters, 208l. 13s. 4d.; messengers 1,305l. 9s. 5d. 		2,118 17 9
rent of the General Penny Post Office and of the six other Offices, detailed 117 10 0
incident disbursements, detailed 358 4 4
taxes repaid 192 10 0
tenths allowed to Receivers and returned letters 352 18 3
— 3,140 0 4
—
total payments and allowances £197,585 11 4
and so remains £58,645 16 9¼
against which depending in super:
arrears due at Ladyday 1685, detailed (fn. 1) 		2,125 6 0
upon several Postmasters etc., detailed at length 53,899 8 8½
arrears of the Penny Post, ditto 1,949 7 11¾
arrears due from several other persons, detaitled (fn. 1) 671 14 1
—
£58,645 16 9¼
And so this Accompt is even and Quit.
Declared 5 September 1721.

Footnotes

  • 1. As in previous Accounts.
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