Читать книгу Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne, Taken from Original Sources - John Ashton - Страница 14

Table of Contents

The penny post—Dockwra's vindication of himself—Abolition of penny post—Post days and rates—Halfpenny post—Method of doing business—The Exchange—Description of frequenters—Bankers—Curious advertisement of Sir Richard Hoare's.

Among the social institutions then in existence, was the penny post, which cannot be better, or more tersely, described than in Misson's own words: 'Every two Hours you may write[164] to any Part of the City or Suburbs, he that receives it pays a Penny, and you give nothing when you put it into the Post; but when you write into the Country, both he that writes and he that receives pay each a Penny. It costs no more for any Bundle weighing but a Pound, than for a small Letter, provided the Bundle is not worth more than ten Shillings. You may safely send Money, or any other thing of Value, by this Conveyance, if you do but take care to give the Office an Account of it. It was one Mr. William Dockwra that set up this New Post, about the beginning of the Reign of King Charles 2, and at first enjoy'd the Profits himself; but the Duke of York, who had then the Revenue of the General Post, commenc'd a Suit against him, and united the Penny Post to the other.'

Misson makes a slight error here. The penny post was started in 1683 by Rob. Murray, an upholsterer, but next year, several charges being brought against him, he was removed, and the concern was handed over to Dockwra, who was dispossessed as above, by an action in which he was cast both in damages and costs; but, about a year after, he was appointed Controller of the District Post. He was allowed a pension in the time of William and Mary (variously stated of from £200 to £500 a year), but he only enjoyed it four years, when he was discharged on account of some charges of malversation, etc., which were brought against him.

In January 1703, when Dockwra tried for the Chamberlainship of the City of London—which candidature, however, he soon abandoned—he found it necessary to issue disclaimers, and tell his version of the history of the penny post.[165]

'Whereas a malicious false Report has been industriously spread, that one Robert Murray was the first Inventor of the Penny Post, and that he has been in Articles with me William Dockwra, and wrong'd and hardly used; the World is desired to take notice, That as to the first Pretence, it is utterly false, for Dr. Chamberlen, one Henry Neville, Payne, and others pretended themselves the first Inventors; And after I had actually set up the Office, one Mr. Foxley came and shew'd me a Scheme of his concerning a Penny Post, which he had offer'd to Sir John Bennet, Post Master General, eight Years before I ever Knew Murray, but that was rejected as impracticable, as indeed were all the rest of their Notions; nor was it by any of them, or any other Person whatsoever, put into any Method to make it practicable, till at my sole Charge and Hazard I begun it in the Year 1680.

'As to the Articles, they were sacredly Kept on my part, but never perform'd by Murray, to my great Loss and Damage, as by the very Articles themselves will evidently appear; and I am ready at any time to demonstrate, it is so far from having One Shilling due to him, or using him any way hardly, That on the Contrary, in Compassion to his distressed Condition, I have often bayl'd him to keep him out of Prison, and redeem'd him from thence, lent him several Sums of Money, which he never took care to pay again; and to this day I have Notes and Bonds to Produce, that he owes me more than One hundred and Fifty Pounds: So that these most unjust and ungrateful Allegations in Murray, are at this time reviv'd to be made use of, as malicious Reflections to lessen my Service to this City, and to stain my Reputation and Integrity thereby, to hinder my Fellow Citizens Kindness upon the Election for Chamberlain, which I hope will make no Impression, since I do affirm myself to be the first that ever put the Penny Post into Practice at a vast Expence and great Loss to me and my Family.

'William Dockwra.'

And in the next day's Courant he was obliged to defend himself from other allegations.

'Whereas some Malicious Persons, designing to lessen me in the good Opinion of my Fellow Citizens, have spread a False and Scandalous Report, that I, William Dockwra, was remov'd from being Comptroller of the Penny Post, because of Injuries done to the Subject; and that I sunk the Revenue at least one fourth part to the Crown. I do hereby declare, That on the Contrary, I rectified many Abuses in the Management of that Office, and never wrong'd either Crown or Subject of the Value of a Shilling: And I do positively affirm, That I prov'd undeniably before the Post Master General by the Accounts then made up, that I advanced that small Revenue above Four Hundred Pounds: Yet neither my Right to the whole (being the only Person that ever brought the Penny Post to Perfection) nor the faithful Discharge of my Trust while Comptroller thereof, were sufficient to protect me against those Artifices too often made use of to remove useful and honest Men from publick Imployment: Nor have I receiv'd any of the Pension formerly granted me these two Years and half past. So that I hope the Impartial World will consider the great Loss I and my Family have sustain'd, by being depriv'd of the Penny Post, whilst the Publick daily reaps the Benefit and Advantage thereof and will do so to Posterity.

'William Dockwra.'

In 1711 an Act was passed abolishing the penny post, and on June 23 of that year a proclamation was issued putting it in force. A notice had previously appeared in the London Gazette of June 12/14, assimilating all rates to those of the General Post, although for 'the Accommodation of the Inhabitants of such Places, their Letters will be convey'd with the same Regularity and Dispatch as formerly, being first Tax'd with the Rates, and Stamp'd with the Mark of the General Post Office, and that all Parcels will likewise be Tax'd at the Rate of One Shilling per Ounce as the said Act directs.'

In 1709 the Foreign and Inland Post Letter days were:—

'Monday. To Spain, Italy, Germany, Flanders, Denmark, Sweedland, Downs and Kent.

'Tuesday. Germany, Holland, Sweedland, Denmark, North Britain, Ireland and Wales.

'Wednesday. Kent and the Downs.

'Thursday. Spain, Italy, and all parts of North Britain and England.

'Friday. Italy, Germany, Flanders, Kent, Holland, Sweedland, Denmark and Downs.

'Saturday. All parts of Wales, North Britain, England and Ireland.

'Letters return from all parts of England and North Britain, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; from Wales, Mondays and Fridays, from Kent and the Downs every day; but from beyond Sea uncertain.

'The Carriage is 2d. a Sheet 80 Miles, double 4d. and 8d. an Ounce for more than Letters. All Letters more than 80 Miles is 3d. Single and 6d. Double Pacquet 12d. an Ounce. A Letter to Dublin 6d. Single, Double 1/ and ⅙ an Ounce.'

Foreign postage was not so very dear. In 1705, for instance, a letter of a single sheet could be carried to the West Indies for 1s./3d. and 2 sheets for 2/6; whilst from thence to England it was respectively ⅙ and 3/, or by weight 6/ per oz.

In 1708 Mr. Povey established a foot post—carrying letters, in the London district only, for one halfpenny. How long he kept it up does not seem clear; the Post Office authorities stopped him; but there is an advertisement referring to it in the Daily Courant of July 4, 1710: 'Whereas a Person in some Distress sent a letter by the Halfpenny Carriage on Monday night last,' etc., and this clearly shows it was in existence at that date.

The Gazette Nov. 29/Dec. 1, 1709, has the following Advertisement: 'Whereas Charles Povey and divers Traders and Shop Keepers in and about the Cities of London and Westminster, Borough of Southwark and Parts adjacent, and several Persons ringing Bells about the Streets of the said Cities and Borough, have set up, imploy'd, and for sometime continued a Foot Post for Collecting and Delivering Letters within the said Cities and Borough, and Parts adjoining, for Hire under the Name of the Halfpenny Carriage. Contrary to the Known Laws of this Kingdom, and to the great Prejudice of her Majesty's Revenues arising by Posts; her Majesty's Postmaster General has therefore directed Informations in her Majesty's Court of Exchequer, to be exhibited against the said Charles Povey, and several Shop Keepers and Ringers of Bells, for Recovery against every of them of £100 for such setting up, and for every week's continuance thereof; and also £5 for every Offence in Collecting and Delivering of Letters for Hire as aforesaid, contrary to the Statute for erecting and establishing a Post Office.'

These additions to the rate of postage, of course, induced people to look after franks—the granting of which, however, had not assumed anything like the proportions it did later on.

But there was not the hurrying and driving in business then as now. Men lived over their shops or counting houses, and, being easily accessible, did their work in a deliberate, leisurely manner, and began their business very early in the day. For instance, when Sir William Withers, Lord Mayor in 1707, was putting up for a seat in Parliament, he adduced, as showing he would have time for his parliamentary duties, that 'There is not above one Cause in a Day throughout the whole Year, to be Heard after Ten a Clock in the Morning.'[166] 'Change was earlier than now; 'Crowds of People gather at the Change by One, disperse by Three.'[167] It is thus humorously described:[168] 'The Exchange is the Land's Epitome, or you might call it the little Isle of Great Britain did the Waters encompass it. It is more, 'tis the whole World's Map which you may here discern in its perfectest Motion, justling and turning. 'Tis a vast heap of Stones, and the confusion of Languages makes it resemble Babel. The Noise in it is like that of Bees; a strange Humming or Buzzing, of walking tongues and feet; it is a kind of a still Roaring, or loud Whisper. It is the great Exchange of all Discourses, and no Business whatsoever but is here on Foot. All things are sold here, and Honesty by Inch of Candle; but woe be to the Purchaser, for it will never thrive with him.'

In the centre of the Exchange was a statue of Charles II., and here the stock jobbers hovered about—when they were not at Robin's or Jonathan's in Exchange Alley; and all about, each under his own nationality, stood the trim Italian, the Hollanders and Germans, with their slovenly mien, and uncouth, unkempt beards and moustachios. The Dons, in flat crowned hats and short cloaks, took snuff prodigiously, and smelt terribly of garlic; there were the lively Gauls, animated and chattering, 'ready to wound every Pillar with their Canes, as they pass'd by, either in Ters, Cart, or Saccoon.' Jews of course, amber necklace sellers from the Baltic in fur caps and long gowns, a sprinkling of seedy military men, and the merchants. These were the constituent parts of 'Change in those days, and it must have been a sight worth seeing. Round about were shops as now, where the spruce young Cits ogled the pretty glove sellers, or bought a Steinkirk, or a sword knot. Contemporary accounts of these fair damsels are not very good, but it was rather a libellous or scurrilous age as regards women, and they might not be true, or at all events be taken with much salt.

Ward[169] gives an amusing account of the exterior. 'The Pillars at the Entrance of the Front Porticum were adorn'd with sundry Memorandums of old Age and Infirmity, under which stood here and there a Jack in a Box, like a Parson in a Pulpit, selling Cures for your Corns, Glass Eyes for the Blind, Ivory Teeth for Broken Mouths, and Spectacles for the weak sighted; the Passage to the Gate being lin'd with Hawkers, Gardeners, Mandrake Sellers, and Porters; after we had Crowded a little way amongst the Miscellaneous Multitude, we came to a Pippin Monger's Stall, surmounted with a Chymist's Shop; where Drops, Elixirs, Cordials, and Balsams had justly the Pre-eminence of Apples, Chesnuts, Pears, and Oranges,' etc., showing a view of the motley group of costermongers without. The pillars of the Exchange were hung round with advertisements, as indeed they were until very recently.

Some well-known names of bankers were then in existence—Child's, Hoare's, Stone's, and Martin's. In Harl. MSS. 5996, 153 is a somewhat curious advertisement of Sir Richard Hoare's. 'Whereas there hath been several false and Malicious Reports industriously spread abroad reflecting on Sir Richard Hoare, Goldsmith, for occasioning and promoting a Run for Money on the Bank of England; and in particular, several of the Directors of the said Bank reporting, That the said Sir Richard sent to the Bank for Ten of their Notes of £10 each, with a design to send several Persons with the said Notes to receive the Money thereon, so as to effect his ill Designs, and to bring a Disreputation on the Bank, and occasion a Disturbance in the City of London:

'This is to satisfie all Persons, That the Right Honourable the Lord Ashburnham, Father of the Honourable Major Ashburnham, Major of the First Troop of Her Majesty's Life Guards, who was ordered to march for Scotland, sending to the said Sir Richard Hoare for a large Quantity of Gold, and for Ten Bank Notes of £10 each, for the said Major to take with him to bear his Expenses. The Gold was sent to his Lordship accordingly, and Sir Richard's Servant went to the Bank for ten Notes of £10 each, which the Cashier of the Bank refus'd to give: But if Sir Richard had intended to promote a Run for Mony on the Bank, he could have done it in a more effectual manner, having by him, all the time that the great demand for Mony was on the Bank, several Thousand Pounds in Notes payable by the Bank; and also there was brought to Sir Richard by several Gentlemen, in the time of the Run on the Bank, Notes payable by the said Bank, amounting to a great many Thousands of Pounds, which he was desir'd to take and receive the Mony presently from the Bank, which he refus'd to do until the great Demand on the Bank for Money was over.

'N.B. That the Reports against Sir Richard have been more Malicious than herein is mention'd, which he forbears to insert for brevity's sake.'

Ward, for some reason, disliked bankers: 'What methods do they take now to improve their Cash? The chief advantage they now make is by supplying the Necessities of straiten'd Merchants and great Dealers, to pay (for) the Goods imported, rather than they should fall under the Discredit as well as Disadvantage of being run into the King's Ware House, or by assisting of 'em in the purchase of great Bargains, or the like; for which they make 'em pay such unreasonable extortion, that they devour more of the Merchants Profit than Snails, Worms or Magpies, do of the Farmers Crop, or the Gardiner's Industry.' If this was all the fault he could find, their iniquities were not very glaring.