International Postal Reforms. (In 2 Volumes)
By James L. Grimwood-Taylor RDP FRPSL

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Volume 1 Postal Reforms and the Historical Background to the Postage Stamp 1550 to 1839

Volume 2 The Birth of the Postage Stamp and its International Effects 1840 to 1898

James Grimwood-Taylor RDP FRPSL

The first volume of this new examination of the history of international postal reforms, Postal Reforms and the Historical Background to the Postage Stamp 1550 to 1839, examines in detail Rowland Hill’s 1837 Post Office Reform; its Importance and Practicability pamphlet. It is usually cited as the sole source for the reduction of postage rates and the introduction of postage stamps – both labels and postal stationery – in Britain. This publication places Hill’s work in its true historical context and traces the origins of the high postal rates that he sought to reduce, starting from the posts of the Elizabethan Court and the European merchant princes of the 16th and 17th centuries. It then describes the early 19th century postal rate inflation in Britain and elsewhere, along with the careers of many reformers before Hill (including those in Britain, France, America, India and Australia). It shows that Hill was directly inspired to take up the study of the Post Office by earlier reformers including John Palmer and Robert Wallace.
 
Detailed analyses are given - for the first time in print - of the five different 1837-38 editions of Hill’s pamphlet, showing that the idea of postage labels was very much an after-thought, when compared to his assumption that postal stationery would be used for almost all prepaid letters, once uniform postage had been introduced. The international effects of Hill’s pamphlet – in France and in Australia in particular – are then outlined, along with the successful two-year campaign for Uniform Penny Postage that was undertaken by London’s ‘Mercantile Committee on Postage’. The latter’s astonishing array of printed propaganda, the Mercantile Papers that were masterminded by Henry Cole, are catalogued in detail for the very first time.
 
Also included is an analysis of the 17th century origins of Postage Stamps and an examination of early 19th century security printing. This volume concludes with three chapters on the famous ‘Treasury Competition’ of 1839, giving the most comprehensive listings yet to be published of the extant “Post Office Stamp” competition entries (some having been submitted by Americans and by Frenchmen).
 
The second volume The Birth of the Postage Stamp and its International Effects 1840 to 1898, traces the story of the introduction of cheap postage in Britain and around the world following the August 1839 “Penny Postage” Act. The most detailed analysis yet to be published of the experimental and very short-lived (5 December 1839 to 9 January 1840) “Uniform 4d Postage Period”, is followed by the story of how Uniform Penny Postage operated before the 1d Black and ‘Mulready’ stationery were made available in May 1840.
 
After a brief description of the creation of the world’s first postage stamps, a wide range of their 1840-41 usages is illustrated. This leads into three chapters describing exactly how the use of postage stamps by the ‘Early Adopters’ spread around the world up to mid-1850, most notably in Brazil, Switzerland and the U.S., but also in remoter areas such as Mauritius, Trinidad, Batavia, Peru, Bermuda and Australia.
 
Studies of the further postal reforms in Britain and elsewhere after 1840 follow, tracing Rowland Hill’s later career, and showing how the ‘Ocean Penny Postage’ campaigners inspired the worldwide movement for uniform postal rates that led to the formation of the General (later Universal) Postal Union in 1875.
 
The final chapter is by way of an Epilogue and focuses on the “unexpected legacy of Postal Reform” – Philately. It makes it clear that many of the earliest collectors of postage stamps (including some of the author’s own ancestors) were women rather than men. It then brings the story of philately up to the late 1860s, when the first ‘philatelic’ covers appear to have been created, specifically to enable their senders to obtain used examples of scarce or interesting stamps.
 
The author’s intention is that this two-volume work will, for the first time, place the early history of the postage stamp in the context of the ‘pre-stamp’ period, and show that they are both parts of the wider subject of Postal History.
 
The author, James Grimwood-Taylor, has been a stamp collector from the age of three and a full-time professional Postal Historian since the age of 22. He always intended one day to write the definitive study of how and why Rowland Hill’s reforms succeeded; this two-volume book is the result, illustrating more than 800 items from his own collections.
 
James has written two other books and over 200 Postal History articles over four decades. He has exhibited competitively since 1981, gaining International Gold Medals for his “British Offshore Islands” and “English Postal History” exhibits, while his “Postal Reforms” exhibit achieved an International Large Gold medal at ‘New York 2016’. His one-frame study of “Sydney’s early Overseas Mails to 1850” - won ‘best in show’ with a National Large Gold at York in 2015. He has been a National Judge at British philatelic exhibitions since the 1980s and has also judged overseas.
 
In 1982 James joined the Society of Postal Historians, was their Secretary from 1987-91, a Fellow from 1996, and President in 2002-03. He has also been Chairman of the British Philatelic Congress (2005) and President of the GBPS (2006-08). He joined the RPSL when professional philatelists were first admitted in 2005, being elected FRPSL in 2008. Just as this book went to the printers, he accepted the invitation to sign the prestigious Roll of Distinguished Philatelists.

James Grimwood-Taylor - a stamp collector from the age of three and a full-time professional Postal Historian since the age of 22 - changed tack when he discovered a 1790s prestamp cover in a dealer’s box at Stampex in 1974. His life-long interest in Rowland Hill and Cheap Postage began with an O-level history project that he completed in 1972. He joined the GBPS in 1973 when only 16. He then spent most of his ‘gap-year’ in 1974-75 sorting through his family’s law firm’s archives in their Derby offices, joined the PHS in 1976, and upon graduation in 1979, went to head up the GB Postal History department of a renowned London dealership.

After almost ten years with that same London firm, James decided to become an auctioneer; he took over Cavendish Philatelic Auctions in Derby in 1988. He spent the next 30 years as owner and principal Postal History describer of Cavendish. All the while, he was keenly collecting British - and then worldwide - Postal History. It was always his intention one day to write the definitive study of how and why Rowland Hill’s reforms succeeded; this two-volume book is the result, illustrating more than 800 items from his own collections.

James has written two other books and over 200 Postal History articles over four decades. He has exhibited competitively since 1981, gaining International Gold Medals for his “British Offshore Islands” and “English Postal History” exhibits, while his “Postal Reforms” exhibit achieved an International Large Gold medal at ‘New York 2016’. His one-frame study of “Sydney’s early Overseas Mails to 1850” - won ‘best in show’ with a National Large Gold at York in 2015. He has been a National Judge at British philatelic exhibitions since the 1980s and has also judged overseas.

In 1982 James joined the Society of Postal Historians, was their Secretary from 1987-91, a Fellow from 1996, and President in 2002-03. He has also been Chairman of the British Philatelic Congress (2005) and President of the GBPS (2006-08). He joined the RPSL when professional philatelists were first admitted in 2005, being elected FRPSL in 2008. Just as this book went to the printers, he accepted the invitation to sign the prestigious Roll of Distinguished Philatelists.

 

Volume 1
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1

  • Origins of Postal Rates and Postal Reformers in Britain and North America 1550-1799
  • Postal Reformers in the United Kingdom 1566-1709
  • Postal Reformers in the United Kingdom 1709-1797
  • Postal Reformers in America and France 1753-1792

Chapter 2

  • Britain’s Chronic Postal Rate Inflation and its Effects 1795-1839
  • Causes of Postal Rate Inflation
  • Table 2.1 Postal rates within England & Wales 1765-1801 and within Great Britain 1801-1839
  • Table 2.2 Extreme Postal Rates Listing of Surviving pre-1840 letters sent to GB from Overseas
  • Table 2.3 Extreme Postal Rates Listing of Surviving pre-1840 letters sent from GB to Overseas
  • Table 2.4 Extreme Postal Rates Listing of Surviving pre-1840 letters sent within GB
  • Table 2.5 Extreme Postal Rates Listing of pre-1840 letters sent to GB from Overseas
  • Postal Rate Inflation Leads to Evasion of Postage 

Chapter 3

  • The Start of the Postal Reform Movements 1800-1838
  • Early 19th century Postal Reformers
  • The 1830s Campaigners for the Overland Mail to and from India
  • Col. Francis Chesney’s Scheme for Mails to India via Persia
  • The Campaigners for Newspaper Tax Reforms 1829-1836
  • Campaign for Faster Mails to and from Scotland
  • James Chalmers of Dundee and ‘Sir’ Richard Broun’s Steam Coach plans etc
  • The Campaign for Regular Worldwide Steam Packet mails

Chapter 4

  • The British Post Office Reports (1735-1838) that inspired Rowland Hill
  • Introduction
  • The early Government Revenue/Finance Reports regarding the Post Office 1735-1821
  • Commission of Inquiry into the Collection and Management of the Revenues
  • Conclusions regarding the five CICMR Post Office Reports of 1829 and 1830
  • Commission to Inquire into the Management of the Post Office (CIPO/CIMPO)
  • The Commission to Inquire into the Management of the Post Office (CIMPO)

Chapter 5

  • The Five Editions of Rowland Hill’s 1837-1838 Post Office Reform Pamphlet
  • The background to and origins of Hill’s Post Office Reform pamphlets 1825-1836
  • Private and Confidential edition of Hill’s Post Office Reform pamphlet, 1 Jan 1837: distribution
  • Private and Confidential edition of Hill’s Post Office Reform pamphlet, 1 Jan 1837: contents
  • The First Public Edition of Hill’s Post Office Reform pamphlet, c15 March 1837
  • All About Stamps
  • The SECOND EDITION of Hill’s Post Office Reform pamphlet, circa 28 March 1837
  • The THIRD EDITION of Hill’s Post Office Reform pamphlet, 30 November 1837
  • The FOURTH EDITION of Hill’s Post Office Reform pamphlet, March 1838
  • The influence and effects of Hill’s five pamphlet editions in Britain after 1837

Chapter 6

  • Overseas Postal Reformers and the influence of Rowland Hill’s Pamphlets 1837-1839
  • South Australia and Western Australia 1835-1839
  • New South Wales (including the 2d Embossed Letter-sheets) and Tasmania 1834-1839
  • The United States of America 1830-1839
  • Canada and British North America 1837-1839
  • France - Achille Piron’s Postal Reform pamphlet etc 1837-1839
  • The German States and the rest of the world 1837-1839

Chapter 7

  • Robert Wallace and the 1838 Select Committee
  • The Start of Wallace’s Postal Reform Campaign 1833
  • A little-known Postal Reformer - Robert Fuge of Devon 1833-1838
  • Robert Wallace continues to gather details of Post Office failings 1834-1838
  • Government establishes a Select Committee on Postage in 1838
  • Robert Wallace’s Select Committee on Postage (SCP) starts its work in 1838

Chapter 8

  • Henry Cole and the Postal Reformers’ Mercantile Committee on Postage 1838-1839
  • Henry Cole’s background and how he became involved in postal reform
  • The Formation of the Mercantile Committee on Postage 1838
  • The Mercantile Papers sets - the numbers made, and the numbers extant
  • The individual letters, circulars, posters, newspapers etc of the Mercantile Papers

Chapter 9

  • Henry Cole’s Mercantile Papers created for the Mercantile Committee 1838-1839
  • Mercantile Papers - the Start of the Committee, requests for support (MP1)
  • Mercantile Papers - The Post Circular newspapers and printed address-wrappers (MP2)
  • Mercantile Papers - Posters and circulars in favour of Penny Postage (MP3)
  • Mercantile Papers - The famous Giant and Miniature Caricatures of 1838 and 1839 (MP4)
  • Mercantile Papers - The comic Scene at Windsor Castle leaflets (MP5)
  • Mercantile Papers - Essays and circulars for Postage Stamps, stationery & labels (MP6)
  • Mercantile Papers - Tickets and Circulars for the May & July 1839 Public meetings (MP7)
  • Mercantile Papers - the other circulars, including the Overloaded Mailcoach cartoon
  • Complete Catalogue of all Mercantile Papers Recorded in Private Hands
  • Mercantile Papers - the very few recorded examples sent by post or by private means

Chapter 10

  • The Final Campaign in Britain that led to the 17 August 1839 Post Office Act
  • Independent pro-Reform propaganda from around the British Isles 1838-1839
  • Henry Cole, Robert Wallace and the others continue their work in the summer of 1839
  • Independent “PENNY POSTAGE ACT” leaflets with anti-postage Stamps bias Aug 1839
  • Rowland Hill and Henry Cole begin the task to introduce Cheap Postage September 1839

Chapter 11

  • International Origins of Stamps Venice, Paris, Holland, Sardinia & London 1609-1819
  • Introduction
  • The 17th century origins of stamps
  • The Parisian local mail service founded by De Velayer and postage paid slips 1653-1654
  • The start of British Tax Stamps for Stamp Duty etc and the Cypher Labels 1664-1799
  • Start of Postal Stationery

Chapter 12

  • The Art of Security Printing and the Foundations for Postage Stamps 1819-1839
  • Perkins Bacon & Co
  • Charles Whiting, Robert Branston and the Congreve Patent Compound Plates 1819-1830
  • Charles Whiting’s proposals for his innovative ‘Go-Free’ prepaid postage wrappers
  • Charles Whiting’s development of the luxury market for compound printing 1827-1838
  • Charles Whiting’s printing business and his Postage Stamp Essays 1837-1839
  • Other ideas that influenced the plans for postage stamps in the 1830s

Chapter 13

  • The Treasury Post Office Stamp Competition & Henry Cole’s Entry August 1839
  • The 23 August 1839 Treasury Minute, Rowland Hill’s visit to Paris and surviving Essays
  • Henry Cole’s comprehensive entry for the Treasury Competition 10 October 1839

Chapter 14

  • Detailed Competition Entries of Whiting, Chalmers et al August to December 1839
  • Charles Whiting’s successful entry for the Treasury Competition and his many essays
  • James Chalmers’s unsuccessful entry for the Treasury Competition and his many essays
  • The entries of the prize-winners Bogardus/Coffin and Benjamin Cheverton
  • The 90 submissions about stamps and/or postal reforms sent before the Competition

Chapter 15

  • The Full Listing of Known Entries for the Treasury Competition
  • The Surviving Entries to the Treasury Competition
  • The Results of the Treasury Competition and its effects on Rowland Hill’s plans

Volume 2
Chapter 16

  • The Experimental Uniform 4d Postage Period 5 December 1839 to 9 January 1840
  • The Origin of the Transitional Uniform 4d Rate; Rowland Hill and the Treasury
  • Rowland Hill’s Draft Proposals for the Uniform 4d Post Period
  • The Treasury Warrant for regulating the Rates of Postage, 22 November 1839
  • The Post Office’s transition to the new scheme and the Post Office Notices
  • The Uniform 4d Postage rates - catalogue of examples recorded - Internal British Mail
  • Listings of the Handstruck ‘4’ markings recorded 5 December 1839 to 9 January 1840
  • The Uniform 4d Postage rates - catalogue of examples recorded - Overseas International Mail

Chapter 17

  • The Early Months of Uniform Penny Postage 10 January to 5 May 1840
  • The work behind the scenes at the Treasury and elsewhere to make it happen
  • Notices regarding the impending 10 January 1840 start of Uniform Penny Postage
  • 10 January 1840 - First Day of Uniform Penny Postage - Recorded Covers
  • 10 January 1840 Letters Recorded at Higher Postal Rates
  • 16 January 1840 to 6 May 1840 - the First British Postage Stamps - Parliamentary Envelopes
  • 12 February 1840 to 5 May 1840 - the First Labels connected to Prepayment etc
  • January to March 1840 - Reactions of the General Public
  • 10 January 1840 to 5 May 1840 - Early Usages of the Uniform Penny Postage handstruck charge-marks
  • 10 January to 5 May 1840 - undercharged or overcharged inland rates
  • 10 January to 5 May 1840 - American appeals for cheaper Ship Letters
  • 10 January 1840 to 5 May 1840 - the official statistics of British mail volumes

Chapter 18

  • Creation, Introduction and Usages of the World’s First Postage Stamps 1840
  • Rowland Hill and Henry Cole start to create designs for labels and postal stationery
  • The development of Postal Stationery Stamps once Mulready had been chosen as the artist
  • The development of the 1840 Postage Labels once Perkins Bacon & Petch had been chosen
  • The first Obliterating Stamp, early PO Errors and the Continuation of Cash-paid Mail
  • 6 May 1840 - the First Day of Usage of the Postage Stamps (labels and stationery)
  • Public opinion about the new stamps - the Mulready Caricatures and Gadsby Labels
  • Usages of the 1840 Postage Labels and Postal Stationery 1840-1842

Chapter 19

  • The First Postage Stamps of the United States of America 1842-1850
  • Background: the continuing American interest in Postal Reform 1835-1839
  • The Official US Post Office fact-finding mission of George Plitt to Europe 1839-1840
  • The 10 June 1840 Daniel Webster “Congress Mulready with 1d Black” print
  • The First United States Revenue (1755) and Postage (1842) Stamps
  • Take-over of Greig’s Post by the US Post Office in 1842 and campaign for cheap postal rates
  • The Independent Mail Carrier Companies and their Postage Stamps 1843-1845
  • The Postmasters’ Provisional Stamps 1 July 1845 to 30 June 1847
  • The First United States General Issue postage labels; 1 July 1847 5c and 10c stamps
  • The Major Hobbie Report on Transatlantic Mails, Far East Transit Mail, etc 1847-1850
  • The Continuing Campaign for Cheap Postage in America 1848-1850

Chapter 20

  • Other Early Adopters of Postage Stamps Switzerland and Brazil 1843-1845
  • Background: the gradual spread of prepayment postage labels and lower postal rates
  • Switzerland - the Zurich Numeral Cantonal Issue (1 March 1843)
  • Switzerland - the Double Geneva Cantonal Issue (30 September 1843)
  • Switzerland - the Basel Dove Cantonal Issue (1 July 1845)
  • Brazil - Start of postal reforms that led to Brazil’s first postage stamps 1841-1842
  • Brazil - the Bull’s Eye Nationwide (by sea or by land) Issue (1 August 1843)

Chapter 21

  • Postal Reforms and Stamps spread across Europe and Beyond 1844-1850
  • Brunswick, Finland, Russia & Hanover - Early Postal Stationery issues 1844-1849
  • Batavia (Dutch East Indies) - the ‘Land Mail’ labels, 1845-1846
  • Trinidad - the Lady McLeod Locals and the 1849 Britannia consignment etc 1847-1851
  • Cape of Good Hope and Mauritius - the POST OFFICE and Triangular Stamps 1846-1853
  • Bermuda - the William Perot 1d Local signed handstruck stamps 1848-1856
  • France - the Final Steps towards Uniform Postage and Postage Stamps 1843-1850
  • Belgium, Bavaria and Spain - Europe’s Final Early Adopters 1849-1850
  • The PSNC and Peru - the Pacific Coast of South America’s Early Adopters 1847-1849
  • The First Postage Labels in Australia (New South Wales and Victoria) 1849-1850

Chapter 22

  • Rowland Hill’s 1840s Campaign and British Postal Developments to 1850
  • The Origins of the Second British Issues of Postage Labels and Stationery 1840-1841
  • The Suggestions for Different Postage Labels and Stationery 1840-1841
  • The Second British Issues of Postage Labels & Stationery 1841-1844
  • The Destruction of the Enormous Surplus Stocks of Mulready Stationery 1840-1845
  • Rowland Hill’s Later Pamphlets & his Campaign for Reinstatement 1842-1846
  • The Rowland Hill and Robert Wallace Testimonial Funds & later 1840s Pamphlets etc
  • The Postal Rates for Inland and Overseas Letters 1841-1849
  • The Handstruck “Postmasters’ Provisional” 1d and 2d Markings 1841-1849
  • Privately Carried Mail in Decline following Hill’s Reforms 1841-1849
  • Cheap Rates Encourage a Greater Variety of Letters to be sent 1841-1849

Chapter 23

  • Worldwide Progress towards the UPU and Beyond 1850-1898
  • USA and Great Britain Continue pressure for International Postal Reform 1850-1898
  • USA - Continuing Pressure for Internal Postal Rates Reform 1850-1875
  • Great Britain - Further Internal Mails Developments and Reforms 1850-1895

Chapter 24

  • Epilogue - Postal Reform’s Unexpected Legacy - Philately 1840-1868
  • The Pioneer collectors before the Dawn of Worldwide Philately 1840-1850
  • The New Issues of Postage Stamps 1850-1864 Europe
  • The New Issues of Postage Stamps 1850-1864 Beyond Europe
  • The Increasing Variety of Stamps Encourages Collecting 1860-1868
  • The World’s First Postage Stamp Albums 1860-1864
  • Pearson Hill, the Stamp Collector and the Perkins Bacon Fiasco 1861-1891
  • Other Early Collectors and the Start of Philatelic Covers 1859-1864

Selected Bibliography
Index

Sample pages (click one to enlarge)