Mail Coach c1800
Torrents of letters flowed along the post roads in the 1700s. But there were two problems - speed and security.
Post-boys who carried the mail were slow and often unreliable. Outside in all weathers, they were also an easy target for highwaymen, despite the threat of execution for thieves.
Theatre owner John Palmer regularly travelled overnight to London by stagecoach from Bath. He couldn't believe that it took two days to carry mail the same distance.
At Palmer's suggestion in 1784, smart new mail coaches replaced post-boys along key routes.
This idea transformed mail delivery.
This beautiful restored London - Bristol Mail Coach No. 105 from around 1800 is preserved at The Postal Museum in London.
Mail Coach c1800
Torrents of letters flowed along the post roads in the 1700s. But there were two problems - speed and security.
Post-boys who carried the mail were slow and often unreliable. Outside in all weathers, they were also an easy target for highwaymen, despite the threat of execution for thieves.
Theatre owner John Palmer regularly travelled overnight to London by stagecoach from Bath. He couldn't believe that it took two days to carry mail the same distance.
At Palmer's suggestion in 1784, smart new mail coaches replaced post-boys along key routes.
This idea transformed mail delivery.
This beautiful restored London - Bristol Mail Coach No. 105 from around 1800 is preserved at The Postal Museum in London.