Catalogue description Post Office: Private Collections, John Palmer Papers

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Details of POST 96
Reference: POST 96
Title: Post Office: Private Collections, John Palmer Papers
Description:

This series consists of a collection of letters, minutes and reports dealing with mail coaches, packet boat services, postal reforms and matters relating to Palmer's claims for payment of the promised percentage of revenues. Many of the items are copies of originals which have not survived.

POST 96/1-11 is a collection of pamphlets and reports concerning dispute with deputy and claims for percentage of revenues. POST 96/12-14 are Postmaster General's, Surveyor's and Deputy Surveyor's minutes and reports on matters of the day. POST 96/15-23 is a miscellaneous collection of letters, reports and memoranda on foreign posts and packet boat services; postal reforms; mail coach services; staff; establishments; revenue and accounts.

Please see The Postal Museum's online catalogue for descriptions of individual records within this series.
Note: Catalogue entries below series level were removed from Discovery, The National Archives' online catalogue, in November 2016 because fuller descriptions were available in The Postal Museum's online catalogue.
Date: c. 1784-1813
Related material:

Further information may be found in Postmaster General's reports
Held by: The Postal Museum, not available at The National Archives
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Physical description: 24 file(s)
Immediate source of acquisition:

Post Office, 1636-
Administrative / biographical background:

John Palmer was appointed Surveyor and Comptroller General of Mails in 1786 with a salary of £1500 and a promise of 2½% of any increased revenues. He appointed Charles Bonnor as his deputy.

He was responsible for the introduction of the mail coach service. Plans for this and for changes in franking and postage were submitted by him to William Pitt, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, in 1782. Postal officials were not in favour of the proposals but authority for their introduction was given in 1784 and the first mail coach service from Bristol to London started in August, extensions throughout the country followed.

Palmer's autocratic methods of making changes and his dismissal of his deputy without reference to the Postmaster General, Lord Walsingham, led to many disputes and he was suspended from duty, then dismissed in 1792. He was awarded a pension of £3000 but continued to claim for payment of the percentage. A number of investigations into his claims were made but it was not until 1813 that a financial settlement was made. Palmer died in 1818.

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