Catalogue description Rowland Hill Testimonial Fund

This record is held by Bristol Archives

Details of 30639
Reference: 30639
Title: Rowland Hill Testimonial Fund
Description:

The following papers, which were in a cover entitled 'R. Hill Testimonial Memoranda', were those of J.B. Estlin, Secretary of the local treasurers in Bristol of the Testimonial Fund. They include correspondence with Rowland Hill, the London Mercantile Committee on Postage, and local collectors, lists of subscriptions, and publicity notices.
Date: 1844 - 1845
Held by: Bristol Archives, not available at The National Archives
Language: English
Physical description: 47 files
Immediate source of acquisition:

Given to the Bristol Archives Office, provenance unknown
Administrative / biographical background:

By 1838 a very arbitrary system of penny postage for letters and small packets had been established for some years between Bristol and a few of the neighbouring villages.

 

During the session of 1839, Lord Melbourne's Ministry succeeded in passing an Act for carrying out the penny postal scheme of Rowland Hill, but it was strongly condemned by the political opponents of the cabinet. The heads of the postal service in London predicted the certain failure of the cheap system.

 

In 1844 a 'National Testimonial' to Rowland Hill was started, and resulted in a subscription of about £13,000. The sum contributed in Bristol was £292.
Link to NRA Record:

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