History

Please note that the History section is constantly under development. At present it contains only topic overviews (see images below). If you require indepth information, please refer to the PDFs at the bottom of this page.

This History section explores the multifaceted history of the British postal service since Charles I opened up his royal mail to the public in 1635.  It demonstrates the wide range of stories covered by Royal Mail’s fascinating history.

The development of the History section will be a gradual process.  The pages that appear here form part of the first stage of development. 

If you would like to suggest other topics that you think we should cover, you can do on our Wiki History Section Suggestions page.  If you have researched a particular aspect of postal history that you would like to share with the public, why not create a page about it on the Wiki? 

Click on the images to browse the different sections...

Information sheets

The History section will gradually replace the information sheets.  Until it is finished however, these information sheets remain in use:

Information Sheet - Airmail (PDF, 28KB)

Information Sheet - Animals in the Post Office (PDF, 34KB)

Information Sheet - Bicycles (PDF, 30KB)

Information Sheet - Caring for stamps and postal history (PDF, 30KB)

Information Sheet - Irish Family History (PDF, 95.2KB)

Information Sheet - Local History (PDF, 26KB)

Information Sheet - Mail Coaches (PDF, 30KB)

Information Sheet - Mail Rail (PDF, 26KB)

Information Sheet - Mount Pleasant (PDF, 36KB)

Information Sheet - Pillar Boxes (PDF, 30KB)

Information Sheet - Postcodes (PDF, 30KB)

Information Sheet - Post Office Rifles (PDF, 30KB)

Information Sheet - Post Office Uniforms (PDF, 25KB)

Information Sheet - the Post Office in the Second World War (PDF, 30KB)

Information Sheet - Travelling Post Office (PDF, 30KB)

Information Sheet - Transport (PDF, 35KB)