Post Office Headquarters

The headquarters of the Post Office organisation maintained a central filing system for long periods of their history. These files are sometimes called minutes (See Reports & Minutes Guide 2005 (PDF, 91 KB) for more details) and can be found in the following POST classes:

• POST 29-42
• POST 102
• POST 121-122

These files include material dating from 1790 to the very recent past. POST 122 is still being catalogued and this is the class containing the most recent material. They can cover all aspects of the Post Office’s operation locally, nationally and internationally.

They also cover people, national and international events and trends, Post Office developments and mail operations on the ground. The best thing about these classes is their variety, they are The Royal Mail Archive’s equivalent of a ‘Lucky Dip’.

Here are four examples of records relating to Post Office headquarters in our collection:

File relating to an incident with a Post Office cycle, 1917, finding number: POST 121/107

This letter relates the principal facts of an incident between a messenger boy, a Post Office cycle, a wall and a herd of cows. The incident occurred because the boy had been allowed to take his cycle home to save time since staff were not readily available during the First World War. The Post Office cycle was damaged as a result.

The letter is part of a file of documents about this case. The damage to the cycle was taken very seriously but in the end the Post Office did not press charges.

Large image (314KB)

Find this in the catalogue

File on communist activities, 1923-1938, finding number: POST 121/357

This is an extract from a document about how to deal with supposed 'troublemakers' among the Post Office staff in the 1920s and 1930s. In this case the threat is seen to come from communists.

At this time communism was a relatively new phenomenon and 'threat' to the estabishment. It is dealt with in the same document as the perceived threat by Sinn Fein sympathisers.

What is astonishing in today’s terms is the low level of suspicion that was required for someone to face action as a result of political sentiment or activity.

By reassuring contrast, there are also instances where allegations are investigated and found to be baseless.

Large image (428.6 KB)

Find this in the catalogue

Files on postal coding in the Norwich area, May 1959, finding number: POST 122/1137

This confidential document discusses the introduction of post codes in the Norwich area and testing the public reaction to them. It is part of a block of records that looks at how many people used postcodes on their letters during the experiment. For a time, about a third of all letters had the experimental codes on.

There are indicators of how well automated sorting machinery might cope with the different kinds of codes considered, as well as detail relating to the workings of the trial on the ground.

Given the impact that postcodes now have on the lives of all UK residents, the way they affect prices paid for insurance, the delivery of healthcare and so on, the creation of these codes is clearly a significant development.

Large image (529.3 KB)

Find this in the catalogue

File on cat allowance , 1912, finding number: POST 121/206

This letter is a request from the controller of stores at an Edinburgh depot requesting the Secretary's permission to employ a cat to deal with their mouse problem.

The employment of a cat in these circumstances did occasionally happen and an allowance could be paid to cover the cost of feeding and looking after the cat.

The letter is part of a file which documents the request from the Russell Street office in Edinburgh for an allowance of 6d a week to pay for a cat to control the mice problem on site. The central Post Office management  agreed to meet this cost.

Large image (445.8 KB)

Find this in the catalogue

Go to Business history records

View access conditions for all business history records