Mail by road

We hold some of the most important documents about the development of road transportation of mail.  The majority of these records can be found in POST 10.

Throughout its history the British Post Office has often sought means of reducing the amount of mail transported by road.  Mail by road has remained, however the most important and diverse part of postal transport.  

Find out about our horse-drawn vehicles in the Museum collection

Find out about our motorised vehicles in the Museum collection

Here are four examples of documents relating to mail by road:

Contract with McNamara and Taylor, 1853, finding number: POST 10/175

This contract was drawn up between the Postmaster General and  Arthur McNamara and Thomas Taylor. The contract deals with the conveyance of mail from the GPO at St Martins-le-Grand to other London areas.

It is for five years and includes details of different payments to be used depending on the means of transport to be used.

The Post Office preferred to contract out the transport of its mail. Individual routes were contracted out to different companies. McNamara was one of the principle contractors used by the Post Office at this time.

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Drawing of a horse-drawn mail cart, c. 1908, finding number: POST 10/206

This drawing comes from a volume of drawings and details of horse-drawn mail vans. It shows them in use, or being proposed, at the beginning of the 20^th century. 

Horse-drawn mail vans were beginning to be replaced by motorised vehicles in the early 20th century but the outbreak of the Second World war saw the re-introduction of horse-drawn vehicles to save on petrol.

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Postbus Guide, 1991-92, finding number: POST 10/350

This Postbus Guide is part of a file of guides with timetables for the postbuses in various areas in England and Wales. Postbuses are special buses which pick up passengers as well as the mail. Postbuses have been running for 40 years.

Postbuses are most popular in rural communities and especially in Wales and Scotland.

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Document about the accidental discharge of blunderbuss, 1835, finding number: POST 10/151

This letter forms part of a file of documents about the accidental discharge of a mail guard's blunderbuss in Ballina.

Mail guards were the only Post Office employees on board a mail coach. Their job was to protect the mail from highway robbers. As such he was permitted to carry firearms. 

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