Business history

The history of the Royal Mail is a long and illustrious one. Founded in 1635 by King Charles I, it was secured following disruption in the Civil War by another Act of Parliament upon the Restoration. This established the “General Post Office” as a branch of government, headed by the Postmaster General.

During the 18th century, there was much development of the service. In particular the routes by which mail was carried were developed. But it was the 19th century that saw the organisation’s greatest expansion.

Postal Reform and the introduction of the Penny Post occurred in 1840. This, combined with increased adult literacy, saw a dramatic increase in the volume of mail. The Post Office moved into parcel delivery, telecommunications and banking. These were all accessible through its nationwide network of offices.

The now sizeable organisation was reorganised in the 1930s and again in the 1960s. Eventually it became a public corporation in 1969. Restructuring continued in the 1980s and 1990s, with the separate telecommunications section being privatised in 1984. In 2001 the Post Office became a public limited company (PLC), named Consignia – which was replaced by the Royal Mail brand in late 2002.

In this section:

• Before Universal Penny Postage (1635-1840 summary)
  
  
• Rowland Hill's Postal Reform
  
  
• Postal Style & Design
  
  
• Post Office Savings Bank
  
  
• Telecommunications
  
  
• Letter boxes