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1500 - 1750

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Detail from an Elizabethan merchants letter 1593This theme is focused on the period 1500-1750, the early years of postal service development.

This Elizabethan merchant's letter highlights that international trade was flourishing. This period saw the origins of the modern postal service when Charles I opened up his 'royal mail' system for public use in 1635.

Theme 2 - 1500-1750 (PDF, 278KB)