71-760: Thurnscoe is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire , England. The village falls within the Dearne North ward of the Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. Historically within the West Riding of Yorkshire , the village is approximately 9 miles (14 km) from Barnsley and 8 miles (13 km) from Doncaster . It is served by Thurnscoe railway station with bus links provided by Stagecoach . In 2011, it had
142-459: A font readable by RM optical character recognition (OCR) equipment. Royal Mail will not carry a number of items which it says could be dangerous for its staff or vehicles. Additionally, a list of 'restricted' items can be posted subject to conditions. Prohibited goods include alcoholic, corrosive or flammable liquids or solids, gases, controlled drugs, indecent or offensive materials, and human and animal remains. In 2004, Royal Mail applied to
213-565: A national postal strike over a pay claim. British Telecom was separated from the Post Office in 1980, and emerged as an independent business in 1981. In 1986 the Post Office was subdivided into four businesses: Royal Mail Letters, Royal Mail Parcels, Post Office Counters and the National Girobank. Girobank was sold to Alliance & Leicester in 1990, but the remaining business continued under public ownership as privatisation of this
284-619: A "Master of the Posts", a position that was renamed " Postmaster General " in 1710. Upon his accession to the throne of England at the Union of the Crowns in 1603, James VI moved his court to London. One of his first acts from London was to establish the royal postal service between London and Edinburgh , in an attempt to retain control over the Scottish Privy Council . The Royal Mail service
355-565: A London-Newcastle service. On 1 January 2006, the Royal Mail lost its 350-year monopoly, and the British postal market became fully open to competition. Competitors were allowed to collect and sort mail, and pass it to Royal Mail for delivery, a service known as downstream access . Royal Mail introduced Pricing in Proportion (PiP) for first and second class inland mail, whereby prices are affected by
426-458: A continuing fall in mail volumes, the government commissioned an independent review of the postal services sector by Richard Hooper CBE , the former deputy chairman of Ofcom . The recommendations in the Hooper Review led Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to seek to part privatise the company by selling a minority stake to a commercial partner. However, despite legislation for the sale passing
497-458: A culvert, flooded during the gales and heavy rain of 1987, briefly threatening the local primary school, Gooseacre, and flooding several homes along Merrill Road. Litter from the school was stated to be the cause of the flood, and a grille was installed on the brook's culvert entrance. Council records show that the water table is very close to the surface in Thurnscoe, as little as 18 inches below
568-463: A letter, the sender could affix the first adhesive postage stamp , the Penny Black , which was available for use from 6 May the same year. Other innovations were the introduction of pre-paid William Mulready designed postal stationery letter sheets and envelopes. As Britain was the first country to issue prepaid postage stamps, British stamps are the only stamps that do not bear the name of
639-565: A number of paid-for services including Admail , post office boxes and private post boxes were removed from the Inland Letter Post Scheme (ILPS) and became available under contract. Several free services, including petitions to parliament and the sovereign, and poste restante , were removed from the scheme. A new holding company, Royal Mail Limited, was established in September 2013, in anticipation of its initial public offering on
710-516: A population of 10,548. Thurnscoe became an urban district in 1908 which contained the parish. On 1 April 1937 the parish and urban district were abolished and merged with Dearne . Mining began in the 17th century from small surface mines (Benson and Neville 1976) but exploded along with the population after Hickleton Main Colliery found the Barnsley seam in 1894. Almost the entire of the village east of
781-502: A population of 8,687. Set in the heart of the Dearne Valley , historically, Thurnscoe was a farming village and in Roman times it was situated on the Roman road Ryknild Street , which ran down a track, (known locally as "the cow track" as it was the route for the dairy herds until the farm closed in recent years), to the east of what is now Rectory Lane. It continues up Southfield Lane by
SECTION 10
#1733093435908852-707: A profit and closed in 2002. As part of the 2000 Act, the government set up a postal regulator, the Postal Services Commission , known as Postcomm, which offered licences to private companies to deliver mail. In 2001, the Consumer Council for Postal Services, known as Postwatch , was created for consumers to express any concerns they may have with the postal service in Britain. Postwatch was abolished in 2008 and merged with Energywatch to form Consumer Focus , with Postcomm also being abolished in 2011. In 2004,
923-549: A receiver-pays to a sender-pays system. This was used as the model for other postal services around the world, but also spilled over to the modern-day crowd-funding approach. Greater changes took place when the Uniform Penny Post was introduced on 10 January 1840, whereby a single rate for delivery anywhere in Great Britain and Ireland was pre-paid by the sender. A few months later, to certify that postage had been paid on
994-628: A seal was first fixed to the mail. At the restoration of the monarchy , in 1660, all the ordinances and acts passed by parliaments during the Civil War and the Interregnum passed into oblivion, so the General Post Office (GPO) was officially established by Charles II under the Post Office Act 1660 ( 12 Cha. 2 . c. 35). Between 1719 and 1763, Ralph Allen , postmaster at Bath , signed
1065-432: A series of contracts with the post office to develop and expand Britain's postal network. He organised mail coaches which were provided by both Wilson & Company of London and Williams & Company of Bath. The early Royal Mail Coaches were similar to ordinary family coaches, but with Post Office livery . The first mail coach ran in 1784, operating between Bristol and London. Delivery staff received uniforms for
1136-440: A swimming baths, cinema and an active market, the former site of the market eventually was replaced with a car park for the village's Home Bargains store, which opened in 2017. A series of character areas are being created, defined by housing type and form, and set within an overall master planning strategy to ensure the development of an integrated neighbourhood. The project started on site in early 2010. Some new social housing
1207-607: Is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services . It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels). The company used the name Consignia for a brief period in the early 2000s but changed it afterwards. The company provides mail collection and delivery services throughout the UK. Letters and parcels are deposited in post or parcel boxes, or are collected in bulk from businesses and transported to Royal Mail sorting offices. Royal Mail owns and maintains
1278-591: Is a craggy geography between the overlying Cadeby Formation and underlying Yellow Sands Formation, both late Permian. Cadeby limestone from Thurnscoe was a moderately significant export in medieval times. Thurnscoe's oldest building is the Church of St. Helen on High Street, built in 812 by the Angles and rebuilt in 1087 by the Normans though only the tower of the original structure remains. Excavations during renovation work (under
1349-466: Is a meandering residential street which was once a river. Many of the dykes were enclosed into pipelines during the 1960s and 1970s as flooding had traditionally been a problem in the lower part of the village. The village is bisected, east/west, by a railway, originally laid to serve the colliery, into Thurnscoe and Thurnscoe East. The residents do not consider the two to be separate villages. Locals refer to Thurnscoe East as "the top end". The eastern half
1420-542: Is bisected by the M1 motorway ; it is rural to the west, and largely urban/industrial to the east. It is estimated that around 16% of the borough is classed as urban overall, with this area being home to the vast majority of its residents. Additionally, 68% of Barnsley's 32,863 hectares is green belt and 9% is national park land, the majority of which is west of the M1. In 2007, it was estimated that Barnsley had 224,600 residents, measured at
1491-451: Is characterised by low cost terraced housing (built to serve the former colliery) and a small business park on the site of the former colliery. The western side of the village is also known as "Old Thurnscoe", or "the bottom end" by locals from the "top end". Thurnscoe Park Avenue F.C. competed in the FA Cup from 1919 to 1921, and Thurnscoe Victoria F.C. competed in the same competition during
SECTION 20
#17330934359081562-408: Is for PPI or franked mail, where the sender prints their own 'stamp'. For PPI mail, this involves either a simple rubber stamp and an ink pad, or a printed label. For franked mail, a dedicated franking machine is used. Bulk business mail, using Mailmark technology, attracts reduced prices of up to 32%, if the sender prints an RM4SCC barcode , or prints the address formatted in a specific way in
1633-708: Is located at Wentworth Castle in Stainborough . The University of Huddersfield has a campus in Barnsley town centre. In terms of television, the area is served by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire broadcasting from the Emley Moor transmitter. Radio stations for the area are: Local newspaper for the area is served by the Barnsley Chronicle . 53°33′N 1°28′W / 53.550°N 1.467°W / 53.550; -1.467 Royal Mail The Royal Mail Group Limited , trading as Royal Mail ,
1704-487: Is required by law to maintain the universal service , whereby items of a specific size can be sent to any location within the United Kingdom for a fixed price, not affected by distance. The Postal Services Act 2011 guaranteed that Royal Mail would continue to provide the universal service until at least 2021. Royal Mail Special Delivery is an expedited mail service that guarantees delivery by 1 p.m. or 9 a.m.
1775-737: The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 (c. 45), which requires carriers of firearms to "take reasonable precautions" for their safe custody and argued that to comply would involve disproportionate cost. A Royal Mail public consultation document on the changes said: "We expect the impact on customers to be minimal". The proposals provoked a large negative response, following a campaign led by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation , backed by numerous shooting-related websites and organisations. A total of 1,458 people gave their views in emails and letters sent to Royal Mail. An online petition opposing
1846-450: The House of Lords , it was abandoned in the House of Commons after strong opposition from backbench Labour MPs. The government later cited the difficult economic conditions for the reason behind the retreat. After the departure of Adam Crozier to ITV plc on 27 May 2010, Royal Mail appointed Canadian Moya Greene as chief executive, the first woman to hold the post. On 6 December 2010,
1917-462: The Post Office Act 1969 the General Post Office was changed from a government department to a statutory corporation , known simply as the Post Office. The office of Postmaster General was abolished and replaced with the positions of chairman and chief executive in the new company. In 1971, postal services in Great Britain were suspended for two months between January and March as the result of
1988-572: The Postal Services Act 2000 , whereby the Post Office became a public limited company in which the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry owned a special share, and the Treasury Solicitor held a ordinary share. The company was renamed Consignia Public Limited Company in 2001, a name that was invented by the consultancy company Dragon Brands, and the new name was intended to show that
2059-556: The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority . Elections to the council are held in three out of every four years, with one third of the 63 councillors being elected at each election. The council has been controlled by the Labour Party since its creation in 1974. The borough council appoints one councillor to be the mayor every year. On the day of the mayor's appointment, a parade takes place in front of
2130-403: The 1930s and 1940s. Thurnscoe is also home to Thurnscoe Institute Cricket Club, and a sports ground near the village's Asda supermarket. Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley The Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley is a metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire , England ; the main settlement is Barnsley and other notable towns include Penistone , Wombwell and Hoyland . The borough
2201-495: The 1994 Queen's Speech after a number of Conservative MPs warned Heseltine that they would not vote for the legislation. The Post Office had its headquarters in St. Martin's Le Grand , in the City of London , until 1984. Then the headquarters division moved out to 33 Grosvenor Place (lately vacated by British Steel ). After 1986 separate headquarters were established elsewhere for each of
Thurnscoe - Misplaced Pages Continue
2272-473: The 2011 census as 231,221. The neighbouring districts are Doncaster , Rotherham , Sheffield , High Peak , Kirklees and Wakefield . The borough was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 . It covered the whole area of 12 former districts and parts of another two, which were all abolished at the same time: The county borough of Barnsley had been self-governing, whereas
2343-465: The London Stock Exchange. Applications for members of the public to buy shares opened on 27 September 2013, ahead of the company's listing on the London Stock Exchange on 15 October 2013. During its annual general meeting on 20 July 2022, the company announced that the holding company responsible for both Royal Mail and GLS would change its name to International Distributions Services . It
2414-689: The Protectorate claimed to govern all of Great Britain and Ireland under one unified government, on 9 June 1657 the Second Protectorate Parliament (which included Scottish and Irish MPs) passed the "Act for settling the Postage in England, Scotland and Ireland", which created one monopoly Post Office for the whole territory of the Commonwealth. The first Postmaster General was appointed in 1661, and
2485-430: The UK's distinctive and iconic red pillar boxes , first introduced in 1852 (12 years after the first postage stamp , Penny Black ), and other post boxes , many of which bear the royal cypher of the reigning monarch at the date of manufacture. Deliveries are made at least once every day except Sundays and bank holidays at uniform charges for all UK destinations. Royal Mail generally aims to make first class deliveries
2556-440: The application on the grounds that Royal Mail had not provided sufficient evidence that carrying firearms caused undue disruption or that a ban would reduce the number of illegal weapons. It also said that a ban would cause unnecessary hardship to individuals and businesses. In August 2012, Royal Mail again attempted to prohibit the carriage of all firearms, air rifles and air pistols from 30 November 2012. It cited section 14(1) of
2627-407: The company did more than deliver mail; however, the change was very unpopular with both the general public and employees. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) boycotted the name, and the following year, it was announced that the company would be renamed Royal Mail Group plc. Use of the Post Office brand was afterwards restricted to the counters business ('Post Office Counters Ltd' since 1987), which
2698-555: The country of issue on them . By the late 19th century, there were between six and twelve mail deliveries per day in London, permitting correspondents to exchange multiple letters within a single day. The first trial of the London Pneumatic Despatch Company was made in 1863, sending mail by underground rail between postal depots. The Post Office began its telegraph service in 1870. The first Post Office pillar box
2769-668: The daily round. Companies using the "Door to door" service include Virgin Media , BT , Sky , Talk Talk , Farmfoods , Domino's Pizza , Direct Line and Morrisons . In 2005, the service delivered 3.3 billion items. The "Door to door" service does not use the UK Mailing Preference Service ; instead, Royal Mail operates its own opt-out database. Warnings about missing government communications given by Royal Mail to customers opting out of their service have been criticised by customers and consumer groups. Clarification given by
2840-579: The first time in 1793, and the Post Office Investigation Branch was established. The first mail train ran in 1830, on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway . The Post Office's money order system was introduced in 1838. In December 1839, the first substantial reform started when postage rates were revised by the short-lived Uniform Fourpenny Post . Rowland Hill , an English teacher, inventor and social reformer, became disillusioned with
2911-463: The former Rector, John Hall) on the church revealed Anglo-Saxon remains, including a skeleton, indicating that it was used as a sacred site before the Christian church was established here. The western side of the village has more history to it, including Thurnscoe Hall (now a nursing home) and the 1715 Blacksmith's Cottage near St Helen's Church. Red House Cottage on High Street is the oldest building in
Thurnscoe - Misplaced Pages Continue
2982-604: The inland and foreign mails to John Manley. Manley was given a monopoly on the postal service, which was effectively enforced by Protector Oliver Cromwell 's government, and thanks to the improvements necessitated by the war, Manley ran a much-improved Post Office service. In July 1655, the Post Office was put under the direct government control of John Thurloe , a Secretary of State, best known to history as Cromwell's spymaster general. Previous English governments had tried to prevent conspirators from communicating; Thurloe preferred to deliver their post having surreptitiously read it. As
3053-532: The issue, pillar boxes in Scotland were either marked 'Post Office' or used the Scots Crown . A national telephone service was opened by the Post Office in 1912. In 1919, the first international airmail service was developed by Royal Engineers (Postal Section) and Royal Air Force . The London Post Office Railway was opened in 1927. In 1941, an airgraph service was introduced between UK and Egypt. The service
3124-567: The local community. Poems by local resident Desiree Chipp are carved into three at the entrances to the site. There is a small car park accessible off Lidget Lane. Towards the end of the 20th century many of the historic buildings have been demolished, including the Victorian primary and infant schools, the Station Hotel (which had an inn sign which was featured on a Royal Mail postage stamp ) and Broadway Buildings Ballroom. The village once also had
3195-517: The majority of the Hoylands are concentrated in Barnsley. There are over 100 schools and colleges in the borough. State education is managed by Barnsley Local Education Authority . There are 14 state-run secondary schools and around 80 primary schools . There was an independent school, Hope House School . Post-16 education is provided at Barnsley College and the sixth form of Penistone Grammar School . An adult education college, Northern College,
3266-432: The monarch's title: some Scottish nationalists argue that Queen Elizabeth II should have simply been Queen Elizabeth, as there had been no previous Queen Elizabeth of Scotland or of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ( Elizabeth I was only Queen of the pre-1707 Kingdom of England ). The dispute involved vandalism and attacks on pillar and post boxes introduced in Scotland which displayed EIIR. To avoid
3337-579: The next business day throughout the nation. For most of its history, the Royal Mail was a public service, operating as a government department or public corporation . Following the Postal Services Act 2011 , a majority of the shares in Royal Mail Limited , now known as International Distribution Services , were floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2013. The Royal Mail can trace its history back to 1516, when Henry VIII established
3408-457: The next day for an increased cost. In the event that the item does not arrive on time, there is a money back guarantee. It insures goods to the value of £50 for 9 a.m. or £750 for 1 p.m. An extra fee can be paid to extend the insurance coverage to up to £2,500 (for either service). The Royal Mail runs, alongside its stamped mail services, another sector of post called business mail. The large majority of Royal Mail's business mail service
3479-521: The other 13 districts were all lower-tier authorities where county-level services were provided by West Riding County Council . From its creation in 1974 until 1986, the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley was a district-level authority, with county-level services provided by South Yorkshire County Council . The county council was abolished in 1986, since when Barnsley has been responsible for all local government services. The borough forms part of
3550-437: The postal service, and wrote a paper proposing reforms that resulted in an approach that would go on to change not only the Royal Mail, but also be copied by postal services around world. His proposal was refused at the first attempt, but he overcame the political obstacles, and was appointed to implement and develop his ideas. He realised that many small purchases would fund the organisation and implemented this by changing it from
3621-455: The proposals was signed by 2,236 people, 1,742 of whom added comments. In the face of such opposition, Royal Mail dropped the proposals in December 2012. Royal Mail's "Door to door" service provides delivery of leaflets, brochures, catalogues and other print materials to groups of domestic and business addresses selected by postcode. Such deliveries are made by the mail carrier together as part of
SECTION 50
#17330934359083692-480: The railway was built to accommodate the coal miners, including St. Hilda's Church in 1935 (deconsecrated 2017). In 1980 mining accounted for 81% of all male employment in the area. It was one of many mining villages in the Yorkshire coalfield that suffered high levels of unemployment when the British coal mining industry was restructured in the 1980s. Hickleton Colliery was merged with Goldthorpe in 1986 before that too
3763-455: The road to Sheffield, which includes the former hamlets of Hoyland Common, Upper Hoyland and Hoyland Nether ( nether being old English for "lower"). Hoylandswaine is located on the opposite side of the wide valley, and at almost 1000 feet above sea level has a wilder and bleaker feel than High Hoyland . The word Hoyland is derived from Norse, and at its simplest means "farm on a hill". Despite there being countless farms on hills around England,
3834-420: The second daily delivery was scrapped in an effort to reduce costs and improve efficiency, meaning a later single delivery would be made. The same year, the travelling post office mail trains were also axed. In 2005, Royal Mail signed a contract with GB Railfreight to operate an overnight rail service between London and Scotland (carrying bulk mail, and without any on-train sorting); this was later followed by
3905-475: The side of the cemetery and over fields to the south of the village, and up Clayton Lane to the north. Thurnscoe was known in early times as Turnesc, this becoming Terunsc by the time of its mention in the Domesday Book , with the name Thurnscoe is derived from Old Norse for Thorn Tree Wood. Parts of the village were owned by Roche Abbey , who dug Magnesian Limestone in an area known locally as "Cave Wood" which
3976-467: The size as well as weight of items. It also introduced an online postage service, allowing customers to pay for postage online. In 2007, the Royal Mail Group plc became Royal Mail Group Ltd, in a slight change of legal status. Royal Mail ended Sunday collections from pillar boxes that year. On 1 October 2008, Postwatch was merged into the new consumer watchdog Consumer Focus . In 2008, due to
4047-462: The surface in parts. This has led to local concerns about the building of new houses over the green areas of the village and resulted in a petition against this in 2007. Another flood on 26 June 2007 flooded Houghton Road outside the Thurnscoe Hotel and burst the banks of all the dykes in Thurnscoe. Merrill Road was once again flooded and it flooded as far as Westfield Crescent. In parts of Thurnscoe
4118-420: The then postal regulator Postcomm to ban the carriage of sporting firearms, saying they caused disruption to the network, that a ban would assist police with firearms control, and that ease of access meant the letters network was a target of criminals. Postcomm issued a consultation on the proposed changes in December 2004, to which 62 people and organisations responded. In June 2005, Postcomm decided to refuse
4189-592: The three subdivisions of the Post Office, leaving a much reduced corporate head office (with just thirty staff) who in 1990 moved to 30 St James's Square ; two years later it was again moved, to be co-located with the Letters head office in Royal Mail House (148 Old Street ). After a change of government in 1997, the Labour government decided to keep the Post Office state-owned, but with more commercial freedom. This led to
4260-411: The town hall in honour of the new mayor. Barnsley borough is represented by four MPs: Dan Jarvis for Barnsley Central (Labour), Marie Tidball for Penistone & Stocksbridge (Labour), Stephanie Peacock for Barnsley East (Labour) and John Healey for Wentworth and Dearne CC (Labour). There are many Hoylands in Barnsley – there is the village of Hoyland itself south-east of Barnsley on
4331-453: The village dating back to the 16th century. Before the mines opened, Thurnscoe was once a wealthy farming community, famous in the Middle Ages for the quality of its cheese. There were a number of historic farms and arable and livestock fields all around the village, but most of the farms have now gone and most of the fields have been covered by modern housing. In 1931, the civil parish had
SECTION 60
#17330934359084402-411: The water was up to waist level. Also the road between Thurnscoe and Great Houghton was flooded severely. Dearnlea Old People's home on Welfare Road had to be evacuated. Thurnscoe's geography is characteristic of glacial moraine, with gentle inclines, good arable clay/loam soil and no irregular boulders. The village was once known for its numerous springs and dykes. High Street (which is not the main road)
4473-603: Was 51% owned by Royal Mail, and 49% by Haden Building Management Ltd, which became Balfour Beatty WorkPlace and is now Cofely UK, part of GDF Suez in a joint venture. In the 1990s the President of the Board of Trade , Michael Heseltine , began to look again at privatisation, and eventually a Green Paper on Postal Reform was published in May 1994, outlining various possible options. The ideas, however, proved controversial, and were dropped from
4544-508: Was also suggested that the board of directors may look to separate GLS in order to distance the profitable company from Royal Mail, which were in negotiations with the CWU over both pay and future changes to ways of working. The name change was filled in the Companies House on 28 September 2022 and registered on 3 October. In March 2023, talks over pay were reportedly at collapse. Royal Mail
4615-405: Was built on the redeveloped site of the old colliery buildings adjacent to the former colliery officers' club. The total investment for the scheme is £2.1 million which also includes environmental works to improve the boundary wall to the social club and to upgrade the access to the public open space adjacent to the site. A brook which runs through the western extent, travelling under the village in
4686-518: Was closed in 1994. From 1983 to 1986, Thurnscoe was one of four areas in South Yorkshire where the Probation Service ran a victim/offender mediation project (one of the first of its kind in the country). The main pit waste tip has been landscaped and converted, with the aid of the environmental body Groundwork , into "Phoenix Park" which contains a climbing wall, picnic areas and many pieces of art which were developed by and in conjunction with
4757-640: Was deemed to be too unpopular. That same year, Royal Mail Parcels was rebranded as Parcelforce as part of an attempt to compete with international courier firms, which were fast expanding into the European market. Postal workers held their first national strike for 17 years in 1988, after walking out over bonuses being paid to recruit new workers in London and the South East. Royal Mail established Romec (Royal Mail Engineering & Construction) in 1989 to deliver facilities maintenance services to its business. Romec
4828-455: Was duly renamed Post Office Limited ; it continued to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Mail Group plc until 2012, when the two were separated in preparation for the latter's privatisation. In 1998, Royal Mail launched RelayOne as an email to postal service system. In 1999, Royal Mail launched a short-lived e-commerce venture, ViaCode Limited, aimed at providing encrypted online communications services. However, it failed to make
4899-495: Was erected in 1852 in Jersey . Pillar boxes were introduced in mainland Britain the following year. British pillar boxes traditionally carry the Latin initials of the reigning monarch at the time of their installation, for example: VR for Victoria Regina or GR for Georgius Rex . Such branding was not used in Scotland for most of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, due to a dispute over
4970-732: Was first made available to the public by Charles I on 31 July 1635, with postage being paid by the recipient. The monopoly was farmed out to Thomas Witherings . In the 1640s, Parliament removed the monopoly from Witherings and during the Civil War and First Commonwealth the parliamentary postal service was run at great profit for himself by Edmund Prideaux (a prominent parliamentarian and lawyer who rose to be attorney-general ). To keep his monopoly in those troubled times Prideaux improved efficiency and used both legal impediments and illegal methods. In 1653, Parliament set aside all previous grants for postal services, and contracts were let for
5041-494: Was later extended to Canada (1941), East Africa (1941), Burma (1942), India (1942), South Africa (1942), Australia (1943), New Zealand (1943) Ceylon (1944) and Italy (1944). Postcodes were extended across Great Britain and Northern Ireland between 1959 and 1974. The two-class postal system was introduced in 1968, using first-class and second-class services. The Post Office opened the National Giro Bank that year. Under
#907092