Royal mail founder
The Royal Mail, also known as the General Post Office (GPO), has a long and rich history dating back to the 16th century. The modern Royal Mail was founded in 1635 by King Charles I, who granted a royal charter to the GPO to establish a national postal system in England.
However, the concept of a postal system dates back to the 11th century, when the Norman Conquest of England introduced the idea of a centralized postal system. The first recorded postal service in England was established by King Henry VIII in 1516, which was a system of horse-mounted couriers who carried messages between the royal court and the provinces.
Over the centuries, the postal system evolved and expanded, with the establishment of the General Post Office in 1635. The GPO was responsible for managing the postal system, including the collection and delivery of mail, as well as the establishment of postal routes and rates.
Some notable figures who played a significant role in the development of the Royal Mail include:
- Sir Thomas Witherings (1611-1681): A British politician and postal reformer who was instrumental in establishing the General Post Office and modernizing the postal system.
- Henry Bishop (1644-1709): A British politician and postal administrator who served as the Postmaster General of England and Wales from 1680 to 1695.
- John Jackson (1693-1763): A British politician and postal administrator who served as the Postmaster General of England and Wales from 1749 to 1763 and implemented several reforms to improve the efficiency of the postal system.
Today, the Royal Mail is a publicly traded company and one of the largest postal services in the world, with a history dating back over 400 years.