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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
127
In
the
year
1814,
the
business
of
the
Post-Office
had
increased
so
greatly,
that
an
agitation
was
commenced
with
the
object
of
securing
better
accommodation
for
its
despatch
than
was
afforded
by
the
office
in
Lombard
Street.
The
first
General
Post-Office
was
opened
in
Cloak
Lane,
near
Dowgate
Hill,
and
removed
from
thence
to
the
Black
Swan
in
Bishopsgate
Street.
After
the
Great
Fire
of
1666,
a
General
Office
was
opened
in
Covent
Garden,
but
it
was
soon
removed
to
Lombard
Street,
to
a
house
which
had
been
the
residence
of
Sir
Robert
Viner,
once
Lord
Mayor
of
London.
It
was
now
proposed
that
a
large
and
commodious
building
should
be
specially
erected
in
some
central
part
of
the
City,
and
the
business
once
more
transferred.
In
the
Session
of
1814
we
find
a
Mr.
Butterworth
presenting
a
petition
to
the
House
of
Commons
from
four
thousand
London
merchants,
in
favour
of
an
early
removal
of
the
Post-Office
from
Lombard
Street.
He
was
assured,
he
said,
that
the
present
office
"was
so
close
and
confined,
as
to
be
injurious
to
the
health
of
those
concerned;"
he
further
stated,
that
"two
guineas
were
expended
weekly
for
vinegar
to
fumigate
the
rooms
and
prevent
infectious
fevers."
Another
hon.
member
stated
that
the
access
to
the
office
was
so
narrow
and
difficult,
that
the
mail-coaches
were
prevented
from
getting
up
to
it
to
take
the
letter-bags.
It
is
curious
to
note
that
even
this
change
was
contested.
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