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The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance
·
James Wilson Hyde
35
The
dangers
to
which
the
mail-coaches
were
exposed
were
chiefly
of
three
kinds,--the
danger
of
being
robbed
by
footpads
or
highwaymen;
that
of
being
upset
in
the
road
by
running
foul
of
some
cart,
dray,
or
waggon,
or
other
object
placed
in
the
way;
and
the
peril
of
being
overtaken
by
snowstorms,
and
so
rendered
helpless
and
cut
off
from
the
usual
communications.
It
was
an
almost
everyday
occurrence
for
the
mail-bags
to
be
robbed
on
the
night
journeys,
when
the
principal
mails
were
carried.
We
know
of
these
things
now
through
notices
which
were
issued
by
the
Post-office
at
the
time,
of
which
copies
are
still
in
existence.
Here
are
the
terms
of
a
notice
issued
to
the
mail-guards
in
March
1802:--
"Three
Irishmen
are
in
custody
for
highway
robbery.
One
of
them
has
confessed,
and
declares
that
their
purpose
in
going
out
was
to
rob
the
mail-coach.
Their
first
step
was
to
watch
an
opportunity
and
fire
at
the
guard,
which
it
is
supposed
might
have
been
easily
obtained,
as
they
are
so
frequently
off
their
guard.
They
had
pistols
found
on
them.
It
is
therefore
necessary,
in
addition
to
your
former
instructions,
to
direct
that
you
are
particularly
vigilant
and
watchful,
that
you
keep
a
quick
eye
to
every
person
stirring,
and
that
you
see
your
arms
are
in
the
best
possible
condition,
and
ready
for
instant
duty."
On
the
21st
December
1805,
a
bag
of
letters
for
Stockport
was
stolen
out
of
the
mail-box
while
the
coach
was
in
Macclesfield.
It
was
a
Sunday
night
about
ten
o'clock
when
the
robbery
took
place,
and
the
bag
was
found
empty
under
a
haystack
near
the
town.
The
following
notice
of
another
robbery
was
issued
by
the
Postmaster-General
on
the
1st
March
1810:--
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
