Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
48
Docwray's
pension
began
in
1694,
and
was
regarded
as
a
further
acknowledgment
of
his
claims
as
founder
of
the
"District-post,"
or
the
"Penny-post,"
as
it
was
then
called.
He
only
held
his
pension,
however,
for
four
years,
losing
both
his
emoluments
and
his
office
in
1698,
on
certain
charges
of
gross
mismanagement
having
been
brought
against
him.
The
officers
and
messengers
under
his
control
memorialized
the
Commissioners
of
the
Treasury,
alleging
that
the
"Controller
doth
what
in
him
lyes
to
lessen
the
revenue
of
the
Penny
Post-Office,
that
he
may
farm
it
and
get
it
into
his
own
hands;"
also,
that
"he
had
removed
the
Post-Office
to
an
inconvenient
place
to
forward
his
ends."
There
appears
to
have
been
no
limit
as
to
the
weight
or
size
of
parcels
transmitted
through
the
district-post
during
Docwray's
time,
but
the
memorial
goes
on
to
say
that
"he
forbids
the
taking
in
of
any
band-boxes
(except
very
small)
and
all
parcels
above
a
pound;
which,
when
they
were
taken
in,
did
bring
a
considerable
advantage
to
the
Post-Office;"
that
these
same
parcels
are
taken
by
porters
and
watermen
at
a
far
greater
charge,
"which
is
a
loss
to
the
public,"
as
the
penny-post
messengers
did
the
work
"much
cheaper
and
more
satisfactory."
Nor
is
this
all.
It
is
further
stated
that
"he
stops,
under
spetious
pretences,
most
parcells
that
are
taken
in,
which
is
great
damage
to
tradesmen
by
loosing
their
customers,
or
spoiling
their
goods,
and
many
times
hazard
the
life
of
the
patient
when
physick
is
sent
by
a
doctor
or
an
apothecary."[22]
It
was
hinted
that
the
parcels
were
not
only
delayed,
but
misappropriated;
that
letters
were
opened
and
otherwise
tampered
with:
and
these
charges
being
partially
substantiated,
Docwray,
who
deserved
better
treatment,
was
removed
from
all
connexion
with
the
department.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
