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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
76
The
speed
at
which
the
East
Grinstead
mail
travelled
was
greater
than
usual:
few
post-boys,
in
the
provinces
at
any
rate,
were
required
to
go
at
a
greater
rate
than
three
or
four
miles
an
hour.
Not
only
this,
but
the
boys
as
a
rule
were
without
discipline;
difficult
to
control;
sauntered
on
the
road
at
pleasure,
and
were
quite
an
easy
prey
to
any
robber
or
ill-disposed
persons
who
might
think
it
worth
their
while
to
interfere
with
them.
About
this
time,
we
find
the
Post-Office
surveyor
complaining
dolorously
to
headquarters,
that
the
gentry
"doe
give
much
money
to
the
riders,
whereby
they
be
very
subject
to
get
in
liquor,
which
stopes
the
males."
Expresses
at
that
time
travelled
somewhat
quicker,
but
still
not
quick
enough
for
some
persons.
On
one
occasion,
Mr.
Harley
(afterwards
Lord
Oxford)
complained
of
delay
in
an
express
which
had
been
sent
to
him;
but
the
Postmasters-General
thought
there
were
no
grounds
for
complaint,
inasmuch
"as
it
had
travelled
136
miles
in
36
hours,
which,"
added
they,
"is
the
usual
rate
of
expresses."
In
the
year
1696,
the
Treasury
sanctioned
an
arrangement
for
conveying
the
mails
between
Bristol
and
Exeter,
twice
a
week,
under
the
stipulation
that
the
distance
of
sixty-five
miles
should
be
performed
in
twenty-four
hours!
In
Scotland,
about
the
same
time,
this
work
was
done
even
slower,
and
with
greater
hardships.
The
post-boy
walked
all
distances
under
twenty
miles;
longer
distances
required
that
the
messenger
should
be
mounted,
though
no
relays
of
horses
were
allowed,
however
long
and
tedious
the
journey
might
be.[42]
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