The Royal Mail: Its Curiosities and Romance

"Whereas the bags of letters from this office (London), of last night, for the following towns--viz., Hatfield, Welwyn, Stevenage, Baldock, Biggleswade, Kimbolton, St Neots, Oundle, Stilton, Wansford, Grantham, Spilsby, Spalding, Lowth, Horncastle, and Boston, --were stolen from the mail-box, about ten o'clock on the same night, supposed at Barnet, by forcibly wrenching off the lock whilst the horses were changing; whoever shall apprehend and convict, or cause to be apprehended and convicted, the person or persons who stole the said bags, shall be entitled to a reward of One Hundred Pounds," &c. On Monday the 19th November of the same year, the bags of letters from Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Uppingham, Kettering, Thrapston, Higham Ferrers, and Wellingborough, were stolen at Bedford at about nine o'clock in the evening. Again, in January 1813, a further warning to the guards was issued, showing the necessity for vigilance on the part of these officers, by describing some of the recent robberies which were the occasion for the warning:-- "The guards are desired by Mr Hasker to be particularly attentive to their mail-box. Depredations are committed every night on some stage-coaches by stealing parcels. I shall relate a few, which I trust will make you circumspect. The Bristol mail-coach has been robbed within a week of the bankers' parcel, value L1000 or upwards. The Bristol mail-coach was robbed of money the 3d instant to a large amount. The 'Expedition' coach has been twice robbed in the last week--the last time of all the parcels out of the seats. The 'Telegraph' was robbed last Monday night between Saracen's Head, Aldgate, and Whitechapel Church, of all the parcels out of the dicky. It was broken open while the guard was on it, standing up blowing his horn. The York Mail was robbed of parcels out of the seats to a large amount."