Tudor Posts Part 2 by John Dennett

The policy of opening all letters at the Secret Service continued, which attracted numerous complaints of delay, but it was not until 1558 that the Privy Council took effective steps. This was after the Governor of Berwick complained his letters had been opened en route to London, and was told: ‘….. and for the safer sending of letters…. it is signified they should be henceforth pacqueted with thread and sealed with the Council’s seal.’

This was the first attempt towards making a thief-proof packet, although it only applied to packets en route, which excluded those that passed through the Secret Office. Previously, letters were bundled together, wrapped in canvas and the whole tied with strong. Single letters were simply sealed with wax, which must quite often have become broken, and possibly the recipient may have been mistaken in thinking the mail, had been read by the post.

In the years between 1561 and the end of the century, there were 13 to 24 ‘great merchants’ and perhaps six times that number of ‘lesser’ merchants. Above all those merchant companies, two stood out as giants; the ‘Merchant Adventurers’ and the ‘Merchant Staplers’, formerly known as ‘Merchants of the Staplers.’ When Christian Suffling, the ‘Strangers’ postmaster died in 1568, his successor became a contest between and Protestant Dutchman, Van den Putte and a Catholic Englishman, Godfrey Marshall. The religious estrangement affected everything at this time, including the mail. The Privy Council acted as arbitrator and chose Van den Putte. The rival company, ‘Merchant Adventurers’ had been waiting for this opportunity to rubbish their ‘Strangers’ rival, and a campaign began by contending the custodianship of the Foreign Posts to a foreigner as too onerous, by being prejudicial to English merchants. The Merchant Adventurers gained popularity and increased their influence at the ‘Strangers’ expense.

On the death of Sir John Mason in 1566, Sir Thomas Randolph became Postmaster General. He was a staunch Protestant and, when Mary Tudor was Queen, he moved to Paris, but returned soon after Elizabeth’s accession in 1558 and became a permanent political diplomat. Randolph’s frequent missions abroad meant that a deputy was required to look after postal affairs and Robert Parmenter was chosen. Randolph was sent to Russia where he secured from Ivan the Terrible, a number of important trade concessions for the Merchant Adventurers. When Randolph retuned he was sent abroad again to several foreign countries where he achieved much success. From his travels, he took note of the many improvements in continental posts and, while at home again he reported to the Privy Council his recommendations. The Queen had always taken great interest in the Foreign Posts, so his hands were tied, but he was allowed to improve the inland posts.

There were five main routes out of London:

1. the Great North Road to Berwick and Edinburgh;
2. the Chester Road to Anglesey and by ship to Dublin;
3. the Great West Road via Bristol to Milford Haven and then by sea to Cork;
4. the Plymouth Road which extended to Falmouth;
5. the Dover Road

The Privy Council produced an edict to regulate the post in 1583. The following year the Council provided the first printed Post Book, which consisted of 1000 words. This book laid down rules that postmasters on routes should reside at their stations and give personal service under penalty of dismissal if they appointed deputies; that the requestioning of other men’s horses should cease and proper use made of the appointed to carry the ordinary post; that the post should received 1½d a mile when riding on the Queen’s business and 2d a mile when otherwise engaged; that at each station a well-bound register be kept recording the names of all riding post, the number of horse available and the dates of any commissions; that if extra horses were required to deal with an emergency, they should be hired with the assistance of the local mayors and constables; that every non riding post be accompanied by a guard who should blow his horn on meeting company on the road or at least three times in a mile; that the post should be exempted from attendance at Assizes, inquests, sessions and musters; that no packages, save official, should be compelled to run with the post; and that the postboy should ride in summer at seven miles an hour and in winter at five, regardless of the ‘roads’ condition.

Another of Randolphs’s improvements was the implementation of a foot-post in each parish of the shires along the coast, so that an early warning could be given of the expected approach of the Spanish Armada. This was in addition to the lighting of beacons. Men nominated for this task had to live near the parish church, to be handy for delivering messages to the nearest town having horsepost. This foresight materially contributed to the outcome of events of July and August 1588.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of State, Sir Francis Walsingham, had the responsibility for intelligence gathering to offset plots after a plot to assassinate Elizabeth. These plots were made by Catholics who wanted Mary Queen of Scots to replace the Protestant Elizabeth and bring England and Scotland back to the old religion. As determined these plotters were, Elizabeth’s ministers were more than equally determined that the Protestant faith should remain. Walsingham had a small army of spies and one by one the enemies of the state were caught and brought to justice. The main method of catching these would be assassins was to intercept their mail. The Pope in Rome was the main source of finance which meant messengers carrying money from the continent to England. The methods of concealment varied from inserting letters in the linings of luggage, hidden in wine bottles, inside a bound book’s leather cover, or, in Mary Queen of Scots case, the fashionably high heels of ladies’ shoes. By planting spies, bribes to servants and even blackmail, these letters were brought to Walsingham, where he had a team of experts: code breakers, men skilled at opening and resealing letters – the seal would be made as an exact copy using forged seals engraved from precious metals so the addressee was unaware the letter had been tampered with. Intercepting letters produced the evidence which led to Mary Queen of Scots execution in 1587.

Walsingham’s spies brought information from Spain about the victualling and embarkation of the Spanish and French ships at Cadiz. The number of ships, men and cannon to be used for the Armada, were all known to Walsingham, who informed the navy what and when to expect.