There have been petitions circulated all throughout the country, thank-you gifts for letter carriers, and a controversial prohibition Christmas Packaging Boxes. Learn more about the origins of these traditional During the Victorian era, it was customary to provide letter carriers (known as postmen from the year 1883) with a token of appreciation at the holiday season. This practice is comparable to the practice of tipping waiters and waitresses today for providing excellent service. You may read about the beginning of the first parcel delivery service offered by The Post Office in the blog that I wrote before this one Christmas Gift Boxes. Period of usage of uniform 1837-1855 (2011-0463) for London Twopenny Post Letter Carrier, also known as London District Letter Carrier later on.
Christmas Packaging Boxes, Presents, Or Gratuities
These little trinkets were sometimes referred to as Christmas Packaging Boxes, presents, or gratuities. Although the official documents do not specify what shape these tokens of appreciation took, it is almost obvious that they were in the form of money or booze. This is likely due to the fact that everyone was aware of what form these tokens took. In each of his yearly reports, the Postmaster General makes several impassioned appeals to the general public, pleading with them to refrain from giving letter carriers alcoholic beverages. It is unclear when exactly this ritual first started, however, it has been described as something that has been going on since "time immemorial" and is a national habit. As we will see in the following section, this tradition was of the utmost significance to letter carriers, and anyone who ventured to meddle with it was a bold person.
The Phrase "An Oppressive Tax"
In July 1852, Lord Hardwicke, who was the Postmaster General at the time (the head of the Post Office), issued an instruction prohibiting "any officer" from soliciting Christmas Packaging Boxes gifts from the public. I directed the instruction to "all Postmasters, Sub-Postmasters, Clerks, Letter Receivers, Letter Carriers, Post Messengers, and others, employed in the Service of the Post Office."
Instructions Regarding The Prohibition Of Soliciting Christmas Packaging Boxes
Lord Hardwicke believed that the solicitation constituted a "oppressive tax" that would have a significant impact on the way in which Post Office employees interacted with customers who were unable or unwilling to pay. It would appear that he had a problem not with the giving of Christmas Packaging Boxes gifts to letter carriers as long as the deed was done voluntarily, but rather with the active solicitation done by officials. This directive resulted in what was described as 'agitation... throughout the kingdom' in a minute recorded many years later.
Friends In Important Positions
Letter carriers moved fast to have the ban overturned in their favor. The fact that this was even attempted demonstrates how crucial it was to have influential allies, something that letter couriers in London most certainly had. On July 30, 1852, John Masterman, a Member of Parliament, addressed a letter to the Postmaster General in which he stated that his "Letter Carrying Friends" were worried that they would not be compensated for the loss of the "Christmas Packaging Boxes Gifts" that they had been promised. He continued by saying that. "These men have laborious duties to perform, and even a minor deprivation of this kind has a significant impact on the meager incomes they bring in." On August 13, 1852, Lord Colonel Maberly, who was serving as the Secretary of the Post Office at the time, received a deputation to examine the matter that included John Masterman and other individuals.
On August 7, 1852, Mr Smith, Superintending President of the London District Post, and Mr Bokenham, Superintending President of the Inland Office, collaborated on a letter in which they detailed the severe repercussions that a ban of this kind would have on London's letter carriers Christmas Packaging Boxes. They made the observation that "The number of Letter Carriers of every description who participate in these gratuities is greater than 1300; the sum distributed amongst them is not less than £8000 a year." Very few people get paid less than £1, with some getting £5, others getting £10, and in some circumstances, getting paid more than this amount. The senior males, who typically work the best walks, are the ones who end up with the highest amounts of money. Letter carriers in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin were exempted from the prohibition as a result of your representations, which were successful.
