|
Canon Diggens Archive
|
The Postal Service 1832-1836
A descriptive account of the isolation of St.
Keverne before proper postal arrangements were
established is given by an old inhabitant.
"Before the Post Office was set up it was a
very difficult thing to send a letter to anyone.
The nearest Post Office was at Helston. You had
to wait for a chance to send it, or take it there
yourself. Sometimes letters have been missed and
others have been given to someone to carry. They
have forgot to post it or deliver it. There was a
case I knew of once. A man was in Falmouth. He
was asked to take a letter to St. Keverne, and be
sure to deliver it at once as it was of great
importance. He put it in his pocket and forgot
all about it. Some time after he found the letter
in his pocket. He carried it to the man who
opened it and found out that he was to be at
Falmouth some days before. He went at once but
through the neglect he lost 50 pounds.
When the Post Office was first established there
were two men for to carry the Post from here to
Helston. One would leave here the middle of the
day, and stop at Helston all night and leave the
next morning for St. Keverne and arrive here
about the middle of the day, then he would be
free till the middle of the next day.
Later on one man came from Mawgan Cross and back
again. The letters were brought from Helston.
The next alteration was the mail cart as now. In
past times it was a difficult thing to get to
Helston, there was no conveyance. They had to
walk if they had not any means of their own or
trust to others' generosity. There were no
vans running in the early part of the
thirties.
First that started was a man from Porthallow
called Peter Sunders - a miller. The old mill
that he used to work stood where the present mill
stands. He used to run twice a week with a two
wheeled covered cart, no springs. The little
horse was called Peacock. It would carry 7 or 8
passengers. The - fare 1/-. After some time he
gave up to James Tripconey, the father of the
(then) present Tripconys
He started with a four wheeled stage van drawn
by two horses - one before the other - as they
are worked now in carts. The van had a rack fixed
to the hind part to carry luggage. They could not
take anything on the top. They were boarded part
way up the sides just for to lean their back
against. That boarding had on it "Stage Van
From St. Kevern to Helston". The top and the
remainder of sides was covered over and painted.
The fore and hind parts were open. If it was
windy they would draw a curtain to cut off a
little of the wind.
Later on a man came from Penzance and opened a
shop in the place where Mr. Joyce's house
stand.. He started with a two horse Bus. He did
not stay long but left again for Penzance. Then
another man started on the same plan but soon got
tired of it. One more had a try, then he sold off
and it went out of the Parish altogether.
Then Mr. Wills began with a two wheeled spring
conveyance called "The Times", and
after he had a new Bus, the one that Mr, B.
Pentecost has now, and the Tripconys got the one
they have now,
In the thirties there were only four Spring Traps
in the Parish, leaving out Mrs. Sandys, Mr.
Williams, Esq., Mr. John Rogers of Trethance, Mr.
T. Pearce, Mr. Roskilly and Mr. R. Trerise. They
had gigs to carry two.
The Farmers used to carry their corn to Helston
Market in carts they did the Farm work with. They
would take a broom and brush it out, and put
straw in it, then they would put the sacks of
corn in Bushels, and carry in a basket their
butter and eggs to the Market House where a man
would take toll of all they had. The under part
of the Market House was for Oats, the upper part
for wheat and barley,
I did not say anything about the first man James
Tripp that started from here with the letters for
Helston for the first time,
The next day he came back without the bag or
letters. Mr. Pearce asked him "Where is the
bag and letters?" He said, "I left them
in Helston for they are calling me Jacky Pickins
and I won't carry it any nore".
Jacky Pickins was an old man that used to come
out here posting bills.
Postage 1832 - 1836.
The rates of Postage were as follows:
To: Falmouth 4d
" Exeter 6d
" Helston 2d
" Launceston 7d.
A letter from Gorran 1808 cost 6d
Copy of a letter by William Lory of Treleague.
St. Keverne
To Colonel Maberley, Secretary, Post Office.
Treleague.
18th July 1842.
Sir,
I beg leave to make a statement for the
consideration of His Lordship the Postmaster
General respecting the conveyance of letters and
newspapers in the District of Meneage,
Meneage is the first Agricultural district in the
County comprising twelve Parishes producing by
estimation a rental of forty thousand pounds per
annum, containing nearly nine thousand
inhabitants, thirty five shops, thirty public
houses, an extensive Pilchard, fishery - carried
on in nine coves, and a considerable trade in
timber, coal etc. etc. There are also four
coastguard stations and a customs house where I
believe an additional man is employed to attend
to the post office, or a sum allowed for the
purpose. The inhabitants of this important
district experience the greatest inconvenience,
injury and loss in consequence of their being no
established mode for the conveyance of their
correspondence, either through the district, or
to the Post Town which is more than ten miles
from some of the Parishes. Letters are lost and
delayed or returned to the Dead Letter office. We
have not the advantage of reading the Daily
Newspapers and suffer delay and loss in the
receipt of the Weekly ones. The only way we have
of receiving or forwarding our letters etc.,
unless we send on purpose is by the kindness of
our neighbours happening to go to Helston or
Falmouth on business.
The most important parish is St. Keverne which is
equal to any in the county and if its inhabitants
of 2620 were concentrated near its centre the
town would be more than ten miles from a Post
Office.
In order to prevent trouble I take the liberty to
propose a plan. I must now beg to refer you to
the large ordance map.
There should be six stations to receive and
deliver letters and papers, Viz. 1. Mawgan. 2.
St. Martin. 3. Manaccan. 4. St. Keverne. 5. Ruan
Major. 6. Cury Cross Lanes.
The persons in charge should be approved of by
the Post Office Magistrates or Clergy of the
district. Two horses would be necessary to keep
up a daily communication. This plan would require
the sum of 12 pounds per annum but to communicate
three times a week i.e. Mondays. Wednesdays and
Fridays the sum of 65 pounds would do. The
Postman should leave Helston twenty minutes after
the arrival of the Eastern Mail, and travel at
the rate of six miles an hour, calling at No. 1.
2. 5. (and deliver and receive St. Anthony's
letters) No. 4 stop half an hour. No. 5 (here
receive and deliver Grade, Ruan Minor, and
Landewednack (No. 6) (here deliver and receive
Mullion, Cury and Gunwallo letters) and back to
Helston, the whole district being thirty miles,
or indeed starting from and returning to St.
Keverne church village, the most important place
in the district, containing 510 inhabitants,
calling at the different stations and being at
Helston before the arrival of the mail.
A third plan might answer as well and require
less expense say 10 pounds on the first and 5
pounds on the last sum. I beg to add that I am
ready to guarantee that the above estimate shall
not be exceeded.
Distance of each church from Helston and number
of inhabitants in each parish,
| Names |
Distance in Miles |
No. of Inhabitants |
| Mawgan |
4 |
1,150 |
| St. Martin |
6 |
615 |
| Manaccan |
9 |
640 |
| St. Anthony |
11 |
570 |
| St. Keverne |
11 |
2, 620 |
| Ruan Major |
8½ |
200 |
| Ruan Minor |
10 |
355 |
| Grade |
10 |
400 |
| Landewednack |
10½ |
490 |
| Mullion |
7½ |
1010 |
| Cury |
6 |
580 |
| Gunwallow |
4 |
510 |
|
I have the honour to be etc,
W. L.
|
Top Of Page
  
|
|
|
