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History Notes no. 109 location of a former Post Office is often indicated by a standard pillar box but surmounted by a truncated bracket which formerly held an oval cream painted sign bearing the words, Post Office’ in red script - yet another reminder of a service that has gone forever. But before you grieve too much, when was the last time you wrote and posted a personal handwritten letter? Having posed that question, this month many of us will still be writing Christmas letters and cards to family and friends as written communication hasn’t yet been completely supplanted by email, SMS or Skype, although the latter can be a valuable adjunct for far off families.
Lastly, when the Post Office archive was at Freeling House, Glasshill Street in central London the building was named in honour of Bristol’s Redcliffe boy made good – Sir Francis Freeling Bart. Francis rose from apprentice to John Palmer, instigator of the mail coach from the Bush Tavern in Corn Street (still marked by a commemorative wall plaque) to London, eventually becoming Secretary General of the National Post Office. His memorial may be seen in Saint Mary Redcliffe Church almost opposite his 1764 birthplace at 24 Redcliffe Hill.
Further reading: The Bristol Royal Mail, R.C.Tombs, Arrowsmith, Bristol, Perhaps you have a favourite pillar box; 1901. Pillar Boxes, Jonathan Clancey, Chatto Curiosities series, residents in Henleaze’s Owen Grove Chatto & Windus, 1989. are very proud of their particular very Francis Freeling’s surprising career - read chapter seven, ‘a special one (left). It bears the Royal cypher of King Edward the eighth – a fateful decision’ in my book, Bristol Curiosities. Rara Avis indeed! The late Tony Benn’s Bristol Curiosities also has further information on own favourite was the wall box on some of my other 108 articles in this series of history Osea island in the estuary of Essex’s notes. For £10 plus postage, to 23 Henleaze Park Blackwater river. Linked to the shore Drive, BS9 4LH. It would make a nice Christmas by a causeway which is submerged at high tide, the present, (just drop me a letter!). box bears the notice: ‘Collection according to the tides’. Perhaps this caveat also applies to St Michael’s © Julian Lea-Jones FRAeS, 2016 Mount in Cornwall?