Thomas Witherings
Encyclopedia
Thomas Witherings was an English
merchant and postal administrator who established the Royal Mail public letter service. He was a politician who sat in the House of Commons
in 1640.
on 16 February 1625.
approved the appointment of Witherings as the Postmaster of Foreign Mails together with William Frizzell. Although the Postmaster was only responsible for official mail, it had become the practice to provide a service for City of London merchants dealing with the continent. In April 1633 Witherings was sent on a visit to the Calais and Antwerp to regularise the foreign mail service. However by August 1633 rivalry had broken out between the two postmasters and both Witherings and Frizzell were suspended for a few months before being reinstated.
was created. It was used to raise revenues to sponsor state activities including war. The King's proclamation dated at Bagshot on 31 July 1635 which established the letter-office required Witherings to "settle a running post or two to run day and night between Edinburgh and Scotland and the City of London, to go thither and come back in six days". Under Witherings' organisation a public postal service was established with post offices connected by regular routes established, throughout the country, along the lines of communication used by the Tudor armies. Witherings opened the first post office at Bishopsgate Street in October 1635. The King charged Witherings with building six “Great Roads” to aid in the delivery of the post, of which the Great West Road was one. Postmasters on each road were required to provide horses for the mail at 2½d a mile and a conveyance tariff was fixed. Postage was paid on receipt of the letter by the addressee. Difficulties arose because Lord Stanhope
held an overlapping position of Master of the Posts in England and Foreign Posts, and was responsible for the deputy postmasters that Withering had to use. This situation continued until Stanhope was dismissed in 1637.
for Morpeth
in the Short Parliament
. Also in April 1640, he was deprived of his position in charge of the post-office and letter-office for abuses in exercising his duties. Over the next two years a wrangle continued which concluded that the sequestration of Withering's post had been illegal, but the result was not to restore Withering but to assign them to the Earl of Warwick.
from the Naunton family who as Royalists were suffering financial difficulties.
in the 1648 Royalist insurrection in the county of Essex during the Second Civil War
. He was imprisoned and his property seized, but he was released without charge and his property restored in May.
By 1649, Witherings had been reinstated as Postmaster of Foreign Mails and on August 18 1649 he became Alderman for Bishopsgate ward.
In June 1651 the charges raised against him in 1649 were levelled against him again with further accusations. These were dismissed on 25 July 1651.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
merchant and postal administrator who established the Royal Mail public letter service. He was a politician who sat in the House of Commons
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in 1640.
Early life
Witherings was the second son of a Staffordshire family and his uncle Anthony Withering and brother were courtiers. He was harbinger to the Queen Henrietta Maria and may have had Roman Catholic leanings at the time, although later he was a puritan. Witherings was admitted to the Worshipful Company of MercersWorshipful Company of Mercers
The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the premier Livery Company of the City of London and ranks first in order of precedence. It is the first of the so-called "Great Twelve City Livery Companies". It was incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1394...
on 16 February 1625.
Postmaster of Foreign Mails
In 1632, Charles ICharles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
approved the appointment of Witherings as the Postmaster of Foreign Mails together with William Frizzell. Although the Postmaster was only responsible for official mail, it had become the practice to provide a service for City of London merchants dealing with the continent. In April 1633 Witherings was sent on a visit to the Calais and Antwerp to regularise the foreign mail service. However by August 1633 rivalry had broken out between the two postmasters and both Witherings and Frizzell were suspended for a few months before being reinstated.
Creation of state letter monopoly
In 1635 Witherings proposed to Charles’s Council to "settle a pacquet post between London and all parts of His Majesty’s dominions, for the carrying and recarrying of his subjects letters" To justify the expenditure Witherings included an argument that “anie fight at sea, anie distress of His Majestie’s ships (which God forbid), anie wrong offered by anie nation to anie of ye coastes of England or anie of His Majestie’s forts…the newes will come sooner than thought. In 1635 a state letter monopoly formally came into being and the public institution of the Post OfficeGeneral Post Office
General Post Office is the name of the British postal system from 1660 until 1969.General Post Office may also refer to:* General Post Office, Perth* General Post Office, Sydney* General Post Office, Melbourne* General Post Office, Brisbane...
was created. It was used to raise revenues to sponsor state activities including war. The King's proclamation dated at Bagshot on 31 July 1635 which established the letter-office required Witherings to "settle a running post or two to run day and night between Edinburgh and Scotland and the City of London, to go thither and come back in six days". Under Witherings' organisation a public postal service was established with post offices connected by regular routes established, throughout the country, along the lines of communication used by the Tudor armies. Witherings opened the first post office at Bishopsgate Street in October 1635. The King charged Witherings with building six “Great Roads” to aid in the delivery of the post, of which the Great West Road was one. Postmasters on each road were required to provide horses for the mail at 2½d a mile and a conveyance tariff was fixed. Postage was paid on receipt of the letter by the addressee. Difficulties arose because Lord Stanhope
John Stanhope, 1st Baron Stanhope
John Stanhope, 1st Baron Stanhope of Harrington was an English courtier, politician and peer.-Life:He was the third son of Sir Michael Stanhope, born in Yorkshire, but brought up in Nottinghamshire after his father's attainder for treason in 1552...
held an overlapping position of Master of the Posts in England and Foreign Posts, and was responsible for the deputy postmasters that Withering had to use. This situation continued until Stanhope was dismissed in 1637.
Parliamentary career and sequestration of his posts
In April 1640, Witherings was elected Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Morpeth
Morpeth (UK Parliament constituency)
Morpeth was a borough constituency centred on the town of Morpeth in Northumberland represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and then the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
. Also in April 1640, he was deprived of his position in charge of the post-office and letter-office for abuses in exercising his duties. Over the next two years a wrangle continued which concluded that the sequestration of Withering's post had been illegal, but the result was not to restore Withering but to assign them to the Earl of Warwick.
Property
In 1644, Witherings was assessed by the Committee for the Advance of Money for £800, but ended paying £550. In 1646 Witherings purchased the Nelmes estate at HornchurchHornchurch
Hornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...
from the Naunton family who as Royalists were suffering financial difficulties.
Accusations
In April 1649 information was laid against Witherings that he had assisted George, Earl of NorwichGeorge Goring, 1st Earl of Norwich
George Goring, 1st Earl of Norwich was an English soldier.He was the son of George Goring of Hurstpierpoint and Ovingdean, Sussex, and of Anne Denny, sister of Edward Denny, 1st Earl of Norwich. He matriculated from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in 1600, and may subsequently have spent some...
in the 1648 Royalist insurrection in the county of Essex during the Second Civil War
Second Civil War
The Second Civil War may refer to:* Second Congo War , also referred to as a civil war* Second English Civil War * Second Liberian Civil War * Second Sudanese Civil War...
. He was imprisoned and his property seized, but he was released without charge and his property restored in May.
By 1649, Witherings had been reinstated as Postmaster of Foreign Mails and on August 18 1649 he became Alderman for Bishopsgate ward.
In June 1651 the charges raised against him in 1649 were levelled against him again with further accusations. These were dismissed on 25 July 1651.