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Newt Fidget (he/him) (Oliver (he/him))
Feb 28, 2021

Sooo, what does the postal service look like?

in General Discussion

So, I'm thinking about making a character who is involved with the post in some way. After some Googling around I haven't gotten a really clear picture of what the postal service looks like in Regency England. Are Postmasters still innkeepers making an extra buck, or are we in more standardized times? Does London have a different post situation compared to small villages? Are servants still carting around letters? Is Franking still a thing? Can I send people gifts of blank paper? I don't necessarily need these particular questions answered, but I am curious about how our letters are going to go back and forth.

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Lady Violet Heloise Blankeney-Coventry (Elizabeth)
Feb 28, 2021

Yes, there is a fairly standardised post service by this point! Post-boys in red on horseback carry most of the post at this point, although people often pay on delivery to make sure their mail isn't 'lost'. In 1802, a standard price is set that sending mail anywhere in the country costs two pennies. This article has at least a little bit of information:


janeaustenslondon.com
Regency postal service – Jane Austen's London

Later on in the Victorian era, you could send letters within London multiple times a day, but I'd have to look up when all that started.