The Royal Mail Coach of 1826

[harlechjoe]

I am givinig a presentation to celebrate the bicentenary of the Holyhead Road that opened in 1826 to carry parliamentary mail between London and Dublin, I route I retraced by pedal bike a year or so ago. You will all know that the legacy of the Holyhead Road is it's name that these days carries motor vehicles through Birmingham.

I attach a copy of the running schedule ( known as a Time - bill ) for the coach. The only time and place the Royal Mail Coach stopped - apart from 2 or 3 minutes to exchange it's team for horses - was Birmingham for 35 minutes. This stop enabled mail destined for other parts of Britian to be seperated from that destined to reach Dublin, and to receive mail for Dublin. Was the General Post Office on 1826 the one opposite the Birmingham Town Hall ?

My second question relates to the movement of mail by train. The "Irish Mail' train from London to Holyhead opened on August 1st 1848, yet the London - Birmingham train started some years before that. Does anyone know whether the Royal mail was carried by train to and from London then transferred to a Royal Mail horse drawn coach in Birmingham to complete its jounrey to the Port of Holyhead. As ever, thank you in advance for giving your time to my interest.

 

[Vivienne14]

This thread might be of interest. The mail coach called into the New Street Post office. The GPO on Victoria Square opened in 1875, so was after the period you're looking in to.

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/threads/new-street-post-offices-until-1873.53903

And post #535 onwards in this thread may be of interest:

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/threads/new-street-city-centre-birmingham.38783

 

[harlechjoe]

Thank you Vivienne this is very helpful. I also enjoyed reading the letter on the thread which captures the environment that post workers endured - thank goodness forums such as this and good people such as you, exist !