In years gone by, the only way to send a letter or message to somebody was via a friend or servant, who would hand deliver the item. Sending messages by this method was relatively rare, which is understandable that the majority of ordinary people in the country could not read or write. This was the norm up until about the 17th Century.

It was in 1516, that Henry VIII decided to stop using servants to send messages and set up the Royal Mail. He appointed Sir Brian Tuke to oversee the system, and named him Master of Posts. It was his responsibility to ensure the safe delivery and replies of all the Kings messages.

What Sir Tuke did was to simply set up a network of loyal servants who would travel throughout different areas of the country, carrying the messages. One message could be passed between a number of these servants before it reached it recipient, and proved more effective than one person making the whole trip.

The system was a great success and was extended to be used by all members of the Royal Household and members of the Kings Court. It was 1635 when the scheme was so developed that Charles I decided to open the service up to the general public, producing a good source of income for the crown.

Once it was open to the public the network grew stronger and stronger. From its Royal beginning, the group has grown to be reportedly the greatest postal service in the world, and the name Royal Mail has remained ever since.

Mark Steele

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