The Old Postmen

Boston's oldest Post Box? It has an Edward VII (reigned from 1901 to 1910) crest.

The old postmen of Boston wore a navy blue uniform with red piping and a flat topped hat which had a peak both back and front to shield off the rain. In bad weather they had large and heavy oilskin capes to protect themselves and the mail they carried. The mail was carried in large, heavy canvas haversacks and in the dark they also had a small oil lamp hanging on their tunics. In the years of long ago the Postmen always rang the doorbell or rapped on the knocker when they put letters through the letterbox. There were three deliveries each day, early morning, around mid-day and at about seven in the evening. On Sundays there was only one delivery around nine o'clock.

The parcel post was carried around in large basket-work trucks with lids covered with oilskin to keep of the rain. These trucks were also used to convey mail to the Railway Station to connect to certain trains. Later on three-wheel basket cycles were brought into use both for the parcel delivery and for the station work.

White Hart burglary

In the “London Chronicle” dated December 18^th. 1812 was the following report about Boston.

“Several daring burglaries have been committed in this town, within these few days back, which call for the most vigilant activity to discover the perpetrators, and arrest the progress of this increasing enormity.
On Sunday night the mail-coach office and warehouse at the White Hart were broken into, and a box belonging to Mr. Oates, upholsterer, despoiled of 120 yards of bombazeen, worth about £25. The robbers, after extracting the contents, filled the box with rubbish, ice, etc. and nailed it up leaving it where it was. They served a box of Mr. Jackson, silversmith, in the same way, after extracting the contents, value £32. Three crimson shawls, and other articles were also taken from a parcel belonging to Mr. Fuller, silk mercer, in Bargate, and Mr. Smith of Spilsby had a valuable parcel robbed at the same time.

On the same evening, or early yesterday morning, the counting house of Mr. Samuel Burnard, High Street, was broken into by some infamous villains, who fortunately were disappointed of their object, and forced to make a precipitated retreat, leaving part of a pick-lock key in the desk, which they were attempting to break open”.

Royal Mail from Boston

Letters from Boston to London were first conveyed by coach on 5^th July 1807, before that date they were carried by a man on horseback to Stilton (near Peterborough) from where they were forwarded by one of the Northern Mails.
Many coaches were subsequently run from and through Boston to London and elsewhere, carrying passengers and goods. The Red Lion and Peacock were famous posting houses and the White Hart and the White Horse also had their share of the business.
The coaches advertised in the period included the “Perseverance” the “Undaunted Perseverance” the “New Resolution” the “True Briton”, the “Prince Blucher” and “Tally Ho”, running from Boston in all directions except perhaps Lincoln which was served by the river packets.
It is possible to approximately fix the date of the Boston Market Place scene shown below. The Royal Arms appear on the door of the coach, and the Royal cypher, “W.R.”, under the driver’s box, indicates William IV, whose reign terminated in 1837.