ever." The system was also unsafe; robberies were frequent, and he saw not how it could be otherwise if there were no changes. "The mails," he continued, "are generally intrusted to some idle boy without character, mounted on a worn-out hack, and who, so far from being able to defend himself, or escape from a robber, is more likely to be in league with him." If robberies were not so frequent as the circumstances might lead one to suppose, it was simply because thieves had found, by long experience, that the mails were scarcely worth robbing, the booty to be obtained being comparatively worthless, inasmuch as the public found other means of sending letters of value. Palmer knew of tradesmen who sent letters by stage-coach. Why, then, "should not the stage-coach, well protected by armed guards, under certain conditions to be specified, carry the mail-bags ?" Though by no means the only recommendation which he made, the substitution of mail-coaches for "worn-out hacks" was the leading feature of his plans. Evincing a thorough knowledge of his subject (however he may have attained it), and devised with great skill, the measures he proposed promised to advance the postal communication to as high a pitch of excellence as was possible. To lend to the scheme the prospect of financial success, he laboured to show that his proposals, if adopted, would secure a larger revenue to the Post-Office than it had ever yielded, whilst, as far as the public were concerned, it was evident that they would rather pay higher for a service which was performed with so much more efficiency. Mr. Pitt, who always listened readily to proposals which would have the effect of increasing the revenue, soon saw and acknowledged the merits of the scheme. But, first of all, the Post-Office officials must be consulted; and from parliamentary papers we learn how bitterly they resented proposals not coming from themselves. They made many and vehement objections to the sweeping changes which Palmer's plans would necessitate. "The oldest and ablest officers in the service " represented them "not only to be impracticable, but dangerous to commerce and the revenue." The way in which they met some of his proposals is amusing and instructive. Thus, Palmer recommended Mr. Pitt to take commercial men into his councils; he also submitted that the suggestions of such men should be listened to more frequently, when postal arrangements for their respective districts were in contemplation. Mr. Hodgson, one of the prominent officers of the Post-Office, indignantly answered that "it was not possible that any set of gentlemen, merchants, or outriders [ outsiders], could instruct officers brought up in the business of the Post-Office. And it is particularly to be hoped," said this gentleman, with a spice of malice, "if not presumed, that the surveyors need no such information." He "ventured to say, that the post as then managed was admirably connected in all its parts, well-regulated, carefully attended to, and not to be improved by any person unacquainted with the whole. It is a pity," he sarcastically added, "Mr. Palmer should not first have been informed of the nature of the business in question, to make him understand how very differently the post and post-offices are conducted to what he apprehends." Palmer's propositions also included the timing of the mails at each successive stage, and the proper regulation of their departure from the country; so that they might reach London at specified times, and not at any hour of the day or night, and might, to some extent, be delivered simultaneously. And further, instead of leaving London at different hours of the night, he suggested that the coaches for the different roads should all start from the General Post-Office at the same time. But his plans were pronounced impossible: it was "an impossibility," his opponents declared, "that the Bath mail could be brought to London in sixteen or eighteen hours." Mr. Pitt, however, inherited his father's contempt for "impossibilities,” and saw, with the clear vision for which he was remarkable, that Palmer's scheme would be as profitable as it was practicable; and he resolved, in spite of the short-sighted opposition of the authorities, that it should be adopted. On the 24th of July, 1784, the Post-Office Secretary issued this order: "His Majesty's Postmasters-General, being inclined to make an experiment for the more expeditious conveyance of mails of letters by stage-coaches, machines, &c., have been pleased to order that a trial shall be made upon the road between London and Bristol, to commence at each place on Monday, the 2d of August next." Then follows a list of places to which letters might be despatched by these coaches; and then this information :-"All persons are therefore to take notice, that the letters put into any receiving-house before six of the evening, or seven at this chief office, will be forwarded by these new conveyances; all others for the said post-towns and their districts put in afterwards, or given to the bellmen, must remain until the following post at the same hour of seven. The coaches commenced running according to the above advertisement, but not until the 8th of the month. One left London at eight in the morning, reaching Bristol about eleven the same night. The other left Bristol at four in the afternoon of the same day, reaching London in sixteen hours. Palmer was installed at the Post-Office on the day of the change, under the title of Controller-General; and it was arranged that his salary should be £1,500 a year, with a commission of two and a half per cent. upon any excess of net revenue over £240,000-the sum at which the annual proceeds of the Post-Office stood at the date of his appointment. But the opposition to his scheme, manifested by the officials before it was adopted, did not give way. Perhaps his presence at the Council Board did not conduce to harmony. However it was, he appears for some time to have contended single-handed with men determined to oppose him. Goaded and tormented by them, he fell into their snares, and attempted to carry his measures by indirect means. In 1792, when his plans had been in operation about eight years, and were beginning to show every sign of success, it was thought desirable that he should surrender his appointment. A pension of £3,000 was granted in consideration of his services. Subsequently he memorialized the Government, setting forth that the pension fell far short of the emoluments which had been promised, but he was unsuccessful. Against this treatment he never ceased to protest ; and his son, Major-General Palmer, frequently brought his claims before Parliament, until, in 1813, after a struggle of twenty years, the House of Commons voted a grant of £50,000. As mentioned in an obituary sketch in the Gentleman's Magazine (1818), vol. lxxxviii., pt. ii., pp. 276-80, Palmer "was born at Bath, where his father carried on a very considerable brewery, and was engaged in other very extensive concerns; his mother was descended from the Longs, one of the oldest and most respectable families in that city. He represented his native city twice in Parliament, and upon his resignation was succeeded by his son Colonel [afterwards Major-General] Palmer, who is one of the present members." Palmer died at Brighton, August 16, 1818, in his seventy-sixth year, and was buried in Bath Abbey. BRISTOLIENSIS. 1629.-MAISEMORE REGISTER OF MARRIAGES, 1557-1590.-The earliest extant volume of the Maisemore registers is really not older than the year 1600, as stated in the Parish Register Abstract, 1833*; but it contains a transcript of marriages and burials which had taken place in the parish before that year, all the entries being very clearly written by some one person. The marriages, which date from 1557, shall be given in the first instance, and exactly as they appear. The burials date from 1538. CONWAY DIGHTON. Anno Domini Secundum Cursum et Computationem Matrimonia. Imprimis. Matrimonium Willielmi milton [et] Joanes Carpenter xxx die Januarij. Anno Domini 1558. Matrimonium Robarti ffreeman [et] Joannes Etkins xx die Augustij. Matrimonia Thome Saunders et Catheren Chen ix die Januarij. Matrimonium Willielmi Coxe ac Catheren Spilman vii die ffebruarij. Anno Domini 1560 Matrimonia Johanis Slauter ac Margareta Collier xii die Augustij. Matrimonia Willielmi Cicell* et Agnete Porter xxii die Augustij. • See ante, vol. iii., p. 108. Mentioned in a letter from Richard Cheney, Bishop of Gloucester, to the Minister Cecill, dated Oct. 15, 1568. The writer states that he is willing to grant the farm of Maismore to Mr. Cecill." Calendar of State Papers (Domestic), 1547-1580, p. 320, quoted in Gloucestershire Notes and Queries, vol. iii., p. 394. Matrimonia Johanis Still et Alicie daffe xxvi die Septembris. Matrimonia Willielmi Carpenter alias Wyman et Alicie Coxe alias Haywarde vii die Octobris. Matrimonia Willielmi Gyfforde et Elizabeth Carpenter xii die Octobris. Matrimonia Johanis Rine et Johanne Saunders iii die ffebruarij. Anno Domini 1561. Matrimonia Robarti Backer et Elizabeth ffortye viii die maij. Matrimonia Richardi Congley et Joanne Carter ix die Junij. Matrimonia Willielmi Itheridge et Rossa ffreeman ix die ffebruarij. Anno Domini 1562. Matrimonia Willielmi masson et Joanne Mores viii die Octobris. Matrimonia Jacobe Packinton et Margarete Sysmore xiiii die nouembris. xi die nouembris. Matrimonia Johanis Goodeman ac Anno Domini 1567. Matrimonia Gilbarti Jeninges et Elizabeth Gyfforde xxiiii die Augustij. Matrimonia Thome Saunders et Alicie Weell i die Septembris. Matrimonia Johanis Stallerde et margarete Weell xxviii die Januarij. Anno Domini 1568. Matrimonia Thome Spenser ac Marye Husewife xix die Septembris. Matrimonia Willielmi cicell et Tyballis Russell xiii die decembris. Anno Domini 1570. Matrimonia Johanis Weell alias Pomfrye et Sibille Collier xxiiii die Junij. Matrimonia Johanis Bobins et Sibille Rydge xxiii nouembris. Anno Domini 1571. Matrimonia Willielms ffortye et Emlinie Bollocke xxvi die Augustij. Matrimonia Thome Crouse et Jane Etkins xxvii die nouembris. Matrimonia Willielmi Gifforde et Tomasson vxor eius xxv die nouembris. Anno Domini 1575. Matrimonia Thome Tonye et Elizabeth Keent vi die Junij. Willielmus Saunders et Marye Copulati fuerint xiii die Junij. Willielmus Collier et Alicia Butter Copulati fuerint xx die Junij. Edwardus Gyblete et Agneta Itheridge Copulati fuerint xxviii die Junij. Thoma Connoppe et Sibill ffidlowe Copulati fuerint iii die Septembris. Gilbert Jeninges et Joanna Appowell Copulati fuerint viii die Septembris. Thoma Coulsie et Margerye Litefoote Copulatie fuerint xi die Septembris. Matrimonia Willielmi Houldie et Elnera Ryver xxii die Januarij. Christopherus Stallerde et Alicia ffortye matrimonio Copulati fuerint xxvi die Januarij. Anno Domini 1576. Johanes Houldie et Joana gines matrimonio copulati fuerint v die Octobris. Johanes Itheridge et Elizabeth houldie matrimonio copulati fuerint xxix die Octobris. Thomas Itheridge et Elizabeth Goselinge matrimonio copulati fuerint xxii die nouembris. Anno Domini 1578. Willielmus Endole et Joana Houldie matrimonio Copulati fuerint iii die Julij. Willielmus Weebbe et margeria Keent matrimonio Copulati fuerint vii die Septembris. Anno Domini 1580. Johanes Stallerde et Agneta ffortye matrimonio copulati fuerint xix die nouembris. Anno Domini 1581. Willielmus Cooke et Sibilla saunders matrimonio copulati fuerint iiii die Aprilis. Arnold Huntley et Catherena Russell matrimonio copulati fuerint xxv die maij. Robartus Goade et Joana Cockeshote matrimonio copulati fuerunt xxiii die Julij. Edmund varrington et Agneta Purse matrimonio copulati fuerunt x die ffebruarij. Anno Domini 1582. Richardus Rogers et Sibilla Rastle matrimonio copulti fuerunt xxii die Octobris. Johanes Carpenter et Anna Elyotes matrimonio copulti fuerunt ii die Januarij. Anno Domini 1583. Johanes Smith et Sibilla weell matrimonio copulati fuerunt xxv die nouembris. Anno Domini 1584. Thomas Saunders et Elner Houldie matrimonio copulati fuerunt xxvii die Januarij. Thomas Houldie et Rossa Rogers matrimonio Copulati fuerunt xix die nouembris. Anno Domini 1585. Rogerus Braunch et Agneta Houldie matrimonio copulati fuerunt xv die nouembris. Johanes danbye et Joana Stocke matrimonio Copulati fuerunt xix die nouembris. Arterus Howell et Briget Weell matrimonio copulati fuerunt xi die Januarij. |