5 Nov 26 – Britain’s Mail Coach Era 1784-1840
by Hugh Feldman RDP FRPSL
November 5 @ 13:00 – 17:00
On the 2nd August 1784 two coaches left Bristol and London to commence a one-week experiment under the direction of John Palmer of Bath to prove that mail coaches were faster and safer for the conveyance of the mail than the current use of post boys riding horses. The experiment impressed William Pitt the Younger who appointed Palmer to the position of Surveyor and Comptroller General of the Post Office.
By the end of 1785 a total of 20 London-based routes had been contracted and by 1838 a total of 30 London based routes totaling 5,003 miles and 21 cross mails of 2,294 miles were in operation. The display illustrates using letters and artifacts the routes and contractors employed who provided the service.
Presidents Programme 2026-2027
| 10 Sep 26 | 1 pm | Royal Collection | Material from the Collection of His Majesty the King |
| 24 Sep 26 | 1 pm | Sam Chiu | Exhibiting and Collecting Chinese Postal History, Specializing in Cities |
| 8 Oct 26 | 1 pm | Bill Hedley | The Republic of Venice, 1200-1797 |
| 29 Oct 26 | 1 pm | The Postal History Society | Display to celebrate 90 years of the Postal History Society |
| 5 Nov 26 | 1 pm | Hugh Feldman | Britain’s Mail Coach Era 1784 – 1840 |
| 19 Nov 26 | 1 pm | Rex Dixon | Axis expansion in Europe from the 1935 Saar plebiscite through to Stalingrad |
| 10 Dec 26 | 4 pm | Peter Chadwick | Early postal routes and Post Offices of Scotland |
| 17 Dec 26 | 1 pm | Atef Sarian | Egypt |
| 14 Jan 27 | 1 pm | Thames Valley Philatelic Federation | Group Display by members from the Thames Valley Philatelic Federation |
| 28 Jan 27 | 4 pm | Darryl Fuller | The Revenues of the State of Israel |
| 11 Feb 27 | 1 pm | Chris Harman | The work of Perkins, Bacon – Security Printers – Bank Notes and Stamps – 1819 to the 1880s |
| 25 Feb 27 | 1 pm | West Indies Philatelic Study Group | Group Display by the West Indies Philatelic Study Group |
| 4 Mar 27 | 4 pm | Adriano Bergamini | Two important parts of the Austrian Empire: Croatia and Czechia |
| 11 Mar 27 | 1 pm | Bo Ivanovic | British Post Offices Abroad |
| 25 Mar 27 | 4 pm | Angelo Terruzi | The postal relations between the Kingdom of Sardinia/Italy and the Austrian Empire |
| 8 Apr 27 | 4 pm | Jan Berg | Pre-colonial Samoa |
| 22 Apr 27 | 4 pm | Terje Heskestad | The Evolution of the Norwegian Postal System, 1719 to GPU |
| 6 May 27 | 1 pm | Laurence Kimpton | Airmails across the Middle East and India, 1918-1932 |
| 20 May 27 | 1 pm | Railway Philatelic Group | Display by the Railway Philatelic Group |
| 3 Jun 27 | 1 pm | President | Dominica |
| 17 Jun 27 | 1 pm | Jack Zhang | Aspects of Great Britain Postal History with Focus on Sir Rowland Hill and the Penny Black |
| 24 Jun 27 | Annual General Meeting | ||
| 8 Jul 27 | Devonshire Bowl |
Last updated 17 Aug 2026