London Receiving Houses (GB)

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The Receiving Houses of London hold a fascination for Postal History collectors due to their diversity of form, as well as the multiplicity of place names. In 1998, Hugh Feldman wrote his 'Letter Receivers of London, 1652 - 1857' detailing a huge amount of information with dates of use, types/form and colours of ink used. Any reference numbers used (eg L504/CHIEF2) relates back to Hugh's book and the code he gave each known hand stamp. Numbers in brackets after the names are the early receiving house numbers as allocated.

Receiving Houses were shops, and businesses that letters could be left at for transmission to the General Post Office for dispatch and delivery, they were not allowed to conduct any other business other than acceptance of mail.

By 1830 there were a total of 148 Receiving Houses in London city area. All Receivers were paid a fixed annual salary of two pounds with an additional payment of 1d for every 10 letters accepted and passed on to the GPO. Lists of Receiving Houses, constantly changed and many lists were produced. The Town Receivers sent their letters 6 times daily to the Principal Office to which they were attached.

The can be split into two main groups that of the General and the Two Penny Posts.

General Post

Chief Office Paid Mark in red W&J L198. 1838-1843. Chief Office stamps have Month before date. Westminster Office have date before Month.
Large circular Paid mark in red W&J L110a. 1801-1839, with a smaller G.P/PAID W&J 342. 1836-1840. Transfer mark from Twopenny Post to General Post
Westminster Office Paid Mark in red W&J L491. 1816-1822. Chief Office stamps have Month before date. Westminster Office have date before Month.Circular G.P/P W&J L684. 1799-1834. Transfer mark from Twopenny Post to General Post
Chief Office/1D Paid in red to Inn Fields 20 Feb 1840, octogonal date postmark evening duty, Uniform Penny Postage

Two Penny Posts

Chief Office

The 'Chief Office' was one of two principal offices after the Re-Organized Penny Post of 1794-1801. The other being Westminster Office. They replaced the earlier offices of Bishopsgate, Hermitage, St Paul's, Southwark and Temple. The Chief Office was situated at St Martin-Le-Grand and was opened in 1829.

Unboxed TP Chief Office in black L505/CHIEF3. 1836-1844. Used on Entire to Borough dated No 7 1836

This 'PAID' mark in an oval frame was used in the Country Offices of the Twopenny Post on letters which were transferred to the General Post and which had the GP charge Pre-Paid.

PAID mark in oval frame, with space for charge in manuscript. W&J L552 1800-1833. Noted as usually in black. This in red.

Receiving Offices Distributing the 1d and 2d Postss

Bridge Street, Westminster

Initially the receiving house was at 24 Bridge Street, Westminster - Lucas (Pastry Cook) it then move to 25 Bridge Street - Henry Sprague.

1/- rated letter to Aylesbury put in a 25 Bridge Street Westminster Receiving House 31 Oct 1809
Double lined receiver of 25 Bridge Street receiving house in 1809

Chancery Lane

Chancery Lane/1py P.Paid (Uniform Penny Postage) in green to Strand 3 Apr 1840, octogonal date postmark Chief Office

Charles Street

Charles Street was located between Duke Street and Parliament Square.

  • pre 1834-1847 #3 Upper Charles Street. William Riches Oil man and dealer in British wines.
  • 1848- 1854 #3 Upper Charles Street, now Georgina Riches, Oilman.
Charles Street, Westminster receiver two-line 1D PAID cancel in blue on 1846 entire. L509/CHRLW12b 1840-1844


Clarendon Square

Now no longer present Clarendon Square was on Charlton Street and Charles Road. It is now the site of a multi-hi-rise 3 storey block called Oakshott Court.

Plate 193 PG on cover sent into the posts at Clarendon Square Receiving Office Jan 1st 1855 sent via the Inland Office #19 cancel to Deal.
Clarendon Square Receiving Office Jan 1st 1855 to Deal.

Lamb's Conduit Street

Conduit Street is a street in Mayfair, London. It connects Bond Street to Regent Street. The street was first developed in the early 18th century on the Conduit Mead Estate, which the Corporation of London had owned since the 15th century; it was a popular place for upper-class Londoners to socialise. Most properties have since been demolished and rebuilt, but a handful have survived.

The MP Charles James Fox was born on Conduit Street in 1749.

Plate 68 EC on cover sent into the posts at Lamb's Receiving Office July 6th 1847 sent via the Inland Office #3 cancel to Inistioge.
Reverse showing red London receipt and despatch handstamps (6th & 7th respectively) and blue Inistioge (Sp. INNISTIOGUZ) receiving stamp for July 8th.

Cornhill

Cornhill (formerly also Cornhil) is a ward and street in the City of London, the historic nucleus and financial centre of modern London. The street runs between Bank junction and Leadenhall Street.

The hill from which it takes its name is one of the three ancient hills of London; the others are Tower Hill, site of the Tower of London, and Ludgate Hill, crowned by St Paul's Cathedral. The highest point of Cornhill is at 17.7 metres (58 ft) above sea level.

The Cornhill receiving house was at Harding's a printseller, 24, Cornhill, opposite the Royal Exchange building.

Boxed T.P. CORNHILL Two Penny Post Cornhill cancel in Black. L504/CORN1. 1829-1836.
T.P. CORNHILL Two Penny Post Cornhill cancel in Red 1841 Plate 11. L505/CORN2a. 1837-1843.
T.P. CORNHILL Two Penny Post Cornhill cancel in Red. L505/CORN3a. 1843-1844.
Cornhill/1D Paid in green to Lincoln Inn 20 Jan 1840, octogonal date postmark morning duty, Uniform Penny Postage

Coventry Street

Coventry Street, Haymarket W1 London West. The office was short lived having opened on 13 Sep 1847 as a Money Order Office named 'Coventry Street, Soho', it later closed on 1 Oct1860.

1857 4d rated letter with 4d registration pre-GPU. posted at Coventry Street (see reverse) and sent to the Inland office for cancellation and registration (Red REGISTERED GPO oval) before being sent to Saint-Péray France Via Calais.
Reverse showing the Coventry Street receiver straightline despatch mark. Calais to Paris train cancel, Paris to Lyon tain cancel and then Paris to Marseille train cancel where it was dropped en route at Valence for delivery.

Curzon Street

Curzon Street is located within the Mayfair district of London. The street is located entirely within the W1J postcode district; the eastern end is 200 metres (660 ft) north-east of Green Park underground station. It is within the City of Westminster, running approximately east to west from Fitzmaurice Place past Shepherd Market to Park Lane.

Two line Curzon Street 1d PAID. L509/CURZ6. 1845. Feldman does not list this mark earlier, except in blue (1843-49). This dated 1842
PP Curzon St Penny Post cancel. Stamp cancelled by the London Inland MX 4. Sent to Bury St Edmunds. Rated 2d and a so double deficiency, More To Pay double Circle applied.
PP Curzon St Penny Post reverse 1844

Greenwich

First noted in 1011 as a camp that the invading Danes took the Archbishop of Canterbury hostage. Palaces have been built here by successive monarchs starting with Edward 1 in 1290s. Both Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth 1 were born in Greenwich. Queen Mary founded the Royal Hospital here in 1694 and after adding further wings it was officially opened in 1705. The hospital closed in 1865 and re-opened as the Royal Naval College in 1873. The 1831 census has the population as 24,533 due to the hospital, then London & Greenwich Railway and various trades such as roperies, tanneries and flour mills.

Two line Greenwich 1d PAID cancel in Blue. L510/GREW16b. Feldman states 1851. But this cover dated 1850, EKD.


Grenville Street

Grenville Street was built circa 1800 as a short cut between Upper Guildford St and Brunswick Sq.

  • pre 1834-1838. 16 Grenville Street. William Willis, Oilman
  • 1839-1849. 16 Grenville Street. Alice Willis, Italian Warehouse (Willis, Miles & Jeffreys).
  • pre 1853-1854. 16 Grenville Street. John Henry Miles, as above.
Two line Grenville Street 1d PAID in brown L509/GREN14. 1842-1843. Feldman does not list this mark in brown.

High Holborn

High Holborn had two main offices. One at either end of the road. High Holborn EO was based at 46 High Holborn and WO based at 223 High Holborn (1825-42). Then at 116 High Holborn (1843-1856).

Boxed TP 233 High Holborn in black L504/HHOLWO8. 1822-1836. Used on Entire to Staple Inn dated 15 JY 1833
File:London Receiving Houses (GB) High Holborn a.jpg

Holborn Bars

Holborn Bars/1D Paid in red (Uniform Penny Postage) to Saxmundham 25 Feb 1840, tombstone date postmark

Leadenhall Street

Leadenhall Street is a road in London that is about ¹⁄₃-mile-long and links Cornhill and Bishopsgate in the west to St. Botolph Street and Aldgate in the east. It dates back to pre-Tudor times and derived its name from a mansion built in 1309 by Sir Hugh Neville which was roofed in lead. In 1445, the then Lord Mayor of London, Sir Simon Eyre, converted the house to a granary and market for the City. A covered market has continued on the site ever since. Old east India House, the home of the East India Company was also on Leadenhall Street until it was demolished in 1862.

TP Leadenhall Street boxed cancel on 1832 wrapper in black. L504/LEAD8. 1824-1836
Leadenhall Street straight line cancel on 1853 wrapper in blue. L514/LEAD20b. 1852-1854. Letters are tall and thin with narrow 'S'.

Lewisham

Lewisham had two receivers. One in the North and one in the South. Spelt Lewifham, they were designated Lewifham NO and SO respectively. The Southern Office was run by Susannah Corbett, a bookseller, stationer and circulating library, 1834-post 1854

Lewisham SO 2py P.Paid in red. On an 1838 wrapper with a number of different markings. L507/LEWS09a. 1823-1839.

Lombard Street

The receiving house at Lombard Street was listed at No 17 on Cary's Map of 1791 and 1794, next door to the original Lloyds Coffee House (later Lloyds of London). In the reforms of 1794, the Chief Office of the Penny Post, which was in Throgmorton Street opposite Bartholomew Lane, moved to part of the building occupied by the General Post Office in Lombard Street. The Penny and Twopenny Post later moved from Lombard Street to St Martin-le-Grand when it was opened in 1829.

T.P Lombard Street Two Penny Poft (Post) Unpaid Lombard Street cancel in Black. L501/LOM7. 1801-1818.
File:London Receiving Houses (GB) Lombard Street 4c.jpg


Minories

Situated to the North of the Tower of London. Minories runs north.

  • First recorded at #15 Minories -
  • -1843 Minories Receiving House was situated at Richardson's who was a Grocer on the corner of/at #102 Minories and Hamlet Street (Now Hammet Street), near Tower hill and was allocated to the early South East Division of London City.
  • 1844 - It moved to number #103 Minories, a business named Taylors.
Minories receiver straight-line cancel on 1846 entire, 2d unpaid charge mark in black. L514/MIN14 Issued 18 July 1844

Moorgate Street

Now known just as Moorgate, it is in the City of London, connecting Lothbury and London Wall.

  • First recorded at #11 Moorgate Street - William Webster, Pastrycook and Confectioner. 1839-1840.
  • 1841-1843 #12 Moorgate Street. John E Edkins, Outfitters.
  • 1844 John Charles Edkins
  • 1845-post 1854 #60 Moorgate Street. Henry Good, Stationers (Good H & Wm).
Moorgate Street receiver two-line cancel, in deep blue on 1851 entire. L510/MOOR7b Issued 27 December 1848, in use 1850-1852

Newington Butts

Newington Butts is an area just south of Elephant and Castle, originally a tavern and coaching terminus.

  • pre-1843-1838 #25 High Street, Newington Butts. James Huggins, Stationers.
  • 1839-1845 #22 High Street. Robert Hannah, Oilman.
  • 1846-post 1854 #6 High Street. Joseph Gwillin Sturch, Teadealer.
Boxed T P Newington Butts in blue on 1834 entire. L504/NEWBT4b 1824-1835

Park Street, Grosvenor Square

Park Street is to the west of Grosvenor Square and was developed between 1720 and 1770s. A General Post RH was listed in Cary's maps of 1791 and 1800 with a Twopenny Post RH from 1830.

  • 1805 - 1828 #105 Park Street. James Holbrook, Brewer.
  • 1829 - 1838 #104 Park Street. George Force, Plumber.
  • 1830 TPO 1830, on the corner of Park Street and Mount Street
  • 1842 - post 1849 #35 Park Street. Robert Badham, Grocer
Unboxed T P Park St, G.S. in red, on piece. This type Unrecorded by Feldman


Pimlico

The area known as Pimlico is not recorded until 1626 when some cottages near Ranelagh Gardens were noted as being in Pimlico. The most significat industry was that of a brewery built in 1641 by William Greene and bought by James Watney in 1837. In 1702 the Duke of Buckingham bought Arlington House, demolished it and built a new residence he named Buckingham House. Later to become Buckingham Palace. The area between the palace and the Thames was not developed until the late 1830s by the famous Thomas Cubitt, who leased the land from the Grosvenor Estates and built for the lower budget purchaser compared to that of his Belgravia buildings.

  • 1800 #26 Pimlico.
  • 1830 TPO 1830 in Ebury Street, as shown on the map of the Twenty First Report.
Boxed T P Pimlico in black on 1828 part entire. L504/PIM9 1822-1839. Obverse shows the '2' handstamp erased and a manuscript 1/1 showing the 2d plus a 11d charge from London to Malton.


Saville Place

Saville Place was a street in Lambeth, but not listed prior to 1810. There was a receiving house listed in 1834 as being a baker in Canterbury Place and from 1829 was at 2 Saville Place.

Two Py Paid Saville Place Lambeth in red on 1819 entire. L507/SAV4a 1819-1840. Also shows a large circular, dated PAID handstamp W&J L110 and a PAID in oval handstamp, W&J L552, which was used in the country offices of the Twopenny Post on letters which were to be transferred to the General Post and which had the General Post charge prepaid. 11d being the charge for the 220 miles to Rochdale.

St. James's Street

Situated at no. 3 St. James's Street at the premises of the Grocer Mr. Berry.

1 Py Paid St. James's Street, Pall Mall. Letter handed in via Albert Prince Consort addressed to the 2nd Earl of Morley, 4 days after his father's death. Treated as Official Paid. The 1 Py Post Paid in Blue was only in use in 1840.

Temple

Temple office was situated east of Somerset House on Devereux Court No. 2.

Temple T.P. (2 Penny Post) on front sent to Ashby-de-la-Zouch


Tooting

An area south of Wandsworth, identified as two distinct areas - Tooting Graveney and Tooting Bec. Later known as Upper Tooting and Lower Tooting respectively. The parish of Tooting had a small population, rising from 1189 in 1801 to only 2122 at the 1851 census. It was mainly agriculutral in nature but had a growing number of City Merchants country mansions and villas.

Tooting T.P. (2 Penny Post) charged at 3d rate of 1823. L504/TOOT8. 1821-1835
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