A brief history of Royal Mail

Royal Mail’s history stretches back over 500 years – from Henry VIII creating the “Master of the Posts” in 1512, to King Charles I opening the service to the public in 1635, to the Penny Black and uniform postage in 1840. Here is a brief timeline of the milestones that shaped the post we use today.

Royal Mail timeline

• 1512 – Master of the Posts. Henry VIII’s Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey, created the role of “Master of the Posts”. Brian Tuke was the first to hold it.
• 1635 – Royal Mail opened to the public. King Charles I made the service available to the public. Postage was originally paid by the recipient, not the sender.
• 1661 – General Post Office and the postmark. Charles II’s reforms brought a fixed rate for letters, the first General Post Office, and the introduction of the postmark.
• 1784 – The first mail coach. The first mail coach ran from London to Bristol, a journey of around 16 hours.
• 1830 – Mail by rail. The first mail train ran between Liverpool and Manchester.
• 1840 – The Penny Black and uniform postage. The world’s first postage stamp, the Penny Black, arrived alongside uniform postage – changing how mail was paid for.
• 1852 – The first pillar post box. The first pillar box let people post letters without going to a post office.

Royal Mail today

Today Royal Mail still underpins UK business post – and franking remains one of the cheapest ways to use it. Mailcoms has been a Royal Mail Authorised Independent Inspector & Maintainer of postal franking machines since 2008. See our Mailmark franking machines or call 01543 572 776.

Frequently asked questions

When was Royal Mail founded?

Royal Mail was opened to the public by King Charles I in 1635, though the Master of the Posts role dates back to 1512.

What was the first postage stamp?

The Penny Black, introduced in 1840 alongside uniform postage.

Who originally paid for the post?

Originally the recipient paid, not the sender – that changed with uniform postage in 1840.