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Postmaster General of the United Kingdom

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The Postmaster General in the United Kingdom is a defunct ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs. This would subsequently extend to telecommunications and broadcasting.

The office was abolished in 1969 by the Post Office Act 1969. A new public authority governed by a chairman was established under the name of the "Post Office." The position of "Postmaster General" was replaced with "Minister of Posts and Telecommunications"; subsequently such functions generally fall within the remit of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

History

In England, the monarch's letters to his subjects are known to have been carried by relays of couriers as long ago as the 15th century. In 1510, Sir Brian Tuke was appointed as "Master of the King's Post". In 1609 it was decreed that letters could only be carried and delivered by persons authorised by the Postmaster General. 1660 saw the establishment of the General Letter Office, this would later become the General Post Office (GPO). A similar position evolved in the Kingdom of Scotland prior to the 1707 Act of Union.

Former Postmasters General of England and the UK

... From 1681 to 1823 there were two Postmasters General, to divide the patronage between the Whigs and Tories

...

*jointly with William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough 1759-1762
*jointly with John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont 1762-1763
*jointly with Thomas Villiers, 1st Baron Hyde 1763-1765

*jointly with William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough 1765-1766

...

...

A single Postmaster

In 1823 the idea of a Whig and a Tory sharing the post was abolished.

References

External links



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Last updated on Tuesday July 22, 2008 at 14:41:30 PDT (GMT -0700)
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