Guernsey Post Box

I have already blipped the Guernsey Post Box, in fact it was this very one at the end of our street. I wanted to blip it again and write a bit of history this time as I'm doing a bit of historical Guernsey at the moment.

Anthony Trollope, now more famed as a novelist, was, in the 1850s working as a Surveyor's Clerk for the Post Office. Part of his duties involved him travelling to Europe where he saw road-side letter boxes in use in France and Belgium.

He proposed the introduction of such boxes to Britain and in 1852 a trial was agreed for the idea on the Channel Islands. Three cast-iron pillar boxes were cast and installed, as a trial, on the island of Jersey.

Later that year a further four were introduced on Guernsey.

The first trial was considered a success and boxes began appearing on the British mainland from 1853.

Before this people took their letters to the mail steamer when it was awaiting the tide in the harbour. Pillar boxes allowed letters to be posted at any time and they could then be collected when a steamer was due. They were convenient and immediately successful.

(Information from the internet)