Postmaster General

A Postmaster General,^[1] in Anglosphere countries, is the chief executive officer of the postal service of that country, a ministerial office responsible for overseeing all other postmasters.

History

The practice of having a government official responsible for overseeing the delivery of mail throughout the nation originated in England. A 'Master of the Posts' is mentioned in the King's Book of Payments, with a payment of £100 being authorised for Sir Brian Tuke as 'Master of the King's Post'^[1] in February 1512.^[2] In 1517, he was appointed to the office of 'Governor of the King's Posts', a precursor to the office of Postmaster General of the United Kingdom, by Henry VIII.^[3] In 1609, it was decreed that letters could only be carried and delivered by persons authorised by the Postmaster General.^[1]

In the United Kingdom, the office of Postmaster General was abolished in 1969. It was replaced by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. In 2000, its functions were transferred to the Secretary of State at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).^[1]

International

International equivalents include:

Jurisdiction	Official title	Years
Scotland	Postmaster General for Scotland	1616–1707
United States	United States Postmaster General	1775–present
Ireland	Postmaster-General of Ireland	1784–1831
Sri Lanka	Postmaster General of Sri Lanka	1815–present
New Zealand	Postmaster-General of New Zealand	1858–1989
Hong Kong	Postmaster General of Hong Kong	1860–present
Canada	Postmaster General of Canada	1867–1981
Australia	Postmaster-General of Australia	1901–1975

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Baroness Miller of Hendon (15 June 2000). "Division No. 1 (Postal Services Bill)". Lords Hansard text for 15 June 2000 (22615-08). Vol. 613 – Part No. 104. Hansard. col. 1782. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
^ Brewer, J.S.; Brewer, John Sherren; Brodie, Robert Henry; Gairdner, James (1864). Letters and papers, foreign and domestic, of the reign of Henry VIII. Preserved in the Public Record Office, the British Museum, and elsewhere in England. Vol. II, pt. II. Public Record Office, London: Longman, Green, Longman, & Roberts. p. 1454.
^ Walker (1938), p. 37^{[clarification needed]}

[Hansard-1] Baroness Miller of Hendon (15 June 2000). "Division No. 1 (Postal Services Bill)". Lords Hansard text for 15 June 2000 (22615-08). Vol. 613 – Part No. 104. Hansard. col. 1782. Retrieved 17 August 2013.

[2] Brewer, J.S.; Brewer, John Sherren; Brodie, Robert Henry; Gairdner, James (1864). Letters and papers, foreign and domestic, of the reign of Henry VIII. Preserved in the Public Record Office, the British Museum, and elsewhere in England. Vol. II, pt. II. Public Record Office, London: Longman, Green, Longman, & Roberts. p. 1454.

[3] Walker (1938), p. 37^{[clarification needed]}

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t Mail and postal systems
History	Timeline of postal history African countries Asian countries European countries Oceanian countries Pan-American countries Postal censorship	Envelope for mailing
Components	Advertising mail Bulk mail Envelope Indicia Information-Based Indicia Letter box Mail Mail bag Meter stamp Parcel Parcel locker Post box / Mailbox Relay box Post office Post office box Postage meter Postage stamp Postal code Postal marking Variable value stamp
Delivery	Airmail Express Package delivery Registered Surface Surface Air Lifted (SAL)
Staff	Mail carrier Postal worker Postmaster Postmaster General
Processing	Intelligent Mail barcode Mail Isolation Control and Tracking Multiline Optical Character Reader Mail cover Mail sorting Package forwarding PLANET POSTNET
Institutions and systems	Postal entities Postal museums Postal services Postal systems by country Trade unions
Related	Courier Philately most expensive philatelic items Stamp collecting notable stamps catalogues Philatelic terminology
List of entities that have issued postage stamps	A–E F–L M–Z
Philately portal Category Commons

Postmaster General

History

International

References

See what we do next...

OR