Chapter X

ALTHOUGH the last of the old coaches was long ago broken up, and the Norwich Road is no longer lively with mail and stage travellers, it has, in common with several other roads out of London, witnessed a wholly unexpected revival, in the shape of the Parcel Mail service between London and Ipswich. When the Parcel Post came into being on the 1st August 1883, it was speedily discovered by the General Post-office authorities that in paying, according to contract, 55 per cent. of the gross receipts to the railway companies for the mere carriage of parcels, they were paying too much. Accordingly, a system of Parcel Mail coaches was established on several of the old roads, commencing with the London to Brighton Parcel Mail, in June 1887. A London and Chelmsford four-horse mail was soon added, and this was shortly afterwards extended to Colchester, and thence to Ipswich by cart. This curious enterprise of the Post-office was immediately successful, and it has ever since been found to effect a large saving over the railway charges. Nor is time lost in delivery. The down mail leaves London at a quarter to ten o'clock every night and the parcels arrive at Colchester and Ipswich in time for the first delivery the next morning; while the country parcels come up to London by an equally early hour. The way in which the service is worked will be gathered from the accompanying official way-sheet of the down mails.

GENERAL POST OFFICE

THE MOST NOBLE THE MARQUIS OF LONDONDERRY
Postmaster-General

LONDON, CHELMSFORD, COLCHESTER, & IPSWICH ROAD
PARCEL SERVICE.
This
Guard's Remarks as Proper Actual Column
to Delays, &c. Times Times to be left
Date 190 . H. M. H. M. blank

Coach Service Mount Pleasant P.M.
between Distance Parcel Office dep. 9 45
London and M.F.
Colchester. 3 0 Eastern District {arr. 10 8
Contractor-- P.O. {dep. 10 10
C. Webster,
279 Whitechapel
Road, E. 11 3 Romford {arr. 11 40
{dep. 11 42
Cart between A.M.
Colchester & 6 2 Brentwood {arr. 12 29
Ipswich. {dep. 12 31

Contractor-- 5 0 Ingatestone {arr. 1 9
F. W. Canham, {dep. 1 11
Ipswich.
6 0 Chelmsford {arr. 2 0
{dep. 2 5

8 6 Witham {arr. 3 13
{dep. 3 15

3 2 Kelvedon {arr. 3 41
{dep. 3 43

9 6 Colchester {arr. 5 0
{dep. 5 5

Stratford St. {arr. 5 58
Mary {dep. 6 0

18 2 Ipswich arr. 7 20
Signature
of Guard 71 5

T. E. SIFTON, Inspector-General of Mails.

The Guard in charge of the Coach must report the cause of any Delay.
He must enter all Remarks and Times in the proper Columns. This Bill
to be sent, as addressed, by First Post.

TIME-BILL OF THE CHELMSFORD, COLCHESTER AND IPSWICH
PARCEL MAIL.

The up service, starting with the mail-cart from Ipswich at 7·9 p.m. and continued from Colchester by four-horse van at 9·30 p.m., brings the country parcels to Mount Pleasant at 4·30 a.m., throughout the year. Up and down mails meet at Ingatestone at 1·9 a.m. On this service, as on all others, the vans go through, but the drivers and guards exchange places; the London men changing on to the van from Colchester at Ingatestone, and returning to London; the Colchester men taking over the down van and similarly returning whence they came.

It is a curious and unexpected revival of old methods, but an entirely successful one. No highwayman has ever attempted to "hold up" the Parcel Mail, for the last of that trade has for generations mouldered in his grave; but should any amateurs essay to complete this revival of old coaching days by waylaying the mail, the guards would be found well armed. Their virgin steel and untried pistols have for years been carried without any excuse for using them; but there need be no doubt that, were the occasion to arrive, they would defend their parcels--the pounds of country butter, the eggs, and wild flowers, or the miscellaneous consignment from London--with their hearts' blood. There are more romantic things in the world to die for than postal parcels of eggs, cheese and butter, but the ennobling word DUTY might glorify such a sacrifice for the sake of a pound's weight of "best fresh," or a dozen of "new laid."

But although the possibility of attack is remote, a spice of danger and romance savours the conduct of the parcel mails.

The up Colchester Parcel Mail had a mishap on the night of October 11, 1890, when, owing to the prevailing fog, it was driven into a ditch near Margaretting. Happily, both coachman and guard escaped injury, the heavy vehicle resting against the hedge. The coachman, mounting one of his team, and hurrying back to Chelmsford, succeeded in overtaking the down coach, which, returning to the scene of the accident, unloaded and transferred the parcels, and continued to London, leaving the down mail to be forwarded with local help. It eventually arrived at Colchester four hours late.