Series GB 0813 POST 29 Series - Post Office: Packet Minutes: Documents

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0813 POST 29 Series

Title

Post Office: Packet Minutes: Documents

Date(s)

  • 1811-1920 (Creation)

Level of description

Series

Extent and medium

2760 files

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

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Archival history

GB 0813 POST 29 Series 1811-1920 Series 2760 files

No further information available.

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Please contact the Archive for further information.

The Packet Minute series (POST 29 and 34) comprise minutes to the Postmaster General from the Secretary to the Post Office, on the Packet Boat and overseas mails services. It began in 1811, at which date those subjects were transferred from the Postmaster General's Minute series (POST 30 and 35).

POST 29 consists of volumes containing a copy of, or reference to, every minute submitted to the Postmaster General, including those which have since been destroyed. POST 34/1 - 105 are indexed. The Postmaster General's decision on each case is also recorded. POST 29 consists of those actual papers which are still in existence (comprising both the original minute to the Postmaster General and the papers leading up to, and following from, the Secretary's submission). It has been produced in two versions, one numerical and the other alphabetical, i.e., set out under subject headings. When requisitioning papers, both the catalogue reference Nos. and the Minute No. should be quoted, e.g., POST 29/4, Pkt 203B/1314.

For details of how this class relates to the other report and minute classes, see the following section 'Related Material'.

Please see Scope and Content.

Public Record

Please contact the Archive for further information.

English

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Some items in this series are available on microfilm for viewing in the Search Room.

GENERAL GUIDE TO REPORTS AND MINUTES:

POST 29 is one of several POST classes that contain reports and minutes that have been generated at Headquarters level, usually for the purpose of bringing a variety of Post Office matters to the attention of the Postmaster General. Records can relate to people, places or subjects. The various POST classes that hold these records cover the years 1790-1973. The reason there are numerous classes for such records is that organisational changes have occurred within the Post Office through the decades and different and sometimes overlapping systems have been put in place for such record keeping. For a fuller understanding of central records and how the POST classes that they can be found in relate to each other, readers are advised to consult the 'Guide to Reports and Minutes', which includes a timeline that illustrates what periods and subjects are covered by the various POST classes and how they relate to each other. This can be viewed in the BPMA search room or online. For now, here are two pointers.

  1. As a rule of thumb, there are two POST classes for each run of records. One class contains the full paperwork for each case ('papers') and the other class is likely to contain an index or series of précis to this material ('volumes'). This means that the indexes of a 'volume' class will often list the material in the corresponding 'papers' class by subject, name, or place.

  2. There are a number of POST classes that address issues such as Packet Service minutes, Scottish minutes, Irish minutes and miscellaneous matters. However, the principal classes likely to address central issues of general importance for England and Wales are:

1790 - 1840: POST 40 (POST 42 volumes)

1840 - 1921: POST 30 (POST 35 volumes)

1921 - 1955: POST 33 (POST 38 volumes)

(1941 - 1948): POST 102 (overlaps with POST 33)

1955 - 1973: POST 122 (also POST 35 volumes)

POST CLASSES SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO POST 29:

POST 34 is the accompanying class to POST 29, as it contains indexes and series of précis to the material in POST 29 in addition to précis of minutes that would have been in POST 29 had they not been lost or destroyed.

POST 41 and POST 39 are a parallel series also containing Packet Service and overseas minutes and these classes cover the period 1807-1837. For cases earlier than 1807, researchers should consult the Postmaster General's Reports in POST 42 and POST 40. After 1837, POST 34 and POST 29 became the principal series for overseas and Packet services until 1920.

In 1921, a significant change occurred to the way all reports and minutes were recorded. Before this time, reports and minutes for England and Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and the Packet Service had been recorded separately. From 1921, they were all (including POST 34 and POST 29) amalgamated into POST 38 (Postmaster General's Minute Volumes) and POST 33 (Postmaster General's Minute Papers).

Entry checked by Barbara Ball

Compiled in compliance with General Internation Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G) second edition 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Entry checked June 2011 People by occupation Personnel Communication personnel Postmasters People Packet boats Shipping Postal services Post Office Communication industry Maritime transport Boats Water transport Vessels Vehicles Transport

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The Packet Minute series (POST 29 and 34) comprise minutes to the Postmaster General from the Secretary to the Post Office, on the Packet Boat and overseas mails services. It began in 1811, at which date those subjects were transferred from the Postmaster General's Minute series (POST 30 and 35).

POST 29 consists of volumes containing a copy of, or reference to, every minute submitted to the Postmaster General, including those which have since been destroyed. POST 34/1 - 105 are indexed. The Postmaster General's decision on each case is also recorded. POST 29 consists of those actual papers which are still in existence (comprising both the original minute to the Postmaster General and the papers leading up to, and following from, the Secretary's submission). It has been produced in two versions, one numerical and the other alphabetical, i.e., set out under subject headings. When requisitioning papers, both the catalogue reference Nos. and the Minute No. should be quoted, e.g., POST 29/4, Pkt 203B/1314.

For details of how this class relates to the other report and minute classes, see the following section 'Related Material'.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Please see Scope and Content.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Public Record

Conditions governing reproduction

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

GENERAL GUIDE TO REPORTS AND MINUTES:

POST 29 is one of several POST classes that contain reports and minutes that have been generated at Headquarters level, usually for the purpose of bringing a variety of Post Office matters to the attention of the Postmaster General. Records can relate to people, places or subjects. The various POST classes that hold these records cover the years 1790-1973. The reason there are numerous classes for such records is that organisational changes have occurred within the Post Office through the decades and different and sometimes overlapping systems have been put in place for such record keeping. For a fuller understanding of central records and how the POST classes that they can be found in relate to each other, readers are advised to consult the 'Guide to Reports and Minutes', which includes a timeline that illustrates what periods and subjects are covered by the various POST classes and how they relate to each other. This can be viewed in the BPMA search room or online. For now, here are two pointers.

  1. As a rule of thumb, there are two POST classes for each run of records. One class contains the full paperwork for each case ('papers') and the other class is likely to contain an index or series of précis to this material ('volumes'). This means that the indexes of a 'volume' class will often list the material in the corresponding 'papers' class by subject, name, or place.

  2. There are a number of POST classes that address issues such as Packet Service minutes, Scottish minutes, Irish minutes and miscellaneous matters. However, the principal classes likely to address central issues of general importance for England and Wales are:

1790 - 1840: POST 40 (POST 42 volumes)

1840 - 1921: POST 30 (POST 35 volumes)

1921 - 1955: POST 33 (POST 38 volumes)

(1941 - 1948): POST 102 (overlaps with POST 33)

1955 - 1973: POST 122 (also POST 35 volumes)

POST CLASSES SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO POST 29:

POST 34 is the accompanying class to POST 29, as it contains indexes and series of précis to the material in POST 29 in addition to précis of minutes that would have been in POST 29 had they not been lost or destroyed.

POST 41 and POST 39 are a parallel series also containing Packet Service and overseas minutes and these classes cover the period 1807-1837. For cases earlier than 1807, researchers should consult the Postmaster General's Reports in POST 42 and POST 40. After 1837, POST 34 and POST 29 became the principal series for overseas and Packet services until 1920.

In 1921, a significant change occurred to the way all reports and minutes were recorded. Before this time, reports and minutes for England and Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and the Packet Service had been recorded separately. From 1921, they were all (including POST 34 and POST 29) amalgamated into POST 38 (Postmaster General's Minute Volumes) and POST 33 (Postmaster General's Minute Papers).

Finding aids

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Some items in this series are available on microfilm for viewing in the Search Room.

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

British Postal Museum and Archive: The Royal Mail Archive

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General Internation Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G) second edition 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area