Series GB 0813 POST 30 Series - Post Office: Registered Files, Minuted Papers (England and Wales)

4798 files

GB 0813 POST 30 Series 1792-1952 Series 4798 files

No further information available

The system of 'minuting' papers submitted to the Postmaster General by the Secretary to the Post Office for a decision (i.e., numbering the papers, and separately copying a note of the paper as a 'minute' into volumes indexed by subject) was introduced in 1793. It remained in use by the Post Office Headquarters registry until 1973.

Until 1921, several different major minute series were in use: that concerned with the Packet Service (POST 29), and those concerned with England and Wales (POST 30), Ireland (POST 31) and Scotland (POST 32). From 1790 until 1841, parallel 'Report' series were in use by the Secretary (POST 39 & POST 40).

In 1921, the several different minute series were replaced by a single all-embracing series (POST 33). This was suspended in 1941 as a wartime measure when a Decimal Filing system came into use (POST 102), but was resurrected in 1949. In 1955 the registration of Headquarters files began to be decentralised under several local registries serving particular departments, although the 'minuting' of cases considered worthy of preservation, and the assimilation of later cases with earlier existing minuted bundles, continued until 1973.

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

This series of records was divided between the Post Office Archives and BT Archives, in 1991, when telecommunications records were transferred to BT custody.

This series comprises 'minuted' papers relating to Post Office services in England and Wales for the period 1792 to 1952 (although the vast majority of these records cover the period 1840-1921). It also includes references to Irish and Scottish services until 1840. 'Minuted' papers were those papers which had been submitted to the Postmaster General for a decision, and then been retained in the Post Office registry. At first, the papers 'minuted' tended only to be the particular case submitted to the Postmaster General but, as time went on, registry staff followed a practice of continuing to add physically to an existing minuted case all other cases on that subject which came to hand. As a result, the minuted papers frequently consist of quite large bundles of files on a common subject spanning many years. The date range of the files is consequently often much earlier or much later than the date suggested by the 'Former Reference' used by the registry staff and, in many cases, the precise dates covered by the files have not yet been listed. The subject of individual files among the minuted papers can be wide-ranging, from the mundane administrative minutiae to policy decisions on developments of critical importance.

Please see Scope and Content.

Public Record

Please contact the Archive for further information.

English

Please contact the Archive for further information.

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

GENERAL GUIDE TO REPORTS AND MINUTES:

POST 30 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 30:

POST 35 (England and Wales Minute Volumes) is the accompanying class to POST 30, as it contains indexes and series of précis to the material in POST 30.

POST 42 and POST 40 (Postmaster Generals Reports) are two parallel classes that cover the early period 1792-1841. Until about 1837 these classes held reports of more central importance than the more peripheral early records of POST 30 and POST 35.

After 1841 when POST 42 and POST 40 (Postmaster Generals Reports) stop, the sort of information that had been recorded in these classes was amalgamated with the England and Wales Minutes 'volumes' and 'papers' in POST 35 and POST 30 respectively, which therefore became the principal classes for general minutes of the Postmaster General until 1921.

For Scottish minutes 1842-1921 see POST 37 (Scottish Minute Volumes) and POST 32 (Scottish Minute Papers).

For Irish Minutes 1831-1921 see POST 36 (Irish Minute Volumes) and POST 31 (Irish Minute Papers).

For other oversees and Packet Service records 1811-1921 see POST 34 (Packet Service Minute Volumes) and POST 29 (Packet Service Minute Papers).

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 35 and POST 30) amalgamated into POST 38 (Postmaster General's Minute Volumes) and POST 33 (Postmaster General's Minute Papers).

Finally, POST 121 (Miscellaneous Papers) contains miscellaneous minute papers of a similar nature to those found in POST 30 but for various reasons were not filed as such. POST 121 covers the dates 1851-1981 and so all of the pre-1921 papers in this class overlap with the material in POST 30.

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 Post Office Business management Postal services England UK Western Europe Europe Wales Management Communication industry

This series of records was divided between the Post Office Archives and BT Archives, in 1991, when telecommunications records were transferred to BT custody.

This series comprises 'minuted' papers relating to Post Office services in England and Wales for the period 1792 to 1952 (although the vast majority of these records cover the period 1840-1921). It also includes references to Irish and Scottish services until 1840. 'Minuted' papers were those papers which had been submitted to the Postmaster General for a decision, and then been retained in the Post Office registry. At first, the papers 'minuted' tended only to be the particular case submitted to the Postmaster General but, as time went on, registry staff followed a practice of continuing to add physically to an existing minuted case all other cases on that subject which came to hand. As a result, the minuted papers frequently consist of quite large bundles of files on a common subject spanning many years. The date range of the files is consequently often much earlier or much later than the date suggested by the 'Former Reference' used by the registry staff and, in many cases, the precise dates covered by the files have not yet been listed. The subject of individual files among the minuted papers can be wide-ranging, from the mundane administrative minutiae to policy decisions on developments of critical importance.

Please see Scope and Content.

Public Record

Please contact the Archive for further information.

• English

• Latin

English

GENERAL GUIDE TO REPORTS AND MINUTES:

POST 30 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 30:

POST 35 (England and Wales Minute Volumes) is the accompanying class to POST 30, as it contains indexes and series of précis to the material in POST 30.

POST 42 and POST 40 (Postmaster Generals Reports) are two parallel classes that cover the early period 1792-1841. Until about 1837 these classes held reports of more central importance than the more peripheral early records of POST 30 and POST 35.

After 1841 when POST 42 and POST 40 (Postmaster Generals Reports) stop, the sort of information that had been recorded in these classes was amalgamated with the England and Wales Minutes 'volumes' and 'papers' in POST 35 and POST 30 respectively, which therefore became the principal classes for general minutes of the Postmaster General until 1921.

For Scottish minutes 1842-1921 see POST 37 (Scottish Minute Volumes) and POST 32 (Scottish Minute Papers).

For Irish Minutes 1831-1921 see POST 36 (Irish Minute Volumes) and POST 31 (Irish Minute Papers).

For other oversees and Packet Service records 1811-1921 see POST 34 (Packet Service Minute Volumes) and POST 29 (Packet Service Minute Papers).

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 35 and POST 30) amalgamated into POST 38 (Postmaster General's Minute Volumes) and POST 33 (Postmaster General's Minute Papers).

Finally, POST 121 (Miscellaneous Papers) contains miscellaneous minute papers of a similar nature to those found in POST 30 but for various reasons were not filed as such. POST 121 covers the dates 1851-1981 and so all of the pre-1921 papers in this class overlap with the material in POST 30.

Please contact the Archive for further information.

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

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

• English