Área de identidad
Código de referencia
Título
Fecha(s)
- 1765-[1995] (Creación)
Nivel de descripción
Volumen y soporte
73 volumes, 133 files, 69 items
Área de contexto
Nombre del productor
Historia biográfica
The first Post Office employees to be issued with a uniform were the Mail Coach Guards who, from 1784, wore a scarlet coat with blue lapels and a black top hat with a gold band. As of 1793 the London General Post Letter Carriers were furnished with a scarlet coat with blue lapels, blue waistcoat and beaver hat with a gold band. By 1834 this uniform was worn by letter carriers in Edinburgh and Dublin as well as London. (See POST 61/1).
1837 saw the introduction of a uniform for the London district 'Twopenny Postmen'. These men wore the same blue waistcoat and beaver hat, but were given a blue coat with a red collar. This arrangement lasted eighteen years until the amalgamation of the General and Twopenny Postmen when a new uniform was issued to all London Letter Carriers. The new dress included a scarlet frock coat, glazed hat and grey trousers, it was the first time that trousers had been issued as part of the uniform. (See POST 61/63).
The Post Office took over responsibility for the country's Telegraph Service in 1870 and with it inherited a responsibility to provide Boy Messengers with a uniform as a supplement to their wages, something previously carried out for some time by the private telegraph companies). By providing suitable work clothes for the Boy Messengers the Post Office must have been spurred to extend the entitlements to uniform because, by 1872, the whole delivery force was receiving official Post Office dress.
Decisions made relating to uniform had always been rather disorganised with reports being produced here and there addressing very limited subject areas. (See POST 61/7). In an attempt to rectify this haphazard approach, the Committee on Uniform Clothing was created in 1908, and by 1910 the committee had produced a comprehensive report standardising postal uniforms nationwide by creating six 'Classes' of attire which corresponded directly with the grading of each duty. (See POST 61/11).
During the First World War (1914-1918) the number of Postwomen employed by the Post Office rocketed as more and more male workers were drafted into the armed forces. Previously female letter carriers had only been afforded a limited clothing entitlement, but as of 1916 they were provided with a blue serge coat and skirt, a waterproof skirt and cape, and a blue straw hat. (See POST 61/65).
Most of the main aspects of uniform manufacture and distribution remained unchanged from this point until 1948 when a review of Post Office Engineering grades was ordered by the Postmaster General. (See POST 61/4). Following the successful creation of scales of entitlement for the new engineering grades the Postmaster General decided to order a comprehensive review of all grades not covered by the 1948 agreement. For this task a new committee entitled 'The Joint Working Party on Uniform and Protective Clothing' was created and after four years of research and deliberation produced the 1954 report examining the arrangements for supply and issue of uniform and protective clothing. (See POST 61/13). (For committee papers and minutes of meetings held by the Joint Working Party on Uniform see POST 61/67 - 72).
Institución archivística
Historia archivística
GB 0813 POST 61 Series 1765-[1995] Series 73 volumes, 133 files, 69 items
No further information available
The first Post Office employees to be issued with a uniform were the Mail Coach Guards who, from 1784, wore a scarlet coat with blue lapels and a black top hat with a gold band. As of 1793 the London General Post Letter Carriers were furnished with a scarlet coat with blue lapels, blue waistcoat and beaver hat with a gold band. By 1834 this uniform was worn by letter carriers in Edinburgh and Dublin as well as London. (See POST 61/1).
1837 saw the introduction of a uniform for the London district 'Twopenny Postmen'. These men wore the same blue waistcoat and beaver hat, but were given a blue coat with a red collar. This arrangement lasted eighteen years until the amalgamation of the General and Twopenny Postmen when a new uniform was issued to all London Letter Carriers. The new dress included a scarlet frock coat, glazed hat and grey trousers, it was the first time that trousers had been issued as part of the uniform. (See POST 61/63).
The Post Office took over responsibility for the country's Telegraph Service in 1870 and with it inherited a responsibility to provide Boy Messengers with a uniform as a supplement to their wages, something previously carried out for some time by the private telegraph companies). By providing suitable work clothes for the Boy Messengers the Post Office must have been spurred to extend the entitlements to uniform because, by 1872, the whole delivery force was receiving official Post Office dress.
Decisions made relating to uniform had always been rather disorganised with reports being produced here and there addressing very limited subject areas. (See POST 61/7). In an attempt to rectify this haphazard approach, the Committee on Uniform Clothing was created in 1908, and by 1910 the committee had produced a comprehensive report standardising postal uniforms nationwide by creating six 'Classes' of attire which corresponded directly with the grading of each duty. (See POST 61/11).
During the First World War (1914-1918) the number of Postwomen employed by the Post Office rocketed as more and more male workers were drafted into the armed forces. Previously female letter carriers had only been afforded a limited clothing entitlement, but as of 1916 they were provided with a blue serge coat and skirt, a waterproof skirt and cape, and a blue straw hat. (See POST 61/65).
Most of the main aspects of uniform manufacture and distribution remained unchanged from this point until 1948 when a review of Post Office Engineering grades was ordered by the Postmaster General. (See POST 61/4). Following the successful creation of scales of entitlement for the new engineering grades the Postmaster General decided to order a comprehensive review of all grades not covered by the 1948 agreement. For this task a new committee entitled 'The Joint Working Party on Uniform and Protective Clothing' was created and after four years of research and deliberation produced the 1954 report examining the arrangements for supply and issue of uniform and protective clothing. (See POST 61/13). (For committee papers and minutes of meetings held by the Joint Working Party on Uniform see POST 61/67 - 72).
Please contact the Archive for further information.
This POST Class comprises material mainly relating to the design, manufacture and distribution of uniform, but also includes some material relating to discipline within the Post Office.
It includes reports on the manufacture and distribution of uniform, papers relating to the Committee of the Joint Working Party on Uniform and Protective Clothing, registers detailing patterns produced, contract statistics and schedules of entitlement, volumes containing decisions made by the Postmaster General which set precedents for the issue of uniform, correspondence relating to all aspects of uniform including the running of the Stores Department and photographic records of uniform garments with pattern numbers, guides to disciplinary procedures, papers relating to disciplinary cases and correspondence and memoranda relating to other aspects of discipline within the Post Office.
Please contact the Archive for further information.
Public Record
Please contact the Archive for further information
English
Please contact the Archive for further information.
Information on uniform can be found in the Search Room library, in the Post Office 'Green Papers' and the minuted Post Classes 30 - 35, 121 and 122.
Entry checked by Barbara Ball
Compiled in compliance with General International 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 Ethics Moral concepts Textiles Clothing Uniforms Work clothes Postal services Post Office Communication industry
Origen del ingreso o transferencia
Please contact the Archive for further information.
Área de contenido y estructura
Alcance y contenido
This POST Class comprises material mainly relating to the design, manufacture and distribution of uniform, but also includes some material relating to discipline within the Post Office.
It includes reports on the manufacture and distribution of uniform, papers relating to the Committee of the Joint Working Party on Uniform and Protective Clothing, registers detailing patterns produced, contract statistics and schedules of entitlement, volumes containing decisions made by the Postmaster General which set precedents for the issue of uniform, correspondence relating to all aspects of uniform including the running of the Stores Department and photographic records of uniform garments with pattern numbers, guides to disciplinary procedures, papers relating to disciplinary cases and correspondence and memoranda relating to other aspects of discipline within the Post Office.
Valorización, destrucción y programación
Acumulaciones
Sistema de arreglo
Please contact the Archive for further information.
Área de condiciones de acceso y uso
Condiciones de acceso
Public Record
Condiciones
Please contact the Archive for further information
Idioma del material
- inglés
Escritura del material
- latín
Notas sobre las lenguas y escrituras
English
Características físicas y requisitos técnicos
Information on uniform can be found in the Search Room library, in the Post Office 'Green Papers' and the minuted Post Classes 30 - 35, 121 and 122.
Instrumentos de descripción
Please contact the Archive for further information.
Área de materiales relacionados
Existencia y localización de originales
Existencia y localización de copias
Unidades de descripción relacionadas
Área de notas
Identificador/es alternativo(os)
Puntos de acceso
Puntos de acceso por materia
Puntos de acceso por lugar
Puntos de acceso por autoridad
Tipo de puntos de acceso
Área de control de la descripción
Identificador de la descripción
Identificador de la institución
Reglas y/o convenciones usadas
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Estado de elaboración
Nivel de detalle
Fechas de creación revisión eliminación
Idioma(s)
- inglés