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Rates between England/Wales and Scotland/Ireland 1635-1660

Mail between England and Scotland in this period was generally routed via Berwick. Between Great Britain and Ireland it was sent packet boat – either between Holyhead and Dublin (from 1635, the "standard" route), or between Milford and Waterford (first mentioned 1654). The charges seem to have been the same regardless of route at this point.

The precise rate implications of the earlier documents are not always clear. Seventeenth-century letters in general are scarce, and letters with clear charges from before 1660 that can help to deduce what the practices were are rare, especially cross-border mails! As elsewhere in this section, it seemed best to separate out the early rates and quote them as given. Rates in this period were set from London and the relevant entries from the England and Wales 1635-60 page have been copied here for reference.


Date Auth. Mileage Single Other Rates and Notes
1635
(5 Oct)
Royal Proclam'n 31 Jul 1635 "Upon the Borders of Scotland and in Scotland" 8d "if there be two, three, four, or five letters in one packet, or more, then to pay according to the bigness of the said packet after the rate as before"
1637
(6 Jun)
Unsigned warrant, also Irish Proclam'n, also Royal Proclam'n 11 Feb 1638 To Scotland 8d As before? (not specified)
To Ireland 9d "and for letters of Ireland, he or they shall take, according to a Proclamation published by the Lord Deputy and Council there, 9d. the single letter, and if bigger, after two ounces, 6d. the ounce, according as the same are limited in his Majesty's letters patents aforesaid"
(Sanford & Salt quote a 2s 6d ounce rate)
1653
(Jan)
Broadsheet, & Ordinance 2 Sep 1654 To or from Scotland 4d Double rates (twice single) given, then "for treble or greater Packets of Letters proportion­ably"
To or from Ireland 6d
1657
(Jun)
Act 1657 c.30 To or from Scotland 4d 8d double, "And so proportionably; and if a pacquet of a greater bulk, 1s. 6d. per oz."
To or from Ireland 6d 1s double, "And so proportionably; and for every pacquet of a greater bulk, 2s. per oz."