* 
_. 
27 
tespectable commodity ; but when a penny only had to be paid, 
he said people wrote about everything and nothing. 
The custom had been to send letters for farmers and others to 
their “‘host’s houses,” i.e. the public houses where the farmers put 
up on market days. This Mr. Beaufort (under instructions) put 
an entire stop to. The letters were usually put into a card rack 
at the various inns, and the people helped themselves when they 
came to town. This was held to be quite insecure, and the country 
letters had now to be called for. To carry this new regulation out 
was my unpopular duty. Many attempts were made to tire me 
out. Manufacturers in the country told all their work people to 
call at the office window every time they came to town; and for a 
time they did so. But they did not tire me out, but tired them- 
selves. 
But Mr. Beaufort was intent upon making the service more 
efficient, and he at once saw that Braithwaite would be a good 
place for a sub-office and a daily rural messenger. Accordingly, 
within six months, viz. October 27th, 1846, a sub-office was opened 
at Braithwaite, and Mr. Thomas Gibson was appointed sub- 
postmaster, and William Greenip the first rural postman. ‘Old 
Bill,” as he was familiarly called, was a notable man. He had 
served some years in the militia. He was a naturalist, mineralogist, 
an antiquary, and a great reader. ‘The military discipline he had 
learnt, made him exact in the performance of his duty. His route 
was by. way of Little Braithwaite, where he had to ford the river 
through floods which did not appal him, till once he was nearly 
taken away by the swollen river, when he asked, “Is I to gang to 
be drowned ?” whereupon I told him never again to risk his life, 
even in the important matter of the delivery of the letters. 
Mr. Stanger of Lairthwaite, writing of this beginning of rural 
posts, to his friend, the Rev. J. W. Whiteside, at Ripon, says :— 
‘*Mr. Atkinson resigned the post office as too confining and laborious, and 
is I think much better since he did so. Mrs. A. rather failing in memory, &c., 
but pretty well. I got F. Crosthwaite appointed through our county member, 
and we have a branch office at Braithwaite, to which I got Thomas Gibson 
appointed, and we have a running postman between.” 
