OLD POST-OFFICE CUSTOMS 167 



his head till his death. Note, by the way, that an 

 hog-back and little head is a sign that any fish is in 

 season." 



The chief street of Hiingerford lies along the road 

 to Salisbury, and the cyclist who is intent upon 

 " doing " the Bath Eoad without turning to thoroughly 

 explore the places along its course, consequently sees 

 little of the town beyond the few old mansions and 

 cottages, and the old coaching inn, " The Bear," 

 which front the highway. Not much, however, is in 

 this case lost, for Hungerford contains little of interest, 

 and were it not for its singular Hocktide customs, and 

 for the fact that it was the first town to obtain the 

 free delivery of letters between its post-office and 

 the houses to which letters were addressed, would 

 scarce demand an extended notice. 



The original plan of the General Post-Office, all 

 over the country, was to allow postmasters of country 

 towns to demand a fee for delivery. Those who 

 expected letters were supposed to call for them. If 

 they desired them to be delivered, the additional fee 

 was a penny or twopence, according to the conscience 

 or the cupidity of the postmaster, whose perquisites 

 these fees were. This applied to houses quite near 

 post-oflftces, and even next door to them. This extra- 

 ordinary state of afifiirs was borne with for some 

 time, until at last several towns brought actions 

 against the Post-Office to decide if prepaid postage 

 ought not to ensure delivery in the boundaries of 

 post-towns. Hungerford was selected by the Courts 

 as a typical case, and secured a judgment in its 

 favour, Michaelmas, 1774. 



