104 ON THE TRACK OF THE MAIL-COACH 



The varied service of the immediate predecessor of 

 the present Postmaster of Southampton gives a good 

 idea of the training which administrative officials got 

 in the old days, and still in some degree get (though 

 not to anything like the extent which I think would 

 be advantageous to the department), while serving 

 their novitiate. 



Mr. Pellatt entered the Post-Office in January, 

 1838. He was sent to Bury St. Edmund's to assist 

 a Surveyor in the duties of his district. The first 

 thing that this youth of seventeen had to do was to 

 go to Weedon, and constitute that place as a ]30st- 

 town. He writes : 



' In January, 1839, 1 was sent into the home district, to induct 

 the new deputy of Luton. In those days the term " post- 

 master " was not used. Before I had been at Luton many days 

 Mr. H. MeUersh [afterwards Assistant Army Postmaster in 

 the Crimea] brought me a letter from Colonel Maberly, direct- 

 ing me to go to the northern district of Scotland. At Perth, 

 the headquarters, I remained until I was ordered off into the 

 South Wales district to take charge of the Pembroke post-office, 

 where I remained tiU the latter end of November, when I 

 travelled back to London by mail-coach, the journey occupying 

 two nights and a day. 



' I remember going, early in 1840, to Lynn to see the effect 

 of the introduction of Penny Postage on the duties of that office. 

 Mr. Piobinson Crusoe was the then postmaster. [He must, I 

 apprehend, have long been back at home from the posts of 

 Juan Fernandez, though Mr. Pellatt does not refer to the fact !] 



' In November, 1840, I once more was sent off to the southern 

 district of Scotland, and next to the eastern district. 



' In January, 1851, I took charge of the office at Stevenage. 

 The postmistress was at the point of death, so the office had to 

 be removed to my lodgings. I had the whole of the duties to 



