Rowland Hill

Sir Rowland Hill KCB, FRS (December 3, 1795 - August 27, 1879) was a British teacher and social reformer. He campaigned for a comprehensive reform of the postal system, based on the concept of penny postage, and later served as a government postal official. He is usually credited with originating the basic concepts of the modern postal service, including the invention of the postage stamp. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... The Fellowship of the Royal Society was founded in 1660. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Uniform Penny Post was a component of the comprehensive reform of the Royal Mail, the UKs official postal service, that took place in the 19th-century. ...

Earlier life

Hill was born in Blackwell Street, Kidderminster, Worcestershire. Rowland's father, Thomas Wright Hill, was an innovator in education and politics, including among his friends Joseph Priestley, Tom Paine and Richard Price.^[1] At the age of 11, Rowland became a student-teacher in his father's school. He taught astronomy and earned extra money fixing scientific instruments. He also worked at the Assay Office in Birmingham and painted landscapes in his spare time.^[2] Statistics Population: 55,348 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SO831767 Administration District: Wyre Forest Shire county: Worcestershire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Worcestershire Historic county: Worcestershire Services Police force: West Mercia Police Fire and rescue: Hereford and Worcester Fire & Rescue Service Ambulance... Worcestershire (pronounced ; abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. ... Thomas Wright Hill is credited as inventing the single transferable vote in 1821. ... Joseph Frederick Priestley is often credited for the discovery of oxygen. ... Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (January 29, 1737–June 8, 1809) was a widely recognized intellectual, scholar, and idealist who is considered to be one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. ... Richard Price (February 23, 1723 – April 19, 1791), was a Welsh moral and political philosopher. ... Birmingham Assay Office The Birmingham Assay Office is one of the four remaining Assay Offices in the UK. The development of a silver industry in 18th century Birmingham was hampered by the legal requirement that items of solid silver be assayed, and yet the nearest Assay Offices were in Chester...

Educational reform

In 1819,he moved his father's school Hill Top from central Birmingham, establishing the Hazelwood School at Edgbaston, a "well-to-do" neighbourhood of Birmingham, as an “educational refraction of Priestley's ideas”.^{[3] [4]} Hazelwood was to provide a model for public education for the emerging middle classes, aiming for useful, pupil-centered education which would give sufficient knowledge, skills and understanding to allow a student to continue self-education through a life “most useful to society and most happy to himself”. ^[5] The school, which Hill designed, included such marvels (for its time) as a science lab, a swimming pool, and forced air heating. In his Plans for the Government and Liberal Instruction of Boys in Large Numbers Drawn from Experience (1822, often cited as Public Education) he argued that kindness, instead of caning, and moral influence, rather than fear, should be the predominant forces in school discipline. Science was to be a compulsory subject, and students were to be self-governing.^[6][7] Hazelwood gained international attention when French education leader and editor Marc Antoine Jullien, former secretary to Robespierre, visited and wrote about the school in the June, 1823 issue of his journal Revue. Jullien even transferred his son there. Hazelwood so impressed Jeremy Bentham that the school was moved to Bruce Castle in Tottenham, London in 1827. Edgbaston constituency shown within Birmingham Edgbaston is an area and ward in the city of Birmingham in England. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... Joseph Priestley (March 13, 1733 - February 6, 1804) was an English chemist, dissenting clergyman, and educator. ... // Public education is education mandated for the children of the general public by the government, whether national, regional, or local, provided by an institution of civil government, and paid for, in whole or in part, by taxes. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, (May 6, 1758–July 28, 1794), known also to his contemporaries as the Incorruptible, is one of the best known of the leaders of the French Revolution. ... Jeremy Bentham (IPA: or ) (February 15, 1748 O.S. (February 26, 1749 N.S.) – June 6, 1832) was an English jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. ... Bruce Castle, Tottenham. ... Tottenham is a suburb of north London in the London Borough of Haringey, situated 6. ...

Colonization of South Australia

The colonization of South Australia was a project of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who believed that many of the social problems in Britain were caused by overcrowding and overpopulation. In 1832 Rowland Hill published a tract, entitled Home colonies : sketch of a plan for the gradual extinction of pauperism, and for the diminution of crime, based on a Dutch model.^[8] Hill then served from 1833 until 1839 as secretary of the South Australian Colonization Commission, which worked successfully to establish a settlement without convicts at what is today Adelaide. The political economist, Robert Torrens was chairman of the Commission.^[9] Under the South Australia Act 1834, the colony was to embody the ideals and best qualities of British society, shaped by religious freedom and a commitment to social progress and civil liberties. Capital Adelaide Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 11  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $59,819 (5th)  - Product per capita  $38,838/person (7th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  1,558,200 (5th)  - Density  1. ... Edward Gibbon Wakefield Edward Gibbon Wakefield (20 March 1796 – May 16, 1862) was the driving force behind much of the early colonization of South Australia, and later New Zealand. ... Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1. ... Colonel Robert Torrens (1780 – 1864) was a British army officer and owner of the influential Globe newspaper. ... The South Australia Colonisation Act 1834 is the short title of an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom with the long title An Act to empower His Majesty to erect South Australia into a British Province or Provinces and to provide for the Colonisation and Government thereof and... Freedom of religion is the individuals right or freedom to hold whatever religious beliefs he or she wishes, or none at all. ... Social progress is defined as a progress of society, which makes the society better in the general view of its members. ... Civil liberties is the name given to freedoms that protect the individual from government. ...

Postal reform

Hill interested himself in a reform of the postal system, as well.^[10]. In the 1830's at least 12 1/2% of all British mail was conveyed under the personal frank of Peers, dignitaries and Members of Parliament, while censorship and political espionage were conducted by postal officials. Fundamentally, the postal system was mismanaged, wasteful, expensive and slow. It had become inadequate for the needs of an expanding commercial and industrial nation.^[11] There are stories, most likely apocryphal, about how Hill gained an interest in reforming the postal system -- that he noticed a young woman too poor to redeem a letter sent to her by her fiancé. At that time, letters were most often paid for by the recipient, not the sender. The recipient could simply refuse delivery. Frauds were commonplace; for example, coded information could appear on the cover of the letter; the recipient would examine the cover to gain the information, and then refuse delivery to avoid payment. Each individual letter had to be logged. In addition, postal rates were complex, depending on the distance and the number of sheets in the letter.^[12]

Richard Cobden and John Ramsey McCulloch, both advocates of free trade, attacked the policies of privilege and protection of the Tory government. McCulloch, in 1833, advanced the view that "nothing contributes more to facilitate commerce than the safe, speedy and cheap conveyance of letters."^[13] Richard Cobden Richard Cobden (June 3, 1804 – April 2, 1865) was an a British manufacturer and Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with John Bright in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League. ... John Ramsey McCulloch (1789 - 1864) was widely regarded as the leader of the Ricardian school of economists after the death of David Ricardo in 1823. ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Hill's famous pamphlet, Post Office Reform: its Importance and Practicability, was privately circulated in 1837. The report called for "low and uniform rates" according to weight, rather than distance. Hill's study showed that most of the costs in the postal system were not for transportation, but rather for laborious handling procedures at the origins and the destinations. Costs could be reduced dramatically if postage were prepaid by the sender, the prepayment to be proven by the use of prepaid letter sheets or adhesive stamps (adhesive stamps had long been used to show payment of taxes -- for example, on documents). Letter sheets were to be used because envelopes were not yet common -- they were not yet mass-produced, and in an era when postage was calculated partly on the basis of the number of sheets of paper used, the same sheet of paper would be folded and serve for both the message and the address. In addition, Hill proposed to lower the postage rate to a penny per half ounce, without regard to distance.^[14] He presented his proposal to the Government. Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 (MDCCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The Penny Black

In the House of Lords the Postmaster, Lord Lichfield, thundered about Hill's "wild and visionary schemes." William Leader Maberly, Secretary to the Post Office, denounced Hill's study: "This plan appears to be a preposterous one, utterly unsupported by facts and resting entirely on assumption". But merchants, traders and bankers viewed the existing system as corrupt and a restraint of trade. They formed a "Mercantile Committee" to advocate for Hill's plan and pushed for its adoption. In 1839, Hill was given a two-year contract to run the new system. Penny Black This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Penny Black This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Earl of Lichfield is a title originally created in the peerage of England that has twice become extinct and was recreated in the peerage of the United Kingdom. ... William Leader Maberly (1798–1885) spent most of his life as a British army officer and politician. ...

Postal service rates were lowered almost immediately, to fourpence from the 5th of December, 1839, then to the penny rate on the 10th of January 1840, even before stamps or letter sheets could be printed. The volume of paid internal correspondence increased dramatically, by 120%, between November, 1839 and February, 1840. This initial increase resulted from the elimination of "free franking" privileges and smuggling.

Prepaid letter sheets, with a design by William Mulready, were distributed in early 1840. These Mulready envelopes were not popular and were widely satirized. According to a brochure distributed by the National Postal Museum, the Mulready envelopes threatened the livelihoods of stationery manufacturers, who encouraged the satires. They became so unpopular that the government used them on official mail and destroyed many others. William Mulready (April 1, 1786 - June 7, 1863) was an Irish genre painter living in London. ... Mulready stationery describes pre-gummed wrappers or envelopes, introduced as part of the British Post Office postal reforms of 1840. ...

In May, 1840, the world's first adhesive postage stamps were distributed. With an elegant engraving of the young Queen Victoria, the Penny Black was an immediate success. Refinements, such as perforations to ease the separating of the stamps, would be instituted with later issues. The Penny Black, partially obscured by a red cancellation. ...

Later life

Rowland Hill continued at the Post Office until the Conservative Party won re-election. Sir Robert Peel returned to office between August 30, 1841 and June 29, 1846. Amid rancorous controversy, Hill was dismissed in July, 1842. Fortunately, the London and Brighton Railway named him a director and later chairman of the board, from 1843 through 1846. He lowered the fares from London to Brighton, expanded the routes, offered special excursion trains, and made the commute comfortable for riders. In 1844 Edwin Chadwick, Rowland Hill, John Stuart Mill, Lyon Playfair, Dr. Neill Arnott, and other friends formed a society called "Friends in Council," which met at each other's houses to discuss questions of political economy. ^[15] Hill also became a member of the influential Political Economy Club, founded by David Ricardo and other classical economists, but now including many influential businessmen and political figures as well.^[16] The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and is the second oldest extant political party in the world. ... Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was the Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from December 10, 1834 to April 8, 1835, and again from August 30, 1841 to June 29, 1846. ... The London and Brighton Railway (L&B) was incorporated in 1837. ... Sir Edwin Chadwick (January 24, 1800–July 6, 1890) was an English social reformer, noted for his work to reform the Poor Laws and improve sanitary conditions and public health. ... John Stuart Mill (20th May 1806 – 8th May 1873), a British philosopher and political economist, was an influential liberal thinker of the 19th century. ... The Political Economy Club was founded by James Mill[1] and a circle of friends in 1821 in London, for the purpose of coming to an agreement on the fundamental principles of political economy. ... David Ricardo (April 18, 1772 – September 11, 1823), a political economist, is often credited with systematising economics, and was one of the most influential of the classical economists, along with Thomas Malthus, and Adam Smith. ...

In 1846, when the Conservatives left office, Hill became Secretary to the Postmaster General, and then Secretary to the Post Office from 1854 until 1864. For his services Hill was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1860. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society and was given an honorary degree from Oxford. In the United Kingdom, the Postmaster General is a now defunct ministerial position. ... The British General Post Office (GPO) was officially established in 1660 by Charles II and it eventually grew to combine the functions of both the state postal system and telecommunications carrier. ... Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... The Fellowship of the Royal Society was founded in 1660. ...

He died in Hampstead, London in 1879. Sir Rowland Hill is buried in Westminster Abbey; there is a memorial to him on his family grave in Highgate Cemetery. The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... Circle of Lebanon, West Cemetery Entrance to the Egyptian Avenue, West Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a famous cemetery located in Highgate, London, England. ...

Legacy

Hill's legacies are two: the first was his model for education of the emerging middle classes. The second was his model for an efficient postal system to serve business and the public, including the postage stamp and the system of low and uniform postal rates, which we often take for granted. In this, he not only changed the postal services around the world, but also made commerce more efficient and profitable. In fact the Uniform Penny Post continued in the United Kingdom into the twentieth century, and at one point, one penny paid for up to four ounces. The Uniform Penny Post was a component of the comprehensive reform of the Royal Mail, the UKs official postal service, that took place in the 19th-century. ...

There are three public statues of him. The first, sculpted by Sir Thomas Brock and unveiled in 1881, stands in the town of his birthplace, Kidderminster.^[17] The second, by Edward Onslow Ford stands at King Edward Street, London^[18] The third, less known, by Peter Hollins, used to stand in Hurst Street, Birmingham but it is currently in the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery store.^[19] A life size white marble bust by W. D. Keyworth, Jr. may be viewed in St. Paul's Chapel, Westminster Abbey.^[20] Sir Thomas Brock (March 1, 1847 - August 22, 1922) was a British sculptor. ... Fords statue The Snowdrift Edward Onslow Ford (July 27, 1852 - December 23, 1901), English sculptor, was born in London. ... The gay scene in Birmingham is centred on and around Hurst Street in the city centre. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Opened in 1885, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BM&AG), in Birmingham, England, has a collection of international importance covering fine art, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, archaeology, ethnography, local and industrial history. ...

At Tottenham there is now a local History Museum at Bruce Castle (where Hill lived during the 1840s) including some relevant exhibits. Tottenham is a suburb of north London in the London Borough of Haringey, situated 6. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bruce Castle, Tottenham. ...

The Rowland Hill Awards,^[21] started by the Royal Mail and the British Philatelic Trust in 1997^[22], are annual awards for philatelic "innovation, initiative and enterprise." Royal Mails logo Royal Mail is the national postal service of the United Kingdom. ...

In 1882, the Post Office instituted the Rowland Hill Fund^[23] for postal workers, pensioners and dependants in need.

References

The Lunar Society was a discussion club of prominent industrialists and scientists, who met regularly between 1765 and 1813 in Birmingham, England. ...

Literature

• Matthew Davenport Hill and Rowland Hill, Plans for the Government and Liberal Instruction of Boys in Large Numbers Drawn from Experience (1822); new ed. with additions (1827).
• Rowland Hill, Home Colonies: a Plan for the Gradual Extinction of Pauperism and the Diminution of Crime. London, Simpkin and Marshall (1832) 52 pages. (New York Public Library SGF p.v.16, no.11.)
• Rowland Hill, Post Office Reform: its Importance and Practicability (1837)
• Rowland Hill and Arthur Hill, A History of Penny Postage with intro. by George Birkbeck Hill, "The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the Penny Postage". 2 vols. London, T. De La Rue & Co. (1880)
• David Allam, The Social and Economic Importance of Postal Reform in 1840. Batley: Harry Hayes, 1976
• R. H. Coase, Rowland Hill and the Penny Post. Economica, New Series, Vol. 6, No. 24 (Nov., 1939), pp. 423-435.
• H. W. Hill, Rowland Hill and the Fight for the Penny Post. Frederick Warne, 1940
• M.J. Daunton, Rowland Hill and the Penny Post, History Today, August, 1985.
• Jean Farrugia, The Life and Work of Sir Rowland Hill, 1795-1879.

External Links

• "Sir Rowland Hill, K.G.B.", in American Philatelic Society Hall of Fame, 1941