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by Rowland Hill (Author), George Birkbeck Hill (Author)
The Life of Sir Rowland Hill V1: And the History of Penny Postage is a book written by Rowland Hill himself, chronicling his life and his contributions to the postal system of the United Kingdom. Hill was a prominent figure in the early 19th century, and his innovative ideas revolutionized the way mail was delivered and postage was charged.The book is divided into two parts. The first part is an autobiographical account of Hill's life, from his childhood in Birmingham to his career as a teacher, inventor, and social reformer. Hill describes his early experiments with postal reform and his eventual appointment as Secretary to the Post Office in 1837.The second part of the book is a detailed history of the development of the Penny Postage system, which Hill is most famous for. Hill explains the problems with the existing system of charging for postage, which was based on distance and number of sheets of paper. He then outlines his proposal for a uniform rate of one penny per letter, regardless of distance or weight.Hill's proposal was met with resistance from many quarters, but he persevered and eventually convinced Parliament to pass the Penny Postage Act of 1839. The new system was an immediate success, and within a few years, the volume of mail in the UK had doubled.The Life of Sir Rowland Hill V1: And the History of Penny Postage is a fascinating account of one man's vision and determination to improve the postal system of his country. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of communication and the role of innovation in social and economic progress.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
