Postmaster General
Chief executive officer of the postal service of a country
A Postmaster General , [1] in Anglosphere countries, is the chief executive officer of the postal service of that country, a ministerial office responsible for overseeing all other postmasters .
History
The practice of having a government official responsible for overseeing the delivery of mail throughout the nation originated in England . A 'Master of the Posts' is mentioned in the King's Book of Payments , with a payment of £ 100 being authorised for Sir Brian Tuke as 'Master of the King's Post' [1] in February 1512. [2] In 1517, he was appointed to the office of 'Governor of the King's Posts', a precursor to the office of Postmaster General of the United Kingdom , by King Henry VIII . [3] In 1609, it was decreed that letters could only be carried and delivered by persons authorised by the Postmaster General. [1]
In the United Kingdom, the office of Postmaster General was abolished in 1969. It was replaced by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications . In 2000, its functions were transferred to the Secretary of State at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). [1]
International
International equivalents include:
jurisdiction | official title | years |
---|---|---|
Scotland | Postmaster General for Scotland | 1616–1707 |
United States | United States Postmaster General | 1775–present |
Ireland | Postmaster-General of Ireland | 1784–1831 |
Sri Lanka | Postmaster General of Sri Lanka | 1815–present |
New Zealand | Postmaster-General of New Zealand | 1858–1989 |
Hong Kong | Postmaster General of Hong Kong | 1860–present |
Canada | Postmaster General of Canada | 1867–1981 |
Australia | Postmaster-General of Australia | 1901–1975 |
References
- 1 2 3 4 Baroness Miller of Hendon (15 June 2000). "Division No. 1 (Postal Services Bill)" . Lords Hansard text for 15 June 2000 (22615-08) . Publications.Parliament.uk . Vol. No. 613 – Part No. 104. Hansard . col. 1782 . Retrieved 17 August 2013 .
- ↑ Brewer, J.S.; Brewer, John Sherren; Brodie, Robert Henry; Gairdner, James (1864). Letters and papers, foreign and domestic, of the reign of Henry VIII. Preserved in the Public Record Office, the British Museum, and elsewhere in England . Vol. II, pt. II. Public Record Office , London: Longman, Green, Longman, & Roberts. p. 1454 .
- ↑ Walker (1938), p. 37 [ clarification needed ]
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List of entities that have
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