United Kingdom Postmaster General
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In the United Kingdom, the Postmaster General is a now defunct ministerial position.
The king's letters to his subjects are known to have been carried by relays of couriers as long ago as the 15th century. In 1510, Sir Brian Tuke was appointed as "Master of the King's Post". In 1609 it was decreed that letters could only be carried and delivered by persons authorised by the Postmaster General. 1660 saw the establishment of the General Letter Office, this would later become the General Post Office (GPO).
The Telegraph Act of 1868 established the office of the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs. This would subsequently extend to telecommunications and broadcasting.
The title of "Postmaster General" was abolished under the Post Office Act of 1969. A new public authority governed by a chairman was established under the name of the "Post Office." The position of "Postmaster General" was replaced with "Minister of Posts and Telecommunications". Former holders of this post:
- John Wildman 1689-1691
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- Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester 1823-1826
- Lord Frederick Montagu 1826-1827
- William Montagu, 5th Duke of Manchester 1827-1830
- Charles Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond and Lennox 1830-1834
- Francis Nathaniel Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham 1834
- William Wellesley-Pole, 1st Baron Maryborough 1834-1835
- Francis Nathaniel Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham 1835
- Thomas William Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield 1835-1841
- William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale 1841-1845
- Edward Granville Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans 1845-1846
- Ulick John de Burgh, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde 1846-1852
- Charles Philip Yorke, 4th Earl of Hardwicke 1852
- Charles John Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning 1853-1855
- George Douglas Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll 1855-1858
- Charles Edward Abbot, 2nd Baron Colchester 1858-1859
- James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin 1859-1860
- Edward John Stanley, 2nd Baron Stanley of Alderley 1860-1866
- James Graham, 4th Duke of Montrose 1866-1868
- Spencer Compton Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington 1868-1871
- William Monsell 1871-1873
- Lyon Playfair 1873-1874
- Lord John Manners 1874-1880
- Henry Fawcett 1880-1884
- George John Shaw-Lefevre 1884-1885
- Lord John Manners 1885-1886
- George Grenfell Glyn, 2nd Baron Wolverton 1886
- Henry Cecil Raikes 1886-1891
- Sir James Fergusson 1891-1892
- Arnold Morley 1892-1895
- Henry Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk 1895 -1900
- Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry 1900-1902
- Austen Chamberlain 1902-1903
- Edward George Villiers Stanley, Lord Stanley 1903-1905
- Sidney Buxton 1905-1910
- Herbert Samuel 1910-1914
- Charles Hobhouse 1914-1915
- Herbert Samuel 1915-1916
- Joseph Pease 1916
- Albert Illingworth 1916-1921
- Frederick Kellaway 1921-1922
- Neville Chamberlain 1922-1923
- Sir William Joynson-Hicks 1923
- Sir Laming Worthington-Evans 1923-1924
- Vernon Hartshorn 1924
- Sir William Mitchell-Thomson 1924-1929
- Hastings Bertrand Lees-Smith 1929-1931
- Clement Attlee 1931
- Sir William Ormsby-Gore 1931
- Sir Kingsley Wood 1931-1935
- Geoffrey Tryon 1935-1940
- William Morrison 1940-1942
- Harry Crookshank 1942-1945
- William Francis Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel 1945-1947
- Wilfrid Poling 1947-1950
- Ness Edwards 1950-1951
- Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr 1951-1955
- Charles Hill 1955-1957
- Ernest Bevins 1957-1959
- Ernest Marples 1959-1964
- Anthony Wedgwood Benn 1964-1966
- Edward Short 1966-1968
- Roy Mason 1968
- John Stonehouse 1968-1969