Plaque

Penfold pillar box - EC1

Erection date: 6/9/2016

Inscription

The Penfold Postbox designed by John Penfold in 1866.
This postbox was unveiled by their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall on 6th September 2016.
It commemorates 500 years since the knighting of Brian Tuke, the first Master of the Posts, by King Henry VIII in 1516.
The act was the catalyst for the creation of the Royal Mail we know today. Tuke had the influence and authority to establish key post towns across the country and build out a formal postal network.
The building that this postbox is now situated outside was the General Post Office (GPO) headquarters from 1894 - 1984.
The earlier GPO building was located opposite this site from 1829 - 1912.

Painted in the authentic green then in use, this is a reproduction of the Penfold design, first installed in 1866.

Site: Penny Post & Penfold pillar box - EC1 (2 memorials)

EC1, St Martin's le Grand

The building with the plaque, to the right of our photo, was the General Post Office (GPO) headquarters 1894 - 1984.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of plaquesoflondon.co.uk

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Penfold pillar box - EC1

Subjects commemorated i

General Post Office

The first general post office in London opened in 1643, after King Charles I ...

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King Henry VIII

Son of Henry VII. Born Born Greenwich Palace, as the spare, not the heir but ...

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John Penfold

Surveyor and architect. Born John Wornham Penfold in Haslemere, Surrey. He wa...

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Sir Brian Tuke

Administrator. He was secretary to King Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey, and t...

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Penfold pillar boxes

Designed by John Penfold. They are distinguished by their hexagonal shape, wi...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Penfold pillar box - EC1

Created by i

Camilla, Queen Consort

Born London as Camilla Rosemary Shand. 1973 married Andrew Parker Bowles, 199...

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King Charles III

Patron of the Goon Show Preservation Society. On the death of his mother, Qu...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Penfold pillar box - EC1

Also at this site i

Penny Post  - 1890 jubilee

Penny Post - 1890 jubilee

This stone was laid by the Right Honourable Henry Cecil Raikes, M. P., Her Ma...

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