Building    From 23/9/1829  To 1910

General Post Office

Categories: Commerce

The first general post office in London opened in 1643, after King Charles I legalised use of the royal posts for private correspondence. It was possibly located on Cloak Lane near Dowgate Hill, in the City.

Later, in 1678, the General Post Office moved from Bishopsgate Street to a building in Abchurch Lane and remained there until the opening of this building on the east side of St. Martins-le-Grand in 1829, designed by Robert Smirke. Here Trollope began work as a junior clerk and here Rowland Hill transformed the Post Office into an efficient, greatly-loved institution.

Quoting from Mogg's New Picture of London and Visitor's Guide to it Sights, 1844, Victorian London describes this building and adds: "Here is the head of this vast establishment; but there are four branch offices, - at Lombard Street; Charing Cross; Cavendish Street, Oxford Street; and 266. Borough High Street."

In the 1870s a new building was created on the west of St Martins-le-Grand to house the telegraph department. This was expanded to the north in the 1890s. The magnificent Smirke building was closed and demolished in 1912. All that remains is an Ionic capital outside the Vestry House Museum in Walthamstow.

The National Telephone Company, created in 1881 out of a number of small local telephone companies, was taken over by the GPO in 1912.

The1870s building was the General Post Office headquarters 1894 - 1984.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
General Post Office

Commemorated ati

General Post Office capital

185cm high x 160cm wide x 160cm deep and over 5 tons.

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General Post Office plaque

The General Post Office moved from Bishopsgate Street to a building on this s...

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GPO architectural sculpture

Immediately north of this panel are 7 other similar architectural panels rela...

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Penfold pillar box - EC1

Painted in the authentic green then in use, this is a reproduction of the Pen...

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This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
General Post Office

Creations i

Michael Faraday - N7 - plaque

This plaque was first erected in the Sandemanian Chapel, at the same time, 19...

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Other Subjects

Lord Levene

Lord Levene

Chariman of Lloyd's of London in 2008.

Person, Commerce

1 memorial
Old Serjeant's Inn

Old Serjeant's Inn

There is a 53 page, privately printed history of the Old Serjeants Inn, published in 1912 by the Law Union and Rock Insurance Company Ltd, who acquired the property in 1909.

Building, Commerce

1 memorial
John Thornton

John Thornton

Philanthropist who promoted Christian missionary work.  Died following an accident at Bath.  He is listed on the plaque as a menber of the Clapham Sect but it did not really get going until his dea...

Person, Commerce, Religion

1 memorial
Osram

Osram

Lamps and light bulb manufacturers. Founded by the merger of the lighting businesses of Auergesellschaft, Siemens & Halske and Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG). The name is derived f...

Group, Commerce, Germany

1 memorial
The George Pub, Fleet Street

The George Pub, Fleet Street

Founded in 1723 as a coffee house, became Georges Hotel in 1830 and then a public house as it is today. Current building is late Victorian.

Building, Commerce, Food & Drink

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Moran Morris

Moran Morris

Pilot Officer, 133 Eagle Squadron, American, killed.

Person, USA

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
Edward John Reed, MA

Edward John Reed, MA

Member of the Joint Co-ordinating Committee in 1982 for opening Tower Bridge to the public.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Dr Samuel Johnson - Johnson's Court

Dr Samuel Johnson - Johnson's Court

EC4, Johnson's Court

He lived on this site prior to moving to the famous Samuel Johnson's House in Gough Square.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Betty Afua Agyapong

Betty Afua Agyapong

Betty Afua Agyapong was born on 3 April 1955. She died, aged 32 years, in the King's Cross Underground Station fire on 18 November 1987 and was buried on 5 December 1987 in the Royal Borough of Ken...

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
Rodney's Head

Rodney's Head

EC1, Old Street, 12

1876 is incised into the stone work of the building.

2 subjects commemorated