The Stamps of Canada
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he Stamp Collector's Magazine for August, 1868, contained an interest-
ing article on the history of the Canadian Post-office, largely compiled
from information given in the "Canadian Postal Guide," which we cannot
do better than quote in full.
The earliest records of the administration of the post-office in Canada, are
dated 1750, at which period the celebrated Benjamin Franklin was Deputy
Postmaster-General of North America. At the time of his appointment, the
revenue of the department was insufficient to defray his salary of $1500 per
annum, but under his judicious management, not only was the postal ac-
commodation in the provinces considerably extended, but the revenue so
greatly increased, that ere long the profit for one year, which he remitted to
the British Treasury, amounted to $15,000.
In the evidence given by Franklin before the House of Commons in the year
1766, in regard to the extent of the post-office accommodation in North
America, he made the following statement: -
3 BERTRAM W. H. (BERTRAM WILLIAM HENRY) POOLE
The posts generally travel along the sea coasts, and only in a few cases do
they go back into the country. Between Quebec and Montreal there is only
one post per month. The inhabitants live so scattered and remote from
each other in that vast country, that the posts cannot be supported amongst
them. The English colonies, too, along the frontier, are very thinly settled.
In 1774, Franklin was recalled, and the following year the War of Indepen-
dence broke out, and the office was filled by Mr. Hugh Finlay, who had,
under his predecessor, been postmaster at Quebec.
Canada is divided into Upper and Lower. From a Quebec almanack of 1796,
we glean that there were seven offices in the former and five in the latter.
Mr. Finlay is designated as "Deputy Postmaster-General of His Majesty's
Province of Canada."
At that time mails were dispatched monthly to England, and semi-weekly
between Quebec and Montreal, or Halifax. At Baie des Chaleurs the visits
of the postman must, we conclude, have been few and far between, as they
were only favored with a mail "as occasion offered".
In 1800, Mr. George Heriot succeeded Mr. Finlay. At this time Prince Ed-
ward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were all under the authority
of the Canadian administration.
The following is taken from the advertising column of the Upper Quebec
Gazette, printed in 1807: -
The mail for Upper Canada will be dispatched from the post-office at Mon-
treal, on the following days, to wit:
Monday, 14th January. Monday, 12th February. Monday, 12th March. Mon-
day, 7th April-the last trip.
A courier from Kingston may be looked for here in 14 or 15 days from the
above periods, where he will remain 2 or 3 days, and then return to Kingston.
4 BERTRAM W. H. (BERTRAM WILLIAM HENRY) POOLE
Another courier will proceed from this with the Niagara mail, via Messrs.
Hatts', where the Sandwich (co. Essex) letters will be left, both from Niagara
and this 'till the courier comes from there to return with them.
Letters put into the post-office will be forwarded any time by
W. ALLAN, Acting Deputy Postmaster.
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