Record revealed
Copy of Henry VIII's diplomatic assurances to João III of Portugal
Recently rediscovered, this letter offers new archival evidence into Britain and Portugal's shared history.
Sub-sub-fonds
Post Office: Telegraphs, Private Companies
Catalogue reference: POST 81
What’s it about?
This record is about the Post Office: Telegraphs, Private Companies dating from 1845-1905.
Is it available online?
Maybe, but not on The National Archives website. This record is held at BT Archives.
Can I see it in person?
Not at The National Archives, but you may be able to view it in person at BT Archives.
Full description and record details
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Reference (The unique identifier to the record described, used to order and refer to it)
- POST 81
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Title (The name of the record)
- Post Office: Telegraphs, Private Companies
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Date (When the record was created)
- 1845-1905
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Description (What the record is about)
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This series encompasses the surviving records of a number of early domestic and international telegraph companies which pioneered the development and growth of the public telegraph network.
Please see BT Archives online catalogue (under both POST 81 and TG) and The Postal Museum's online catalogue for descriptions of individual records within this series.
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Note (Additional information about the record)
- Catalogue entries below series level were removed from Discovery, The National Archives' online catalogue, in November 2016 because fuller descriptions were available in The Postal Museum's online catalogue and BT Archives online catalogue.
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Arrangement (Information about the filing sequence or logical order of the record)
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Note that these records have been rearranged to fit the scheme of arrangement used at BT Archives. The majority of the POST 81 reference numbers are now obsolete. Please contact BT Archives for more information.
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Related material (A cross-reference to other related records)
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For general reference to the takeover of Private Telegaph Companies see POST 82
For information on the overseas aspect see POST 83
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Held by (Who holds the record)
- BT Archives
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Legal status (A note as to whether the record being described is a Public Record or not)
- Public Record(s)
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Language (The language of the record)
- English
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Physical description (The amount and form of the record)
- 122 file(s)
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Access conditions (Information on conditions that restrict or affect access to the record)
- Subject to 30 year closure
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Subjects (Categories and themes found in our collection (our subject list is under development, and some records may have no subjects or fewer than expected))
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- Topics
- Communications
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Custodial history (Describes where and how the record has been held from creation to transfer to The National Archives)
- The Post Office acquired these records when the private companies were taken over by the Postmaster General under the provisions of the Telegraph Acts, 1868 and 1869. This series of records, along with other Post Office telecommunications records, was transferred from the Post Office Archives to BT Archives in 1991.
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Administrative / biographical background (Historical or biographical information about the creator of the record and the context of its creation)
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The first of the early telegraph companies was the Electric Telegraph Company, founded in 1846 by Sir William Fothergill Cooke (one of the inventors of the telegraph) and a number of City financiers. Prior to the Post Office takeover in 1870, some of the companies had already amalgamated or been taken over by competitors. For example: the Electric Telegraph Company and the International Telegraph Company merged in 1855, and the London Telegraph Company formally changed its title to London and Provincial Telegraph Company in December 1857.
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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C11798/
How to order it
- View this record page in our current catalogue
- Check viewing and downloading options
- Select an option and follow instructions
Catalogue hierarchy
56 records
This record is held at BT Archives
111 records
Within the fonds: POST
Records created or inherited by the Royal Mail Group plc and predecessors
You are currently looking at the sub-sub-fonds: POST 81
Post Office: Telegraphs, Private Companies
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