The Maverick Deputy Postmaster of Stockport

Introduction

The Postmaster General appointed deputies to manage postal affairs in each post town across England and Wales. Peter Boardman commenced in Stockport on 1st March 1774 until his death in August 1809 (Note 2). During his tenure, he took a dislike to the dull hand stamps and carbon black ink that he should have used and embarked on a series of ovals, crescents, horseshoes and scrolls, presumed to have been made locally, then applied in reddish‑purple ink. A lot of mail went to London, no doubt Boardman loved his town and wanted to get it noticed – a pioneer in PR and a maverick.

The display charts Boardman's time as deputy, considers challengers to his mantle and looks at his influence on Stockport hand stamps after his death, enabling a conclusion on his status and influence to be reached.

Main reference sources for this display:

Holden's Annual Directory 1811
Stockport Heritage Library
England's Postal History, R. M. Willcocks
British County Catalogue of Postal History, R.M.Willcocks and B.Jay, volumes 4 and 1&2

A note on rarity of the material exhibited – by reference to the rarity coding in the British County Catalogue:

Sheet 1: unrecorded mark – very early, likely rarity H
Sheets: 4 (Chester), 6 (Stkp), 9 (Stkp), 12 (Stkp large mileage), 14 (Manchester 1788)): rarity F
Sheets: 4 (Ashbourne)), 5 (Stkp), 9 (Stkp), 14 (Manchester 1809), 16 (Hazel Grove): rarity G
Sheet 15: 1800 Wigan handstamp, rarity H

PLAN

Sheet 1/2: introduction and purpose, bibliography and rarity
Sheets 3 to 10: charting of Boardman from 1774 to 1809
Sheets 11 to 12: Stockport PO after Boardman
Sheets 13 to 15: challengers to Boardman's mantle
Sheet 16: Conclusion, and a return to normality?

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The Maverick Deputy Postmaster of Stockport

Introduction

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