A rough and ready History of Corsley Post-Office.

The details have all been culled from the Post Office Archives in London, which I visited 28/1/2000.

This is a verbatim transcript/deciphering of the minute to the Postmaster General which set in motion the establishment of Corsley Post Office. The question marks and bracketted bits are mine.

Vol 73, 1843 p240-241 Minute 4592

The Postmaster General.

Taking into consideration the correspondence of the several places proposed to be included in a ?post from Warminster,
I do not think it necessary to incur quite so large an expense as the Surveyor has proposed. Instead therefore of including Chapmanslade, I submit a messenger may be appoint(s/ed) to carry the letters from Warminster to Corsley, Longleat & Horningsham delivering them free within a distance of a quarter of a mile round each place, at wages of 12/- a week, ?? that Receiver(s) may be appointed at Corsley and Horningsham at salaries of £4 a year each together £39,,4- instead of £42,,16,,4.
If your Lordship approve I will apply to the Treasury to ?nominate the Receiver(/s). I ?beg you will be pleased to say whether you will appoint the messenger.

Signed (squiggle).

2. Nov 1843,

Approved, I will appoint a messenger.

Nov. 3^rd 1843

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Post 58 (appointments) Vol 3, p386 1843
William Knight appointed as receiver for Corsley and Charlotte Maxfield or Maxfold or Maxhold as a (something) for Horningsham, later in ?same volume (under Horningsham she was mentioned as being the receiver).

(note added by MVH 8/5/02 there is reference to a Mary Maxfield on 16/12/1795 in the Longleat archive relating to the sale of her estate near Norridge)

"· 16 December 1795, paid expenses at Deverill on the purchase of Mary Maxfield’s estate at Norridge for Lord BATH, 7d”

Post 58 (appointments) p340 1852,
Incumbent deceased and widow takes over Post-office, possibly initials were S.D. or they were referring to a Sub-Depot. Was reported 31/3/1852. Salary reduced from £4 to £3. Widow may be that of William Knight.

Minute 2588 Vol. 129 p358 or 355
Dated 26/5/1852
Mr ?Lung or Long instructed about the salary reduction from £4 to £3.

Minute 3791 Vol. 177 or 171 p16,
1856 Salary confirmed at £8

Minute 3884 1860
Notification of transfer to James Yondell dated 18/9/1860
Census of 1861 Spells surname as Yendell.

Minute 1302 1866
Post-master dismissed, dated 8/3/1866.
Possibly Yendell?

Minute 2933 1866
Dated 27/7/1866
An allowance of £8 transferred from Horningsham post-Master to Corsley for delivering.

Minute 13115 Vol. 766
Dated June 1903.
Incumbent (Frederick Fricker) unable to undertake the new business (telegraph office and Money orders) , but will not resign. Therefore the PO close the Lye’s Green PO and gives the business to Seth Down, at Corsley Heath. Effective from 31/7/1903. Minute states that Frederick was employed from 6/4/1866, and salary on leaving was £14.12.0.

    The Actual location of the first Post Office is unclear,  the minute books do not actually record the location.  We only know that it was in Lye's Green from 1866-1903 when Frederick Fricker ran it.  The earlier Post Office may have been located in the house of those who held the office of sub-Post master or receiver. 
    So after 37 years loyal service they close down the Corsley Post Office at Lye's Green and transfer the business to Seth Down and set up a new Post Office on Corsley Heath, he did however get 3 months wages as a gratuity.  The Post-Office has remained in Corsley Heath since 1903. Wheter it has remained in the same building, I cannot yet say.