Page 103 - Fenning_Scoland

1706 Letter carried from Bath to Berwick by mail and then forwarded Into Scotland by private arrangement with Berwick's postmaster

1
In the early 18 h Century postmasters sought to supplement their salaries by making private arrangements to provide additional services, to~ example, by
delivering letters to houses rather than to the nearest post-town. James Rodham, the Berwick postmaster, clearly had such an arrangement with the Earl of
Roxburghe. It seems that these private arrangements were generally regarded as legitimate perquisites of a postmaster's job.

Postal Rates and Markings
John Ker, 5t11 Earl of Roxburghe (later to become 1st
Duke of Roxburghe) wrote this letter to his mother The letter was written in Bath on 61h March 1706 and bears the 'BA TH' handstruck town
The Dowager Countess of Roxburghe.
mark,' first introduced in that year.
John Ker was born c.1680, the second son of the 3rd
Rate from Bath to London: 3d unpaid (per 1660 Act; 12 Charles 2, c35)
Earf of Roxburghe. In 1696 he became 51t1 Earf on the
death of his brother. From 1702 he played a Rate from London to Berwiclc 3d unpaid (per 1660 Act; 12 Charles 2, c35)
significant part in Scottish politics and he strongly This made a total due to the Post Office of 6d unpaid. The letter was duly endorsed: 'in all 6'
supported the votes in the Scottish government that
led to the Union of 1707. In that year he was created At Berwick, James Rodham, the postmaster, endorsed the reverse of the letter.
Duke of Roxburghe and was elected as one of the
sixteen representative peers of Scotland. He was re- 'From Berw". March 13"' p. JR
elected to this position in the general elections of
Also on the reverse of the letter is James Rodham's additional charge '2' and the total
1708, 1715, and 1722. From 1725 he lived largely in
cost of the letter '8d'. The eight pence would either have been collected on delivery at
politicaJ retirement. He died at Floors Castle in 17 41.
Broxmouth or added to the Countess's account with Mr Rodham.
James Rodham was appointed as Berwick's postmaster in 1704 at a salary of £30 per
Margaret, Countess of Roxburghe was the recipient annum augmented by the hire of horses. He succeeded his father, Robert, who had
of the letter. been postmaster there since 1674. James remained postmaster of Berwick until 1734.
Margaret was born c.1657, eldest daughter of John
Hay, 1st Marquess of Tweeddale. She married Robert, Broxmouth is located east of the village of Broxbum, 2 miles south east of Dunbar.
3rd Earf of Roxburghe. When Margaret was 25 years
old (1682), Robert was accompanying the Duke of
York to Scotland on the ship 'Gloucester' when it was
wrecked off Yarmouth and the Earf died. Margaret
died in 1753 at the age of 96 having been a widow for
more than 70 years. When this letter was written, the
Countess was living in a Dower House at Broxmouth.

1
In this 1706 letterthe 51t1 Earl tells his mother: 6 h March 1706. Letter from the 5th Earl of Roxburghe in Bath
to his mother, the Dowager Countess of Roxburghe at
'the fruit trees that are now sent down in my opinion your Ladyship had better let them all go to Broxmouth near Dunbar

the Floors that they may once take root which will be uncertain at Broxmouth' To the Right Honourable
The Countess of Roxburghe
Perhaps, in planting fruit trees on his estate at Floors in 1706, he was anticipating
building a great house there in the future. He accomplished this between 1718 and At Broxmouth to the care of
17 40 when he commissioned the architect and master builder William Adam to build Mr Rod ham postmaster of
Floors Castle.
Berwick

The letter was charged 6d unpaid from Bath to Berwick and
a further 2d for delivery from Berwick to Broxmouth, the
additional charge being the Berwick postmaster's perquisite The distance between Berwick and Broxmouth is approximately 25 (English) miles
for providing the delivery service.