In his 1877 book “Chronicles of County Wexford,” George Griffith drew a comparison between the postal services of 1777 and 1877, offering insight into the postal service in County Wexford and Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries.
In 1777, County Wexford had only three post offices. They were in Wexford Town, Gorey, and Enniscorthy. The Royal Mail, Ireland’s postal provider at the time, entered the county twice a week.
Postmen in the 1700s often travelled by horseback, carrying mail bags in panniers slung across the horse’s shoulders and saddle. At that time, they were often called “Post Boys” even though they were fully grown men. Because they rode by horseback, “Post Boys” had to ensure the weight of their mail bags did not exceed what the horse could carry. Any surplus mail was likely left behind or delayed.
Wealthy businessmen and members of the gentry could afford a “footman,” who would travel to the post office twice a week. He would bring outgoing mail there and ask if anything had arrived for his employer. These footmen often acted as postmen for the wider community, bringing mail back to those who lived within “the sphere of influence” of their employers.
Communicating with distant parties in the 18th century was a slow process. The electric telegraph had not yet been invented. Mail would often sit undelivered for weeks at a time. The first commercial systems were demonstrated in 1837, approximately 60 years after 1777. By the 1850s, telegraph networks were extensive, and the first cable linking Ireland to Britain was laid between 1852 and 1853.
By 1877, the postal service had grown considerably. In County Wexford, the number of post offices had increased from three to fifty-six. In larger towns, mail from Wexford Town to Dublin left twice daily on weekdays and once on Sunday. The county also had thirteen electric telegraph stations. Griffith noted that these stations could be used to communicate with any part of the world within hours.