EDMUND PRIDEAUX
and his contribution to
POSTAL HISTORY
Edmund Prideaux, second son of
Sir Edmond of Netherton ( near Honiton ) and Katherine Edgecumbe, was born in
Farway, 27th September, 1601. Edmund married twice: to Jane Collyns 23 August
1627, Jane died in 1629, so Edmund married again to Margaret Ivery, who died
1683, well after Edmund's death in 1659.
For many years, Edmund
Prideaux was intensely and profitably involved with the development of the
Postal Service. The validity of patents for the conduct of posts was raised in
both houses of Parliament. Edmund was a barrister at the Inner temple, having a
practice in Chancery. As MF for Lyme Regis, he was trusted by Cromwell as being
well informed and of sound judgement. His property had been sequestrated by the
Royalists, and so, was then to be rewarded by Parliament, in being appointed a
Commissioner in charge of The Great Seal of Parliament.
Edmund Prideaux served as
chairman of a committee appointed in 1642, upon the rates of inland letters.
Both houses appointed Edmund master of the posts, messengers and couriers in
1644. He then arranged posts between Hull and York, Lyme Regis; Chester and
Holyhead to Ireland in 1649; then to Bideford in 1650 and Kendal in 1651; by
1649 Edmund is said to have covered the whole country, at a sixpenny rate,
offering a regular weekly service.
Edmund was to become the
King's counsel and by 1649 he had become Cromwell's Attorney General, his
annual income from the postal services was some £15,000, that from his legal
practice, £5,000 from being King's counsel another £5,000. It is small wonder
that he was envied by many. Edmund Prideaux had met various alternative Posts
with all means at his disposal, some legal, some an abuse of his position. On
the 21st March 1650, Mr. Attorny General Prideaux was to take over the business
of inland posts and to be accountable for the profits. He persevered until
1653, when he continued with his legal practice alone.
Upon Edmund's 'forced
retirement', he bought Forde Abbey at Thornecombe, Devon where he built a large
home for himself. On 31st May 1658 Edmund Prideaux was made baronet, for
"mainteyning of 30 foot soldieres in his highnesses army in Ireland".
Edmund died 19th August 1659, leaving a great fortune.
Edmund was the second son of
Edmund of Netherton, who was, in turn, the second son of Roger Prideaux of
Soldon, Edmund's elder brother being Sir Nicholas Prideaux, 'builder' of
Prideaux Place.
Now can be seen where Edmond
Prideaux, third son of The Dean of Norwich, fits into the story. One of the
places which Edmond visited and made a drawing was Forde Abbey, in 1720 or so,
some 60 years after his great-great uncle Edmund's death.
There is no doubt that
Edmond's inquiring mind learnt much of his family's achievements on all his
visits to family and friends, making drawings as he went.
There is also no doubt that
Edmond, upon meeting Ralph Allen, made it known that his great-great uncle was
responsible for the framework of the Posts, which Ralph Allen was to reform; it
may well have been that Ralph Allen contacted Edmond in his interest in the
Posts in the first place; in any event there is every reason to suppose that
these two men had common ground for conversation, more than just in the
writings of Pope and other matters that were appropriate to gentlemen in Bath.