
audiobook
by Sir Rowland Hill, George Birkbeck Norman Hill
E-text prepared by MWS, Adrian Mastronardi, The Philatelic Digital Library Project, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org)
PREFACE.
CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
LIST OF PLATES.
BOOK I. THE LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL.
THE LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL. - CHAPTER I.
This volume offers an intimate portrait of the man who reshaped Britain’s mail system in the mid‑19th century. Through Hill’s own recollections and the careful guidance of his nephew, listeners hear how a modest idea—to let a letter travel for a single penny—grew into a nationwide revolution. The early chapters trace his upbringing, his civil‑service career, and the moments that sparked his determination to make communication affordable for all.
Beyond the personal narrative, the book weaves in official reports, correspondence, and the broader social context that made the penny post possible. Hill’s editorial hand, combined with the nephew’s meticulous revisions, creates a clear, chronological account while preserving the spirit of the original memoirs. Listeners will come away with a deeper appreciation of the challenges and ingenuity behind one of the world’s most enduring public‑service achievements.
Language
en
Duration
~18 hours (1054K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2019-04-29
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1795–1879
Best remembered as the driving force behind Britain’s penny post, this English teacher and reformer helped make letter-writing cheaper, faster, and far more accessible. His ideas shaped the modern postal system and even helped pave the way for the world’s first postage stamp.
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1835–1903
Best known for making Boswell’s Life of Johnson newly accessible to readers, this Victorian scholar combined careful editing with a real affection for literary history. He also wrote on figures such as Samuel Johnson and Sir Rowland Hill, helping preserve parts of Britain’s cultural and intellectual past.
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