author
Sir Rowland Hill
1795–1879
Best known for making the post cheaper and simpler, he helped create the penny post and reshape how ordinary people kept in touch. Before that, he was an educator and reformer with a strong interest in practical improvements that could benefit everyday life.
2 Audiobooks
The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the History of Penny Postage, Vol. 2 (of 2)
by Sir Rowland Hill, George Birkbeck Norman Hill
The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the History of Penny Postage, Vol. 1 (of 2)
by Sir Rowland Hill, George Birkbeck Norman Hill
About the author
Born in Kidderminster, England, on December 3, 1795, Sir Rowland Hill became one of the key figures in the history of communication. He first built a reputation in education, working with his family’s school and supporting new ideas about teaching and school management.
Hill is chiefly remembered for his campaign to reform Britain’s postal system. In 1837 he published Post Office Reform: Its Importance and Practicability, arguing for cheaper, simpler prepaid postage. His ideas led to the Uniform Penny Post and helped inspire the use of adhesive postage stamps, including the famous Penny Black. The system he promoted became the model for modern postal services far beyond Britain.
He later served in senior postal administration and was widely honored for his work, receiving a knighthood and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society. He died in Hampstead, London, on August 27, 1879, but his influence remains easy to see wherever affordable public mail made regular communication possible.