Workday Wednesday - Post Office

My great-great grandfather, Charles Bateman, began his working life as a messenger for the Electric and International Telegraph Company in 1867 aged 14.

In 1869 he was promoted to the post of clerk and a year later became a telegraphist for the Burton-on-Trent Post Office.

Moving to the Nottingham Post Office, he had worked his way up to Assistant Superintendant 2nd Class by the time he retired in May 1906.

I found this information during a visit to the British Postal Museum & Archive in London.  They were very helpful there & I would definitely recommend a visit and/or contacting them if you have any ex-postmen/women in your family, the personnel records are very detailed.






Whilst there, I also found details of Charles' son, Charles Nelson Bateman, who had followed in his father's footsteps and become a Post office employee.


Charles Nelson also stayed at the Post Office for the whole of his working life (apart from two brief stints in the army) and was awarded the Imperial Service Medal on his retirement in 1940.