o means excessive, having regard to the
extremely rapid development of the Bristol Post Office business.

CHAPTER III.

ELIZABETHAN POST TO BRISTOL.--THE QUEEN'S PROGRESS, 1574.

Particulars are on record respecting a very early Post from the Court of
Queen Elizabeth to Bristol. At that period it occupied more days for the
Monarch to travel in Sovereign State to Bristol than it does hours in
these days of Great Western "fliers." It seems that Queen Elizabeth made
a Progress to Bristol in 1574. She travelled from London by way of
Woodstock and Berkeley. She arrived at Bristol, August 14, 1574, and had
a splendid and elaborate reception:--

"Before the Queen left Bristol she knighted her host, John Young, who,
in return for the honour done him, gave her a jewel containing rubies
and diamonds, and ornamented with a Phoenix and Salamander. She did
not get quit of the city until after she had listened to many weary
verses describing the tears and sorrows of the citizens at her
departure, and their earnest prayer for her prosperity. From Bristol she
travelled to Sir T. Thynne's, at Longleat, and from Longleat across
Salisbury Plain to the Earl of Pembroke's, at Wilton, where she arrived
September 3rd."

The British Museum records show that in 1580 Ireland was in rebellion. A
Spanish-Italian force of eight hundred men had been sent, with at least
the connivance of Philip II. of Spain, to assist the rebels, and the
English Government was compelled to hurry reinforcements and supplies to
Ireland. These reinforcements and supplies went by way of Bristol, and
it was at that juncture of affairs that a post was established between
London, or Richmond, where the Court was, and Bristol. This post, if not
actually the first, was certainly one of the earliest posts to Bristol.

At a meeting of the Privy Council held September 26, 1580, a warrant was
issued "to Robert Gascoigne for laying of post horses between London and
Bristol, requiring Her Majesty's officers to be assisting unto him in
this service." A warrant was also issued "to Sir Thomas Heneage,
Knight, Treasurer of her Majesty's Chamber, to pay unto Robert Gascoigne
the sum of ten pounds to be employed about the service of laying post
horses between London and Bristol."

The duty of laying this post was not entrusted to the Master of the
Posts, Thomas Randolph, but to Gascoigne, the Postmaster of the Court,
who usually arranged the posts rendered necessary by Que