head of Nantwich or _Wich Malbanc_, a still
existing Palatine barony.

LANCASTRIENSIS.

Your correspondent M. J. T. says it appears from--

"_The MS. Catalogue_ of the Norman nobility before the Conquest, that
Robert and Roger de Loges possessed lordships in the districts of
Coutances in Normandy."

Will he be so good as to say what _MS. Catalogue_ he refers to? He seems to
speak of _the MS._ _Catalogue_ of Norman nobility as if it were some
well-known public and authentic record.

Q. G.

* * * * *

EDMUND PRIDEAUX AND THE FIRST POST-OFFICE.

(Vol. iii., p. 186.)

In a recent number of "NOTES AND QUERIES" (which, by the way, I have only
recently become acquainted with) I saw the Queries of your correspondent
G. P. P. upon the above subject, and having some time ago had occasion to
investigate it, I accumulated a mass of notes from various sources,--and
these I send you, rough and unpolished as they are, in the hope that in the
absence of better information, they may prove to be acceptable.

Herodotus (viii. 98.) mentions the existence of a method of communication
among the Persians, by means of horsemen placed at certain distances.

In the Close and Misae Rolls (_temp. King John et post_) payments are
recorded for nuncii who were charged with the carriage of letters.

In 1481, Edward IV., during his war with Scotland, established horse riders
at _posts_ twenty miles apart, by which letters were conveyed two hundred
miles in two days (Gale's _Hist. Croyland_); and the Scottish Parliament
issued an ordinance for facilitating the expedition of couriers throughout
the kingdom. Carriers of letters also existed in England about this time,
for in a letter from Sir J. Paston, written in 1471, we are informed that
"Courby, the carrier, hath had 40d. for the third hired horse," for a
journey from Norwich to London and back. (Fenn's _Paston Letters_, 4to.
vol. v. p. 73.)

In 1542, letters reached Edinburgh on the fourth day from their despatch
from London. (Sadler's _Letters and Negociations_.)

In 1548, the rate to be charged for post-horse hire was fixed by statute (2
& 3 Edw. VI. cap. 3.) at one penny per mile.

In 1581 (according to Camden), Thomas Randolph was appointed the first
Chief Postmaster of all England.

James I. established (date unknown) the office of Foreign Postmaster, which
was first held by Mathewe le Questor.

In 1631, Charles I. appointed William