He is not listed in the medicine literature as postmaster, but someone in the family might have been. Someone here probably has a list of the Philadelphia postmasters.
According to the Post Office Department publication, List of Post Offices in the United States, with Names of Postmasters, on the 1st of July, 1855, page 11, Thos. B. Taylor was postmaster at Barren Creek Springs, MD.
Postmasters could send and receive certain mail items under a FREE frank.
No. The postmaster at Barren Creek Springs could received FREE mail, and this was sent to him under his FREE franking privilege.
This particular enclosure looks to me to be a simple receipt for an order, not a change of address.
Many mail order businesses solicited the local postmaster to serve as their representative for their product, I suspect primarily because they could correspond with him without cost of postage, AND he was likely to know everyone in his town who might be interested in whatever product they were selling.
I would not be surprised to learn that at least part of the home office rationale for allowing this FREE franking privilege was to serve as a "perk" to encourage someone to assume to position of postmaster, which for many small post offices did not pay very much, and was certainly not a full time job. Most postmasters at 4th class offices had other businesses, and the post office was typically housed inside them (an exception was a bar or saloon, as post offices could not operate in a room where alcohol was served or sold).
The criteria for a Postmaster FREE franking privilege was changed numerous times over the years, and I do not know the specific guidelines in effect in 1855. One element I do recall was that in most instances, the letter weight was limited to either 1 oz or 1/2 oz.
I agree with Mike's sleuthing and interpretation. The addressing of the envelope could have been clearer if it had been written in a different order such as:
Free Mr T B Taylor, PM Barren Creek Springs Somerset Co M'd
Two points: 1. The sender endorsed in "P.M. Free" (Post Master Free) at top rather than with a signature as required if sender was a PM. 2. The cover went direct to destination rather than via a Distributing Post Office. That means once accepted as free mail in Philly and waybilled, nobody else reviewed the cover until it reached the PM addressee at destination.
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Posted 08/30/2020 6:01 pm
