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The Humberston(e) Post Office

Information by compiler except (L) Mr. & Mrs. Lofthouse.

Compiled by Andrew Reynolds, Post Office North Somercotes. Copyright, January, 1999 Many thanks and acknowledgements to P.O. Archives, Post office, Kelly's and White's Directories of Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire Post Offices-Eric Croft and Ken Smith Post Office researcher.

Humberston is now spelt without an "E" at the end but the 1900 and the 1909 to 1933 Kelly's directories spell the name of the village as Humberstone. Mr. Lofthouse considers that the "E" was dispensed with to avoid confusion with Humberstone in Leicester- shire. In 1891 the population of the parish was recorded as 254 people.

Postal-wise Humberstone has always looked to Grimsby for it's mail services and the mail was handled from there. By 1900 there was no need for a post office or even a shop in the village and letters were brought by foot post from Grimsby. Mail arrived at 10.00am and the wall letter box was emptied at 4.50pm. In 1881 Postal Orders were introduced and in 1883 the inland Parcels Post Service was commenced and by 1900 most offices could also pay postal orders as well. According to Post Office records the post office at Humberston opened on 10th July, 1900 and a rubber date stamp of the type provided to offices to date stamp paid postal orders was provided at that date.

In 1905 Wright Collinson was Subpostmaster and shopkeeper and the Post Office was a Post and Postal order office only, i.e. it didn't conduct Savings Bank or Money Order Business. Mail arrived at 9.20 a.m. and was still collected at 4.50 p.m. It is likely that Collinson was the first Subpostmaster and that he felt that by 1900 the village could support the new Post Office and shop venture. By 1909 Collinson was still listed as a shopkeeper and Parish Clerk but the details of who was Subpostmaster were left blank in Kelly's indicating that Collinson was no longer in charge. Mail now arrived at 7.05 a.m. and dispatched at 5.50 p.m..

It is probable that Collinson's Shop and Post Office was located in Church Road. A map of 1907 shows it on the north side of Church Road (now Church Walk) opposite a road junction and travelling from the church past the next right hand bend after the smithy and chapel.

Eric Croft's P.O. book then pictures the Post Office in Walk Road in a semi-detached thatched cottage now demolished on the N.W. corner of Walk Road and Tetney Road. The picture is thought to date circa 1910 indicating that the Post Office probably moved after Collinson ceased as Subpostmaster.

By 1913 Mrs Mary Anne Cheeseman was Subpostmistress but did not also run a shop. A local resident remembers it being just a table in a room covered with green baize, a cupboard for the money and stock etc and a post box in the house wall. She continued until at least 1926 but after that Kelly's does not list the actual incumbent in 1930 or 1933.

By 1919 a telephone had been provided and the Post Office also operated as a Telephone Call Office. The population of Humberston altered from 234 in 1901, through 388 in 1911, and 609 in 1921 to quadruple its original size to 1096 by 1931. (The population in the 1990's is over 8,000). This is reflected in the fact that by 1937 the Post Office had been able to also act and a Telegraph and Telegraph Express Delivery Office.

Harry William Kennington was the Subpostmaster and also acted as Parish Clerk. His telephone number was 86. He was the son in law of Mrs. Cheeseman and was a postman until taking over the office when she died. I am not sure when the Post Office moved to it's present site at 71 Church Avenue, Humberston. The map of 1932 shows the location of the Post Office at Walk Road and it probably moved between then and 1940. Mr. George Tasker followed him, also serving as a parish councillor.(L)

Mr. Alan Hodgson was Subpostmaster from 1966(L)and the Subpostmaster since September, 1980 is Keith Lofthouse who serves with his wife Tina.(L) It is Three position office with the counter from north to south in the north east corner. The entrance is from the side road. Greetings cards, stationery and packet confectionery also sold. The shop did though once extend into part of the present living space and was also a general store.

The Richard Jackson Computer system is used and a Lottery terminal was installed in 1996. The Office has a quantum gas terminal and an APT since November, 1998. For the size of office the APT should have been fitted previously and it wasn't until permission was refused for the current terminal that it was found that Head Office thought Humberston already had one terminal and that they were requesting two. Office is also an "on-demand office" for insurance. (L) Not data post, planning to move to a new parade in March, 1999 as if offered for sale would have to relocate and compete with other outlets to take over the office. Three date stamps in use two from the county alterations of 1974 and a second double ring from c1994.

Information by compiler except (L) Mr. & Mrs. Lofthouse.

Compiled by Andrew Reynolds, Post Office North Somercotes. Copyright, January, 1999 Many thanks and acknowledgements to P.O. Archives, Post office, Kelly's and White's Directories of Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire Post Offices-Eric Croft and Ken Smith Post Office researcher.


Owner of originalAndrew Reynolds
Linked toWright COLLINSON

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