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The 'Angel' Inn & Church
Street
On January 25th, 1835, CHARLOTTE ARCHER, who was a widow, was married at Alcester to
RICHARD OVERBURY, a widower (Reg.260) Overbury became postmaster and the Post Office was
at Nos.4 and 5, Church Street, the ‘Angel’ Inn, of which he was proprietor. He
was also a churchwarden. He remained postmaster until his death in January,1847: his
widow, Charlotte, again took over the duties of postmistress until March,1849.
The ‘Angel’ was among the oldest and most interesting posting houses in
Alcester. Letters were received at the window in No.4, Church Street, which was used for
postal business, both it and No.5 being part of the inn proper. The general public and
commercial people used No.4 while the other was reserved for ladies and gentlemen and
distinguished visitors (Evesham Journal) In 1845 an application to extend the
Money Order System to Alcester was refused, as ‘the correspondence is not yet of
sufficient importance to justify the measure’.(Post Office Archives)
However, by the following February a Money Order Office was established. At this time 998
letters were handled per week.
No.3 High
Street 1849 - 1860
In March, 1849, JOHN WORTHY HANCE, bookseller, printer and newsagent, 3, High Street, was
appointed postmaster. He was all owed to keep his newsagency as no complaints had been
received by the Post Master General In a report to the Post Master General in July, 1860,
which stated that Hance had been told on a previous occasion of default and that he, if
again brought under notice for a similar offence, would be removed from the service. So,
having again defaulted, it was recommended and approved that he would be called upon to
resign his situation. (Post Office Archives)
© John Donaldson 1988 - Alcester & District Local History Society