Hill Sir Rowland

Hill, Sir Rowland, K.C.B., born at Kidderminster in 1795, and in 1825 settled at Bruce Castle, Tottenham, as a schoolmaster, but soon abandoned that career on the score of ill-health. For a few years he was secretary to an association for colonising- South Australia. Accidentally his attention was drawn to postal organisation, and in 1837 he published a pamphlet entitled Post Office Reform, in which he advocated penny postage and the use of stamps. His propositions were scouted by the officials, as might have been expected, but fortunately they took with the public; agitation ensued, Parliament was appealed to, and in 1840 this great measure was carried. Hill was appointed to a place in the Treasury, in order to advise on the new organisation, but the Peelite Ministry cast him adrift two years later, a step that aroused general indignation and brought Hill a handsome public testimonial of £13,000. He became for a brief period chairman of the London and Brighton Railway, introducing the system of cheap excursions. In 1846 the Liberal Government gave him the secretaryship to the Postmaster-General, and he ultimately became Chief Secretary. He retired in 1864, receiving a pension of £2,000 a year and a grant of £20,000. He was a namesake but not a kinsman of Rowland Hill the preacher.