Gallows letter facts for kids
In the history of mail, a gallows letter was a special letter that had a drawing of a "gallows" on it. This drawing meant the letter needed to be delivered "very quickly" or "as fast as possible."
Contents
What Was a Gallows Letter?
Gallows letters were important official messages. They were used by the Privy Council during the time of Queen Elizabeth I of England. The Privy Council was a group of trusted advisors who helped the Queen make decisions.
Why Were They Used?
These letters were used when a message was extremely urgent. It was like a "super express" delivery for important news or orders. The gallows drawing was a clear sign to everyone handling the letter that it needed to reach its destination without any delay.
What Did They Look Like?
The special mark was usually a rough drawing of a gallows. A gallows is a structure used in the past for hangings. On the letter's address panel, this drawing showed how important and urgent the message was. Sometimes, the drawing also included a figure on the gallows to make the urgency even clearer.
Besides the drawing, these letters often had urgent words written on them. You might see phrases like "haste haste," "post haste," "haste for life," or "for life haste." These words also told the messengers to hurry.
Forgeries and Fakes
Today, some fake gallows letters exist. These are original old letters where someone has added a gallows mark later to make them seem more valuable or interesting. These are called forgeries because the gallows mark was not part of the original letter.
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