Oxford and Cambridge college stamps facts for kids
Imagine a time when universities had their own special mail service! From 1871 to 1886, some colleges at Oxford and Cambridge Universities made their own unique stamps. Students and staff bought these stamps to pay for their letters to be delivered by college messengers. It was like having a mini post office just for the college!
However, this special system ended in 1886. The official postal service, known as the General Post Office (GPO), decided that these college stamps went against their right to be the only mail service in the country. So, the colleges had to stop issuing them.
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Colleges That Used Stamps
Many famous colleges created their own stamps or postal stationery. Here are the colleges that were part of this interesting postal history:
Oxford University Colleges
- Keble (started in 1871)
- Merton (started in 1876)
- Hertford (started in 1879)
- Lincoln (started in 1877)
- Exeter (started in 1882)
- St John's (started in 1884)
- All Souls (started in 1884)
- Balliol (stamps were printed in 1885 but never actually used)
Cambridge University Colleges
What is Postal Stationery?
Besides stamps, some colleges also used "postal stationery." This means they had special postcards or envelopes that already had the postage paid for, printed right onto them. For example, Hertford College used postal stationery for several years before they started issuing separate stamps. It was another way for college members to send their mail easily within the university system.
 | Selma Burke |
 | Pauline Powell Burns |
 | Frederick J. Brown |
 | Robert Blackburn |
