Front matter

E-text prepared by MWS, Adrian Mastronardi, The Philatelic Digital Library Project, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org)

THE LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL AND THE HISTORY OF PENNY POSTAGE.

THE LIFE OF SIR ROWLAND HILL K.C.B., D.C.L., F.R.S., F.R.A.S., etc. AND THE HISTORY OF PENNY POSTAGE.

BY SIR ROWLAND HILL AND HIS NEPHEW GEORGE BIRKBECK HILL, D.C.L.

AUTHOR OF “DR. JOHNSON: HIS FRIENDS AND HIS CRITICS,” ETC.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LONDON: THOS. DE LA RUE & CO. 110, BUNHILL ROW. 1880 (The right of Translation and Reproduction is reserved.)

PRINTED BY THOMAS DE LA RUE AND CO., BUNHILL ROW, LONDON.

TO THE RIGHT HON. WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE, M.P. FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY, CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, ETC., ETC.

Sir,

The following pages tell how much Sir Rowland Hill felt your kindness in a time of great trouble. In his Private Journal I find even stronger expressions of his gratitude. “I spoke,” he says in recording one of his interviews with you, “in strong terms, and with emotion which I in vain tried to suppress, of the feeling I entertained towards him for the uniform kindness, sympathy, and support I have received at his hands.” In asking you, therefore, to allow me to dedicate to you all in this work that is mine, I am sure that I have done what would have been pleasing to him.

I am, Sir, with the highest respect,

Your obedient servant,

G. B. HILL.