Hempstead - Post Office

The first mention of Hempstead Post Office is in Kelly's Directory of 1879.
At this time, the White_Horse pub was the designated Post Office, where John Neal was the landlord.
However, the OS map of 1885 shows the Post Office to be in the small building attached to the north side of the White Horse.
Prior that, it seems that mail was brought in by a messenger from Dereham via Holt and then delivered by an appointed individual in the village.
In 1896, Miss Matilda Neal, presumably John's daughter, is listed as postmistress and it would appear that the later Post Office was built between 1892 and 1896.
It appears that the Post Office also acted as a shop in some small way, presumably selling some form of household provisions.

c.1910 with the school beyond, under the tree

During the latter years of Adeline Kemp's time as postmistress and also into Laura Bacon's time, Nellie Everett delivered all the mail by bicycle. It was said that she used to push her bicycle more than ride it.

It seems that when Nellie retired and Iris Doy took over the deliveries, she was also nervous of actually riding the bicycle.

Nellie Everitt - c.1950

My nannies sister Iris Doy was the post lady, that biked round delivering all the post. As granny always fell off her bike when a car came along, so Iris was also bike nervous.
Lyn Marie Jackson - 5th May 2020

Kelly's 1854	Letters received through Holt
Harrod's 1863	POSTAL REGULATIONS. - Letters through Holt. Post town, Thetford.
Kelly's 1879	Post Office, - John Neal, receiver. Letters through Dereham by messenger from Holt arrive at 7.45 a.m.; dispatched at 4.20 p.m. No mail on sundays. The nearest money order & telegraph office is at Holt.
White's 1883	Post from Dereham
White's 1890	POST OFFICE at Mr. John Neal's. Letters arrive at 7.45 a.m., and are despatched at 4.45 p.m., via Holt, which is the nearest Money Order and Telegraph Office.
Kelly's 1892	POST OFFICE - John Neal, receiver. Letters from Holt R.S.O. arrive at 7.35 a.m.; dispatched at 4.50 p.m. No mail on sunday. The nearest money order & telegraph office is at Holt.
Kellys 1896	POST OFFICE - Miss Matilda Neal, sub-postmistress. Letters from Holt R.S.O. ; the delivery of letters and parcels commences 7.50 a.m. ; dispatched at 4.45 p.m. No postal business on sundays. Postal orders are issued here but not paid. The nearest money order offices are at Baconsthorpe, Edgefield Green & Holt. Holt is the nearest telegraph office.
Kelly's 1900	POST OFFICE - Mrs. A. Kemp, sub-postmistress. Letters from Holt R.S.O. ; the delivery of letters and parcels commences 7.50 a.m. ; dispatched at 4.45 p.m. No postal business on sundays. Postal orders are issued here but not paid. The nearest money order offices are at Baconsthorpe, Edgefield Green & Holt. Baconsthorpe is the nearest telegraph office, 2 miles distant.

Census 1911

Post Officers
John Neal - receiver, White Horse	1879
John Neal - receiver, White Horse	1890
John Neal - receiver, White Horse	1892
Miss Matilda Neal - sub-postmistress	1896
Mrs. A. Kemp - sub-postmistress	1900
Mrs. A. Kemp - sub-postmistress	1904
Mrs. Adeline Kemp - sub-postmistress	1908
Mrs. Adeline Kemp - sub-postmistress	1912
Mrs. Adeline Kemp - sub-postmistress	1916
Mrs. Adeline Kemp - sub-postmistress	1922
Mrs. Laura Bacon - sub-postmistress	1949
Mrs. Laura Bacon - sub-postmistress	1978

Adeline or Annie Kemp was also listed as shopkeeper.

Laura Bacon retired in 1978 and died two years later in 1980 at a local retirement home.

Official presentation of a watch to Laura Bacon - 1978

Official presentation of a watch to Laura Bacon in front of an EDP photographer - 1978

Andrew Green living in 11 Council Houses
with the Post Office to his right - c.1960

I lived at Marlpit Cottages till 1966. I remember the post office and getting a threppny bit for delivering stuff. Used to pick up fruit for Mr Gibbs opposite Marlpit. Had two uncles who lived in village. The Wrights had shop near PO. Remember Paul Hicks, Desmond Power and a few others who lived there. My brother is buried in churchyard after living a very short life. The shop was basically a house near the post office run by Mr and Mrs Wright and that would be 1964/5. Only delivered papers to relations. As you looked at PO my uncle was next left and think it was one of the two next to that. Think it was just small grocery if my memory is correct.
Trevor Scarffe - 5th May 2020

4th March 2020

Trevor Scarffe's uncle lived in the right hand cottage (with the Post Office immediately to its right) and the shop would have been in the left hand cottage (with the church behind and the school to its left).

O. S. Map 1885
Post Office situated next door to the White Horse Inn
Courtesy of NLS map images

O. S. Map 1905
Marked in red top - bottom
Smithy - White Horse Inn - Post Office - Shop - School
Courtesy of NLS map images

Census 1911:

Harry Alfred Kemp (43) b.Woodbridge, Suffolk, Carpenter
Adeline Kemp (40) b.Tunstead, Sub Postmistress
Anne Elizabeth Kemp (10) b.Hempstead, School
Alfred James Kemp (5) b.Hempstead
Harold Spencily Kemp (2) b.Hempstead
James Sexton (72) b.Suffield, father in law, Farm Labourer
Matilda Sexton (71) b.Skyton, mother in law
Ethel Money (13) b.Hempstead, General Servant (domestic)