[Norfolk postal history.] Autograph Album titled ‘The Posts in Norfolk Related under the headings of the respective Towns and Villages’, ‘Compiled and Arranged by A. E. Trout / South Cave. E. Yks’; franks, stamps, covers and other matter inserted.

An interesting and informative item in postal history, which in 1956 received the endorsement of being exhibited at the Pall Mall headquarters of the Society of Postal Historians (see below). Manuscript title-page reads: ‘The Posts in Norfolk. / Related under the headings of the respective Towns and Villages. / With various Post Town Lists, Introductory Notes, and Illustrated with Letters, Covers, Stamps, Postmarks, Cuttings, and other Postal Material. / Compiled and Arranged by / A. E. Strout / South Cave. E. Yks.’ 173pp, 4to. On 161 leaves (all with one page of text on the recto, and twelve with a further page on the verso). The volume contains around a dozen envelope covers and postcards with examples of postmarks, including a frank from Holkham in 1829, another from Norwich in 1835, another from Dereham in 1884, and a cover with a Thetford postmark from 1845. Numerous newspaper cuttings laid down, and other matter inserted, including a mimeographed typescript (2pp, foolscap 8vo) titled ‘A few short notes on the postal history of King’s Lynn / by A. E. Trout’. Also a TLS from Head Postmaster R. Jefferies, on his King’s Lynn letterhead, 28 March 1956, thanking Trout for the talk, with a few comments. The leaves are punched at the edge and inserted between black boards, attached with cord. Internally in good condition, on aged paper, in worn and scuffed covers. There is also an ALS from A. R. Page, on letterhead of the Society of Postal Historians, London, 16 April 1956, thanking Trout for allowing the present volume (a ‘very interesting book’) to be ‘on show in the Conference Room during the whole of the Conference. I thought your notes on King’s Lynn so useful that I duplicated them and gave a copy to everyone there.’ He continues with a few comments. Also inserted in the volume is a leaf of ruled paper, bearing an autograph note addressed to the conference, and signed by A. E. Trout of South Cave, with date April 1956, headed ‘To those who examine this Album’. It gives a useful explanation of Trout’s aims, and begins: ‘I regret that the album is not yet quite finished. There are several smaller offices still to write up, and numerous other notes to enter up as opportunity serves, but sufficient is included to show the historic value of these “County” albums, Norfolk being only one of the full series.’ After appealing for ‘Letters’ he concludes: ‘I wish the Conference every success, and “good hunting” to the individual members.’ Several pages of ‘Introductory Notes’ are followed by a detailed table, over 7pp, with information on which towns were covered by ‘The Posts in Norfolk’ from the early sixteenth century to 1911. The main body of the volume follows, with more than 150pp filled with alphabetical entries giving postal information for numerous places from Acle to Great Yarmouth.