Rowland Hill Brown Plaque

About This Blue Plaque

Sir Rowland Hill was a British teacher, inventor, and social reformer who is best known for introducing the world’s first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, and establishing the modern postal system in the United Kingdom. Born in Kidderminster, England in 1795, Hill was a dedicated educational reformer and worked as a teacher for many years before turning his attention to the postal system.

In 1837, Hill published a pamphlet titled “Post Office Reform: Its Importance and Practicability,” in which he proposed a revolutionary idea: a uniform postage rate of one penny, regardless of the distance the letter traveled within the country. This concept, known as the Penny Post, was a radical departure from the existing system, where postage rates were based on the number of sheets of paper and the distance traveled.

Despite initial resistance, Hill’s proposal was eventually adopted by Parliament in 1839, and the first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued in 1840. The success of the Penny Post led to a significant increase in mail volume and improved communication across the nation. In recognition of his contributions, Hill was knighted in 1860 and appointed as the Secretary to the Postmaster General. He retired in 1864 and was granted the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1873.

Rowland Hill resided at this location in Hampstead, London, from 1849 until his death in 1879 at the age of 83. The area, now part of the London Borough of Camden, has a rich history and has been home to many notable figures over the years. Today, visitors can pay their respects to Sir Rowland Hill and his groundbreaking work in postal reform by visiting this blue plaque, which was erected in 1892, just 13 years after his passing.