> it predates our mail service by over a century. Although it may not be relevant in this instance, it's worth remembering that there was a postal service in Britain long before the introduction of postage stamps in 1840. The General Post Office was established in 1660, but the Royal Mail was first opened up to public use in 1635, having been established in the early 16th century. The occupation 'mailman' does occur in the censuses, though it is much rarer than 'postman'. Peter