Hill, SIR ROWLAND, K.C.B., originator of the uniform penny postage system and reformer of the post-office, was born at Kidderminster on 3d December 1795. From a very early age down to 1833 he taught in his father's school—from 1819 in Hazlewood, near Birmingham, a school-house built by himself, and afterwards at Bruce Castle, Tottenham. Rowland was always of an inquiring and ambitious turn of mind, with a decided talent for initiating reforms. At first he busied himself with mechanical and other inventions, later in life with questions of public concern. In 1826 he was one of the founders of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. After he had ceased to teach, he took an interest in the socialistic schemes that were being discussed and experimented with about that time, especially by Robert Owen. Then his restless mind led him to take an active share in the colonisation of South Australia, under Wakefield's system of colonising. Amongst other things his attention had been drawn at different periods to postal questions; and he became sensible that there existed an urgent need for a diminution in the high rates of postage, which practically excluded all but the wealthy from postal intercourse. His views on the subject, advocating a low and uniform rate of postage, to be prepaid by stamps, between all places in the British Isles irrespective of distance, were published in the form of a pamphlet, Post-office Reform, in 1837. His plan was eagerly taken up by Mr Robert Wallace, M.P. for Greenock, who gave essential help in fighting the case through parliament. Two years later Hill was attached to the Treasury for the purpose of putting his projected reforms into execution; and on 10th January 1840 the present uniform penny rate came into force. On 6th May following stamped envelopes and adhesive stamps were issued to the public, but the preference for the latter was soon made manifest. In 1841 the Conservative government, which had consistently opposed the reduction of postage, came into office, and in the following year, through the influence of certain government officials who strongly resented all innovations,
Rowland Hill was dismissed from his position. Four years later a sum of £13,000, raised by public subscription, was presented to him as a token of public esteem to a national benefactor. In the same year the Liberals returned to power, and Hill was appointed secretary to the Post-master-general. This office was exchanged in 1854 for that of secretary to the post-office. In 1864 he was compelled to resign owing to ill-health, and was then awarded a pension of £2000 for life, together with a parliamentary grant of £20,000. The effect of his reforms in the United Kingdom has been to raise the number of inland letters from about 77 millions annually to about 1900 millions, or about twenty-five fold, and it may be stated generally that the main principles of his plan have now been adopted in every civilised country throughout the world. Sir Rowland Hill was made a Knight Commander of the Bath in 1860. He died at Hanpstead on 27th August 1879, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Amongst the other improvements and reforms he effected in the post-office system must be mentioned the establishment of the book-post (1848), the reform of the money-order office (1848), and of the packet service, and a multitude of minor improvements affecting the administration of the postal service. See the article POST-OFFICE; Sir Rowland Hill's book, The State and Prospects of Penny Postage (1844); and the Life (1880), by his nephew G. B. Hill, which includes Sir Rowland Hill's History of the Penny Postage.—His eldest brother, MATTHEW DAVENPORT HILL (1792-1872), recorder of Birmingham from 1839 to 1866, distinguished himself by his labours for education and the reformation of criminals. See Memoir by his daughters (1878).