Humberston is now spelt without an "E" at the end
but the 1900 and the 1909 to 1933 Kelly's directories spell the name of the
village as Humberstone. Mr. Lofthouse considers that the "E" was
dispensed with to avoid confusion with Humberstone in Leicester- shire. In 1891
the population of the parish was recorded as 254 people.
Postal-wise Humberstone has always looked to Grimsby for
it's mail services and the mail was handled from there. By 1900 there was no
need for a post office or even a shop in the village and letters were brought
by foot post from Grimsby. Mail arrived at 10.00am and the wall letter box was emptied at 4.50pm. In 1881 Postal Orders were introduced and in 1883 the
inland Parcels Post Service was commenced and by 1900 most offices could also
pay postal orders as well. According to Post Office records the post office at
Humberston opened on 10th July, 1900 and a rubber date stamp of the type
provided to offices to date stamp paid postal orders was provided at that date.
In 1905 Wright Collinson was Subpostmaster and
shopkeeper and the Post Office was a Post and Postal order office only, i.e. it
didn't conduct Savings Bank or Money Order Business. Mail arrived at 9.20 a.m. and was still collected at 4.50 p.m. It is likely that Collinson was the
first Subpostmaster and that he felt that by 1900 the village could support the
new Post Office and shop venture. By 1909 Collinson was still listed as
a shopkeeper and Parish Clerk but the details of who was Subpostmaster were
left blank in Kelly's indicating that Collinson was no longer in charge.
Mail now arrived at 7.05 a.m. and dispatched at 5.50 p.m..
It is probable that Collinson's Shop and Post Office
was located in Church Road. A map of 1907 shows it on the north side of Church Road (now Church Walk) opposite a road junction and travelling from the church past
the next right hand bend after the smithy and chapel.
Eric Croft's P.O. book then pictures the Post Office in Walk
Road in a semi-detached thatched cottage now demolished on the N.W. corner of
Walk Road and Tetney Road. The picture is thought to date circa 1910 indicating
that the Post Office probably moved after Collinson ceased as
Subpostmaster.
By 1913 Mrs Mary Anne Cheeseman was Subpostmistress but did
not also run a shop. A local resident remembers it being just a table in a room
covered with green baize, a cupboard for the money and stock etc and a post box
in the house wall. She continued until at least 1926 but after that Kelly's does
not list the actual incumbent in 1930 or 1933.
By 1919 a telephone had been provided and the Post Office
also operated as a Telephone Call Office. The population of Humberston altered
from 234 in 1901, through 388 in 1911, and 609 in 1921 to quadruple its
original size to 1096 by 1931. (The population in the 1990's is over 8,000).
This is reflected in the fact that by 1937 the Post Office had been able to
also act and a Telegraph and Telegraph Express Delivery Office.
Harry William Kennington was the Subpostmaster and also
acted as Parish Clerk. His telephone number was 86. He was the son in law of
Mrs. Cheeseman and was a postman until taking over the office when she died. I
am not sure when the Post Office moved to it's present site at 71 Church Avenue, Humberston. The map of 1932 shows the location of the Post Office at Walk Road and it probably moved between then and 1940. Mr. George Tasker followed him, also
serving as a parish councillor.(L)
Mr. Alan Hodgson was Subpostmaster from 1966(L)and the
Subpostmaster since September, 1980 is Keith Lofthouse who serves with his wife
Tina.(L) It is Three position office with the counter from north to south in
the north east corner. The entrance is from the side road. Greetings cards,
stationery and packet confectionery also sold. The shop did though once extend
into part of the present living space and was also a general store.
The Richard Jackson Computer system is used and a Lottery
terminal was installed in 1996. The Office has a quantum gas terminal and an
APT since November, 1998. For the size of office the APT should have been
fitted previously and it wasn't until permission was refused for the current
terminal that it was found that Head Office thought Humberston already had one
terminal and that they were requesting two. Office is also an "on-demand
office" for insurance. (L) Not data post, planning to move to a new parade
in March, 1999 as if offered for sale would have to relocate and compete with
other outlets to take over the office. Three date stamps in use two from the
county alterations of 1974 and a second double ring from c1994.
Information by compiler
except (L) Mr. & Mrs. Lofthouse.
Compiled by Andrew Reynolds,
Post Office North Somercotes. Copyright, January, 1999 Many thanks and
acknowledgements to P.O. Archives, Post office, Kelly's and White's Directories
of Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire Post Offices-Eric Croft and Ken Smith Post Office
researcher.