Yateley's Telegraph Operators

In 1879 John Mills had to go to Sandhurst or Yorktown to send his telegrams. Presumably James Rogers, the Postmaster until he died at the age of 81 in 1886, did not see the value of the new technology.

Kelly's Directory of 1889 is the first to mention the coming of a Telegraph Office to Yateley. W T Gadd, the new Postmaster, had wasted little time. The 1891 census gives the name of the Telegraph Clerk -- 19 year old Mary J Restinton, born in Addlestone. She was lodging in Gadd's household. Also in 1891 a Telegram Messenger is first mentioned; 16 year old Harry Winter. It is interesting to note that he was W B Tice's step-brother.

The next census for Yateley, that of 1901, lists Flora Thompson as the Telegraph Operator, under here maiden-name as described on above.

Back to 2003 Exhibition Main Page

Page written by Peter Tipton for the Yateley Society's 2003 Exhibition: Adult Education in Yateley mounted in Yateley Library during Local History Month, for which the theme was Adult Education. This exhibition was held in conjunction with Yateley Workers Education Association (WEA) -- now in 2008 defunct. Pages may have been updated as a result of recent research.

(C) The Yateley Society, 2003 and 2008