How did Henry VIII organize postal service along England's major roads?

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postal system A United States Postal Service worker retrieving mail from a mailbox in Manheim, Pennsylvania.

In 1516, Henry VIII organized a postal service in England by appointing a Master of the Posts. The primary purpose of this initiative was to maintain a regular postal service along the main roads radiating from London.1

It is important to note that this system was not comprehensive, nor was it intended to serve the general public; rather, it was a state-controlled mechanism. Over time, the security and regularity of these routes led to the carriage of unofficial correspondence, which eventually paved the way for the development of a broader public postal system in later years.1