science

Telegraph boy

Telegraph boy is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Telegraph boy rather than just read about it. In short: In many English-speaking countries, a telegram delivery boy, telegraph boy or telegram boy was a young man employed to deliver telegrams, usually on bicycle. In the United Kingdom, these messengers were employed by the General Post Office; in the United States, they worked for Western Union or other telegraph companies.

Key takeaways

Telegraph boy belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Telegraph boy to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Telegraph boy from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In many English-speaking countries, a telegram delivery boy, telegraph boy or telegram boy was a young man employed to deliver telegrams, usually on bicycle. In the United Kingdom, these messengers were employed by the General Post Office; in the United States, they worked for Western Union or other telegraph companies.

In the United Kingdom Telegram boys became popular in the United Kingdom after the General Post Office took over control of inland telegraphs from the railways and private telegraph companies. Many of the boys employed by these services to deliver telegrams transferred to the Post Office. In some respects, the life of a telegram boy was not unlike that of someone in military service. They were expected to behave in a manner befitting one who wore the uniform of the Queen, and were required to complete a daily drill. Messengers, at least in London, were required to carry a blue book of instructions at all time, and produce them whenever they were ordered to. Rules included specifications on appearance, dictating that messengers must keep themselves clean and their hair short, and be courteous whenever speaking to anyone. The rulebook also sought to control their behavior, forbidding messenger boys from sliding down staircase handrails; from smoking, gambling, or playing cards while in uniform; and from entering public houses except to deliver messages. From 1915 to 1921, morning exercise was added to these requirements. During the 1930s the Post Office introduced motorcycles. This started in Leeds where boys aged 17 were allowed to volunteer for training, but only with the permission of their parents. However, following the success of this, motorcycles were soon introduced elsewhere in the country. The fleet was comprised almost exclusively of BSA B33-1 250cc motorbikes which boys were expected to ride at an average of 15 mph. Later 125cc BSA Bantams were used. These were finally replaced with smaller Raleigh and Puch models. During its heyday in the 1930s, the service was delivering an average of 65 million telegrams per year; however, the service was running at a loss, estimated at £1 million annually. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the use of telegrams had dropped significantly, with around 10 million sent annually in the mid-1960s. Consequently, the Post Office took the decision in 1977 to abolish the service. The service continued for a few years and was briefly operated by British Telecom after it split from the Post Office. British Telecom announced on 19 October 1981 that the telegram would be discontinued, and it was finally taken out of service on 30 September 1982 after 139 years in the United Kingdom. The telegram as such was superseded by the British Telecom Telemessage service, introduced in October 1982. Messages were dictated over the telephone or sent via telex, printed, and delivered overnight by first class post in a distinctive envelope guaranteed for next day delivery, rather than by messenger.

In the United States

Telegraph boys were boys under the age of 18 who carried telegrams through urban streets. They were generally not union members. The job came with inherent hazards. Boys were expected to "scorch" their bicycles in urban traffic by violating traffic laws in order to reach their destinations more quickly. At night, the boys might be required to enter the red light districts in connection with their job duties.

In Israel As of October 2023, Israel Post still offered a domestic telegram service via its website.

Notable telegram boys

Frank McCourt, author and teacher Ralph Reader, founder of the Scout Gang Shows Dave Ward, deputy leader of the Communication Workers Union Hyman G. Rickover, Father of the US Nuclear Navy Ian Pattison, writer of Rab C Nesbitt was a telegram boy in the mid-1960s Keith Holyoake, Prime Minister of New Zealand Charles Manson, serial killer Albert Fish, serial killer

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Telegraph boy

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Telegraph boy claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Telegraph boy before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Telegraph boy ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Telegraph boy

In research: Telegraph boy appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Telegraph boy in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Telegraph boy is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Telegraphy, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Telegraph boy outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Telegraph boy in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Telegraph boy means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Telegraph boy out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Telegraph boy in simple terms?

Why does Telegraph boy matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Telegraph boy?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Telegraph boy.