The first Stipendiary Magistrate and Deputy Collector of Customs for West Falkland was Mr George Hurst, chief Constable of the Falkland Islands since 1885. He assumed his duties towards the end of 1895, previously the Colonial Surgeon of West Falkland undertook other departmental duties and Packe Bros, East Fox Bay were licenced to sell stamps in 1894. In 1896 Government Quarters were built (at a cost of £243-16-5) at Fox Bay East to house the Stipendiary Magistrate and police. The Stipendiary Magistrate was also ex officio collector of customs, an effort to get proper control over possible smuggling.The law vested in the magistrate of the West Falkland Island had the same powers and jurisdiction that were exercised by the Police Magistrate of the Colony, who was stationed in Stanley. In short it was the West's seat of Government. In 1899 it was decided to open a sub-Post Office and George Hurst was the first Postmaster at the Magistrate's house. In 1902 he left and at that point it was not intended to fill the Fox Bay post. The constable remained at Fox Bay and he dealt with the stamps from a room next to the gaol in the constable's house, but was not entrusted with money orders which had to be acquired from Stanley. After this Dr Melville Keay dealt with the Post Office until September 1904. He was followed by other doctors who combined Health, Customs, and Post Office duties.

And the house?: In May 1903 Murdo McAskill tendered to deliver mails to all West mainland stations for £140 per annum and the grazing rights of 15 to 20 horses. He would also be willing to rent the house lately occupied by Mr Hurst as a Rest House for a rental of £24 per annum. The CS thought this a good offer and encouraged Dr Born to urge farmers to consider this as the government were not responsible for the onward delivery of mails to stations after it was landed on the West. The Magistrate's house was then advertised as a 'Rest House' in the August magazine at a nominal rent and no Liquor licence. Frank Lang of Douglas Station applied in October 1903. In 1904 Mr Skilling applied. Refused.

Fox Bay Postmasters and snippets from the old Fox Bay records:

1 July 1899/  September 1902- George Hurst first Fox Bay Postmaster

October 1902/ May 1903- Dr Melville Keay for money orders, presumably conducting buisness from his house at Doctor's Creek. The constable was entrusted with the sale of stamps only from the room next to the gaol? .

In 1902 the 'Postmaster' at Fox Bay stated that 'he does not open bags of mail sent to other farms via Fox Bay. The man sent to convey the mail by horseback arranges the parcels for his horses and may take out those too heavy to carry.' Also in 1902 the Postmaster complained that his mail was muddled with the Fox Bay West mail.

June 1903/ September 1904 -  Dr Edward Turner Born conducted Post Office business for the sum of £36 p.a. During his absences as Doctor he was permitted to leave signed money orders with his wife. His absences to conduct medical duties resulted in complaints of the mail being left at Fox Bay. He was told by the CS to deal with the problem or resign as Post Master and give up his £36. This he did by return, glad to hand over the post but another letter came from the CS in March encouraging him to keep the post. After about 15 months he left when he was promoted to Colonial Surgeon.  

Sept 1904/ June 1908 - Dr Percy Reginald Bolus. On 15th September 1905 he married Miss V Felton at Fox Bay. He left Fox Bay on the 'Lafonia' on 11th June 1908 after resigning.

July 1908/ June 1909 -Dr Quinn who had arrived at Fox Bay on 10th July 1908 on the 'Lafonia' . He did not stay long, less than a year, returning to Stanley onboard the 'Rapida' on 10th June 1909.

June 1909/ June 1911- Dr H. M. S. Turner who proceeded to Fox Bay on the 'Malvina' on 12th May 1909, staying there for two years before resigning from Government service.

July 1911/ John William Brown who married Ella Betts on Pebble Island on 17th June 1911. He arrived at Fox Bay for the duties of Collector of Customs and Postmaster. He probably did this until some time in 1912, by 1913 he was a travelling teacher on West Falkland.

May 1915/ Nov 1915 J Innes Wilson (who became South Georgia's first postmaster)

October 1915- July 1915 E. H. Bound. During 1915-1916 the Magistrate's and Constable's houses were repaired and painted.

In November 1918 the Wireless Station at Fox Bay opened and from then on the Post Office/ Customs was the duty of the resident Wireless Operator. (William Myles was receiving an allowance of £36pa for Post Office duties.)

January 1919- October 1919 Lambert Walsh

May 1920- October 1920 Hamilton

January 1921-1923 Alex Mercer (one registration by Hamilton during this time).

April/ May 1923 T. Hooley

January- April 1929 William Myles (T Hooley stood in as a relief for W Myles 'leaves')

1944- 1956 E. S. 'Steve' Smith ('leaves' when Steve was away to UK were stood in by H Bennet and W Myles).

1956/ 1980 Charles Maddocks (When on ' UK leave', duration of 3-4 months, in 1964 E.S. Smith relieved, and in 1970 John Cheek stood in)

1980/ Ken Halliday

George Hurst - First Postmaster Fox Bay Post Office.

George Hurst had been chief Constable of the Falkland Islands since 1885. In 1895 he took up the post of Stipendiary Magistrate and Deputy Collector of Customs for West Falkland based at Fox Bay East. The Stipendiary Magistrate was also ex officio collector of customs, an effort to get proper control over possible smuggling. In 1899 he also became Postmaster when Fox Bay Post office opened. Previously, since 1888, duties appertaining to customs and excise on the West had fallen upon the Assistant Colonial Surgeon whose expenses were met partly by Government and partly by contributions from the residents of the West Falklands, dividing his responsibility.  Other matters such as dealing with the problems the two itinerant teachers who were responsible for teaching 60 children across West Falkland, were experiencing. The teacher's diaries had to be sent in quarterly to Fox Bay and then sent on by the Magistrate to the Colonial Secretary's office. G Hurst instructed the teachers where and when to travel to. There were many letters of concern and disagreement about the teacher's horse amongst the shepherds and his transport between camphouses at this time. Hurst himself became involved in this unpleasantness and eventually resulted in the teacher resigning his post albeit under the excuse of ill health.

In 1899 George Hurst became the first Postmaster at Fox Bay when the sub-Post Office opened.The house was very cold and on 5th Septemer 1899 he wrote to the Colonial Secretary requesting more coal. 'I regret to have to report that in consequece of the supply of coal for this station not being sent from Stanley, my family have suffered in health during the severe winter. My son aged 9 years, is now recovering from an attack of acute bronchitis which has been aggravated by the scarcity of fuel and the coldness of the house and we have for some time been reduced to the necessity of cooking what little food we can on a small register plate in the room where he is is lying in bed sick. In view of the impossibility of obtaining fuel here and the precarious means of communication with Stanley I should agian respectfully suggest that an ample quantity of coal can be supplied in advance and a coal shed built as the coal by lying in the open exposed to the wet and frost becomes useless'.

In 1901 Hurst again complained that the quantity of coal was insufficient' 'Twelve tons are sent out for the year, from that the Constable receives two cwt per week leaving only 2 and a half cwt per week for the Stipendiary Magistrate's quarters and office. This quantity is barely enough for the kithen, and it is only occasionally that a fire can be lighted in any other room. As the quarters are extremely cold and exposed more fires are urgently needed.'

A reply came on 6th September 1901 ' I am directed to inform you that HE the Governor is not prepared in the present financial condition of the Colonly, to consider the question of an allowance and the two tons requisitioned for can only be furnished upon.'

Hurst replied on the 24th September 1901 ' I have the honour to acknowlege the receipt of your letter of the 6th instant relative to my requisition for two tons of coal which HE has not approved. My request is based on the grounds that every winter myself and family suffer in health owing to the insufficient quantity of coal supplied. Last winter when Dr Keay was attending my wife he impressed upon me the urgent necessity of having more fires in the house, as the sickness was caused by cold and draught. As I am entitled to a free allowance of fuel I very respectfully decline to pay for it.'

Again refused.

Note: Having grown up in this house at Fox Bay when my father (Charles Maddocks) was Post Master (1956-1980) I can assure you Magistrate Hurst did not exaggerate - it was indeed very cold (but not damp I think). A coal shed was built. There was a large Esse cooker and there were open fires in all the bedrooms. They were, in our years there, replaced with little 'Esse' coal fires with doors. My mother lit them in winter but it was still mighty cold.

Magistrate Hurst probably could not face another winter in the house. He stayed at Fox Bay until 1902 when he was transferred to Magistrate in Stanley', leaving Fox Bay on the 'Chance' on 18th September.

Most days we played in the dark and dusty Post Office as my father worked in there. There were few books at Fox Bay and we liked to read the huge old registers, births, deaths and marriages. When I was small I once had a broken arm repaired on the old oak desk by the doctor (assisted by Chris Perry the doctor's guide and caretaker). I have dwelt long and have a great interest in Stipendiary Magistrate Hurst- weirdly when I married I became a Hurst myself! Una Hurst

Sources include: Old documents at the Fox Bay Post Office, The Postal Service of the Falkland Islands- Robert Barnes, Report on the Blue Book for 1888/89, Falkland Rural Heritage- Joan Spruce with Natalie Smith, nationalarchives.gov.fk/Jane Cameron National Archives /Buildings/ Land/General/Early leases of land post 1842,nationalarchives.gov.fk /Jane Cameron National Archives /People/19century families

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Photographic credits: Header: Robert Maddocks

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