Rebellion of 1837 and the Post Office
Circular to all Post Masters in Canada from T.A. Stayner, November 25, 1837. The circular addresses the political unrest in Canada, and the duty to report traitors to the Government.
The Rebellion of 1837 in Upper Canada affected Hamilton's role as Postmaster as well as his role as Sheriff. The General Post Office alerted postmasters about their duty to transmit any information likely to be of service to the Government. If a Postmaster found that there was a "traitor in the camp," this must be communicated to authorities immediately.
Letter to Hamilton asking about rumours of mail being opened at the office, February 17, 1838
Other postmasters would inquire about rumours related to the political unrest. One such letter addressed to Hamilton asks for clarification about a rumour that no letters are permitted to come from or go into the Old World. It was also rumoured that such letters were opened at the office. The writer speculates that these reports may have been put in place by [William Lyon] McKenzie in the U.S.