Who paid the postage?

There's an interesting bit of postal history detailed on the HMS Richmond Web site, dedicated to the historical re-creation of a British ship's company from the American War for Independence time period (18th century).

According to the section of the Web site titled "Letter Writing Style of 1775," at that time, the recipient paid the postage due and the amount of postage was based on the number of sheets of paper in the letter.

I guess the friends and family of those of us who can be a bit long-winded in our letter writing are happy that this practice has changed. Fortunately for those with a lot to say, mailing a letter today is quite economical.

Now, go write a letter!