Nicholas Phillips “No guide but his walking stick…”

Passers-by would be fascinated to see the old gardener working in his small patch of greenery at Bodieve, Wadebridge, Cornwall. Their intrigue was caused by both curiosity and admiration, for very few gardeners would perform this pastime at all times of day and certainly not in the pitch dark of night.

This was no ordinary fellow, however. This was letter carrier, Nicholas Phillips, almost sixty years old, who had spent over four decades in his own personal darkness. He could perform his gardening duties around the clock because it did not matter to him whether or not the sun was shining. He could not see anything whatsoever, his eyes having been removed when he was 18 years old. Alone, he would deliver the mail faultlessly, walking 14 miles every morning except Sunday. His mail was marked and tabbed so that he could feel whose mail was whose and he would presumably follow his route each day alone, working completely by memory. Just a man, his post and his walking stick.

Nicholas had lost his eyes after an otherwise trivial piece of tomfoolery by a boy who had thrown a pitcher against a door next to which the young man found himself. A shard cut one of his eyes and an infection soon rendered both useless.

Being fatherless, the local parishioners showed their sympathy and fondness for the young man by employing him as a private messenger between Wadebridge and St Minver. Even the advent of Government post in 1854 could not force the local folk to accept an alternative postman and they ensured he was kept on due to his fastidious nature. His postal round soon became 17 miles a day for which he earned only 12 shillings a week. In those days, there were 20 shillings in the pound. It is therefore accurate to say that Nicholas did this for only one dollar per week.

Such was the feeling in the local community that when servant Mary Coom of Tywardreath, Cornwall found herself many miles away in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, she reminded her employer about this remarkable postman. Charles Waring Wood, a respectable and well educated commercial traveller, already knew about Nicholas. He had known about his exploits for over 25 years. Now that the blind postman was in the twilight of his career, Charles felt himself duty-bound to appeal to fellow readers to send some charity in the direction of “this extraordinary blind man [who] has walked 134,400 miles, or about in distance five and half round this world, totally blind all the way, no guide but his walking stick, no companion or protector but his God.”

 

A BLIND POSTMAN

The Paean to Nicholas Phillips

To the Editor of the Mercury and Post.

Sir – I wish to bag a space in your valuable paper for this accompanying account of an extraordinary blind postman, whom I have know for 25 years, and who is still alive, and may be seen every morning about eight o’clock starting his 14 mile walk (Sundays excepted).

I hope before long something will be done for the support of this worthy blind postman, who cannot continue many years longer (being now in his 60th year) before the information age will stop his walking career, and that the reading of this account will open some hearts and purses in his favour. Committing the case to you for insertion,

I remain, yours truly and obliged,

CHARLES WARING WOOD.

Weston-super-Mare, March 1st 1880

134,400 miles

Nicholas Phillips, the blind postman, Wadebridge, Cornwall, was born in the parish of St Minver, near Wadebridge, Cornwall, February 18, 1821. He was originally placed with a Farmer, and when about 18 years of age lost both eyes. A boy was throwing a broken pitcher at a door when a piece flew back and cut Nicholas Phillips in one eye, inflammation set in, and equally affected the other eye, and he soon lost them both, and nothing but empty sockets left. Having no father alive, the farmers and parishioners gave him employment, and as in those days there was no rural post, they sent him a private messenger to carry their letters to Wadebridge and bring back to St Minver other letters for them, and this distance of 14 miles Nicholas Phillips (totally blind) did every day (except Sundays) for seven years. In 1854, when a Government messenger or postman was about to be appointed, the farmers and parishioners voted for blind Nicholas Phillips to be kept on, as he always did everything so correctly. He was appointed, and by taking in another village (st Kew) increased the distance to 17 miles a day, which the blind postman accomplished for six years at 12s per week. A portion of this route being dangerous, through some marshes and water courses, St Kew round was taken out, and a good hard road from St Minver to Wadebridge and back, equal to 10 miles per day, was performed by the blind postman for four years. Another alteration in postal route, and the blind postman goes to Wadebridge to live, and from thence seven miles out and seven miles back; and this 14 miles per day (Sundays excepted) he has now for 16 years past been faithfully performing, to the satisfaction of all – present wages 14s per week, Nicholas Phillips is a married man, has brought up a family, has been a member of a Christian church 30 years, and, though poor, has kept himself from parochial relief. He takes great delight in his garden, and it is quite stunning to see this blind man digging, tilling, painting, and particularly weeding, early and late, darkness and light being both alike to him. On calculating the above figure it will be found, I think, that this extraordinary blind man has walked 134,400 miles, or about in distance five and half round this world, totally blind all the way, no guide but his walking stick, no companion or protector but his God.