Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879), British postal and educational reformer. Although best remembered as a postal reformer, Hill also had great influence as an educational reformer. He is credited with introducing science as a compulsory subject, abolishing corporal punishment, and allocating one afternoon a week to sports. In 1819 he founded his own school, Hazelwood, which won international acclaim. In 1835 he turned his attention to the Post Office. Postage was expensive and paid for by the recipient. In 1837 Hill proposed the use of pre-paid adhesive stamps and a flat rate of postage within the UK. The Penny Black postage stamp was introduced in 1840. Illustration taken from The Pictorial Treasury of Famous Men and Deeds (1894).