The London District Telegraph Company was formed in 1859. It was renamed the London and Provincial Telegraph Company in 1867. The management were connected with the British and Irish Magnetic Telegraph Company and the firm aimed to compete with the dominant Electric Telegraph Company in the London area. Its original Chairman was the banker and Member of Parliament Samuel Gurney (1816–1882). It used a combination of underground and overhead wires and saved money by avoiding the need for an Act of Parliament to authorise its activities. The overhead wires, however, required negotiation with individual households and landowners and were vulnerable to damage in bad weather. The firm employed many female clerks who were supervised by a "Matron" and "Sub Matrons".