Sending any letter through the post was very expensive. The rates were made by charging per page and how far a distance it was to travel. This was not very affordable for many people, especially if they had family or friends who lived a great distance away. So, to get around having to pay more for longer letters requiring more pages, people began to cross-write their letters. This practice had the letter authors write on one page, turn it 90 degrees and continue on writing, thus keeping it all on one page and avoiding extra postage fees.

The price of sending a single letter could be costly and was calculated per page up until January 1844. After this date, all letters were rated in accordance with weight and the distance it was to travel. In 1849, legislation was passed regarding a reduction in postage charges on all letters passing between places within the provinces or within British North America to a uniform rate of three pence per one-half ounce (14 grams). Even after the change to the postage rates, many people still kept up with the practice of cross-writing as a means of being frugal.