MICHAEL HAMILTON
POSTAL HISTORY
POSTMARKS
STAMPS
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All world BANK TRANSFERS by WISE to Michael David Cameron Hamilton SORT CODE 23-08-01 Account 58021507. No postal charges
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Subject: SHIP NAMES Clear

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WRECK of the Private Ship "ROBERT" at Egg Island, Bahamas, journey continued by "Lord Eldon"
A newly discovered wreck entire written "Nassau 11 Dec 1816" marked "Robert" changed "Lord Eldon" to Glasgow landed with PORTSMOUTH/SHIP LETTER rated 1/4 and 1/6 with poor boxed Scottish wheel tax "˝", two chisel slits, rarely found on Private Ship Letters from the BWI, struck from reverse (about 1˝ inches or 1 6/16th inches or 17mm) with (London) 13 FE 13 1817 b/stamp, Glasgow 16 FEB receiver above address panel.
Robert entered Lloyd's Register in 1815 as an American prize. Until 1822 the brig was a West Indiaman based in Liverpool and sailing to the Bahamas or Havana. Lloyd's List reported (FE 2 1817) that the "Robert", Wilkes, master, had been sailing from New Providence to Liverpool when she struck a reef off Egg Island, Bahamas, and had to put back for repairs.
£2000


VREED-EN-HOOP, British Guiana to SENEGAL, West Africa postal history
1930 reg. opened-out cover marked "Per F.M.S. Biskra via France" to M'Bour, Senegal with KGV 2c, 4c, 6c pmk'd Vreed-En-Hoop */29 MY 30 with boxed "INCONNU" and "RETOUR/A L'ENVOYEUR and purple NON RECLAME/NOT CALLED FOR (style unlisted by Proud) with re-direction to Dakar and numerous transit datestamps. Exotic destination.
£300

JAMAICA to CAYMAN ISLANDS showing both FORWARDING AGENT and NAMED MAIL BOAT
1890 cover to James S. Webster, Bodden Town, Grand Caymans c/o W.H.B. Hitchins, 2 Lower George Lane, Kingston endorsed Schr Electra with Jamaica QV 1d Keyplate pmk'd SHOOTERS HILL A/NO 14 90 and backstamped Kingston 3 D/NO 15 90 squared circle. Peripheral faults but exceptional for showing both forwarding agent for Cayman Islands mail and named mail boat.
£1200

CONSIGNEE ENTIRE landed GRAVESEND SHIP LETTER, St. Vincent postal history
1910 cover marked "Consignee" and "p. S.S. St. Croix" to William Burr, Broad Street House, London with 1d re-drawn Arms (SG.99) tied purple str. line "THE EAST-ASIATIC COMPANY" handstamp with both GRAVESEND/SHIP-LETTER and GRAVESEND 2 AM/MY 18 10 arrival cds alongside address panel, reverse London E.C. 10.15AM MAY 18 10 arrival.
The East Asiatic Company was founded in 1897 in Copenhagen by Hans Niel Andersen, initially to operate shipping services between Copenhagen, Bangkok and the Far East. In 1907 the "St. Croix" was sold to the Hamburg America Line.
£750



Wreck of S.S. "Emeu" to Woodford, Kensington, missent Hackney, NEW SOUTH WALES postal history
1857 entire with large part content to a Mrs. Cowell, Belgrave Villa, Woodford, near London with QV 6d slate tied barred oval cancel with fine SYNEY D/SEP 10 1857 displaying upper flap and red LONDON NL/DE 7 57 on address panel, on arrival re-directed Kensington and showing manuscript "Missent to Hackney", some smaller faults.
Sent on the S.S. "Emeu" (under charter of the Australian Royal Mail Co.) which left Sydney on September 11 bound for Suez, but stranded on October 22nd in the Red Sea, on the Guttal el Bunna, a coral reef 120 miles from Jeddah. She was refloated the following day and beached for repairs near Duber Dubb finally reaching Suez on the 3rd November, the mails however having been transferred to the P.&.O S.S. "Madras" which reached Suez on the 19th November (16 days after the "Emeu"!). Paid for delivery in Southampton the cover was sent from Alexandria on the P.&.O "Ripon" arriving December 7th.
£625


CONSIGNEE'S LETTER into DUNEDIN, New Zealand postal history
1868 initially stampless entire (no indication of sender's origin) travelling with goods marked "Consignee's Letter per Margaret" destined for a merchant in Otahuhu, Auckland put into the Post Office at first port of call Dunedin with pair, single QV Chalon 1d dull vermilion added (affixed over writing) pmk'd Dunedin D/NZ/SP 25 68 duplex paying the 3d inter-provincial rate, b/stamped Auckland OC 7 transit and with OTAHUHU OCT 8 68 (13 days journey) on address panel, missing part flap. Extremely rare with Chalon stamps added.
The letter, having been put into the Dunedin post office (South Island), would travel by land to the recipient advising details of goods to be expected, and the "Margaret" would continue its sea journey to the most convenient port in North Island for off-loading of same.
£1625





CONFEDERATE sloop-of war transfers YANKEE P.O.W.s to DANISH brig, St. Croix postal history
1863 letter written April 13 by semi-literate Dudley K. Dow to his "mothere" Mrs Thomas Dow, Deer Isle, Maine, USA stating that he had been taken by the Felardy (his hearing/understanding for the Florida) and "Cent in to Cante Croix", his postscript in ink confirms that his stay on the island has been dull "the times hire is dool" but mentions "we shell leave here to day For home", posted in small envelope, slightly trimmed at left, with handstruck SHIP and "5" (due) in black and landed with red BOSTON/MY 6/MASS d/ring. On March 12th 1863 the Danish brig “Christian” took into St. Croix prisoners recently transferred from the Confederate States Steamer (C.S.S.) “Florida”. The “Florida” was a sloop-of-war serving as a highly successful commerce raider in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. She was built in Liverpool and departed England 22 March 1862, and after a collision with a United States Army Transport troop ferry sank on 28 November 1864. The Florida captured 37 prizes during her short impressive career. Two books cover this event: “The Life and Services of John Newland Maffitt” (captain of the C.S.S. Florida). On Page 283 of the journal is mention of capturing the bark M. J. Colcord from New York bound Cape Town on 30 March 1863, and their transfer to the Danish brig Christian some 37 hours later on 1 April 1863. “The High Seas Confederate” book, Page 83, confirms that Maffitt captured “a propaganda” ship, the M.J. Colcord on 30 March 1863, transferring provisions from the prize, that the master of a Danish brig agreed to take all the remaining prisoners, and that Maffitt burned the M.J. Colcord.
£6500



Wreck of the 'Schiller' (Hoboken N.J, Scilly Isles, Germany's "Titanic"), Canada postal history
THE ONLY RECORDED WRECK COVER ORIGINATING FROM CANADA marked "Via United States" with Small Queen 2c green x 2, QV 6c brown x 2 pmk'd HALIFAX N.S. A/AP 22 75 duplex to The Manager, The Imperial Bank, Lothbury, London taken from the wrecked S.S. Schiller on the Retarrier Ledges, Scilly Isles to London where red London Paid 10 MY 75 cds applied, reverse with handwritten contemporary endorsement of "This Envelope was down in the Sr. Ship Schiller wrecked on a rock off the Scilly Isles in the month of May 1875".
Accompanied by a wonderfully easy to read pre-owned copy of "The Victorian Titanic".
£3000


QUEENSLAND postal history
1875 Wagstaff family cover from California with U.S. 3c x 2, 10c tied segmented cork cancels with adjacent red SAN FRANCISCO PAID cds dated MAR 8 and marked "per City of Melbourne Ship" to John Wagstaff, Agricultural (Station?), Rockhampton, Queensland forwarded with tied Queensland QV 2d blue to Lily Vale via Gainsford, backstamped Brisbane AP 5 75 with Rockhampton AP 9 75 arrival and forwarded Rockhampton AP 22 75 with Lilly Vale MY 3 1875 arrival. An exceptional combination.
On JA 1 1874 the rate to all Australian Colonies, New Zealand and Fiji was reduced to 2d.
£3000







THE UNIQUE B.W.I. "DOUBLE COUNTRY" JAMAICA and BAHAMAS SAILOR'S CONCESSIONARY RATE ENTIRE
1835 entire "From Alexander Spain on board His Majestys Brig Wasp" to his sister Charlotte Spain in Southampton countersigned on face by J.N. Syke, Lt. Acting Commanding Officer with "Paid 1" in horizontal oval and matching red ink LIVERPOOL AP 14 1835 arrival backstamp. Written at Port Royal, Jamaica 12th February, travelled with him to Belize, with cross-written finish at Nassau, Bahamas 12th March with "since writing the first part we have been with troops to Honduras in New Spain and thence to this place on the same errand". Opening tear into address panel hardly detracts, some small internal splits but clean with delightful content including mention of fond memories of picking buttercups and daisies on their way to school.
No privilege rate countersigned pre-stamp Sailor's letters are currently recorded from Jamaica (which is quite extraordinary for such a large island) or the Bahamas, and the only two recorded entires as such for the B.W.I. group, are from Antigua (HMS Pique MY 26 1845) with rate paid by attached sewn 1d coin, and 1d paid from Alexander to his sister Charlotte Spain on the Wasp while again at Belize 30 June landed Dartmouth 29 August 1835. The "Wasp" was built during 1811-12 and at this time was on duty on the North America and West Indies station with 85 officers and men, 24 boys, 20 marines. Alexander Spain was a first class boy waiting to be rated. He mentions homecoming in about 20 months - the Wasp arrived Portsmouth 15 April 1837 having left Jamaica 11 February but during a gale on 4 April she lost her foremast and straps plus her bowsprit during a mid-Atlantic collision with the Elizabeth due poor visibility.
£2800



VICTORIOUS "PORTLAND" RAN AGROUND in RIVER SHANNON and STRANDED, ANTIGUA INTERRUPTED PACKET MAIL
This entire is headed “Antigua 28th Octr 1796” and marked “by Portland packet” from the Tudway correspondence to Wells, Somersetshire with handstruck S:KITTS rated 2/- changed 3/2. The “Portland” had left Falmouth with the mails for the Leeward Islands on AU 29 1796 and when off Barbados was attacked by a French privateer in which she beat off the attacker and preserved the mails. The Cook, William Thomson, lost a leg during the fighting and subsequently died of his injuries. In calm seas, near Guadeloupe, another armed privateer, the “Temeraire”, of much superior force gave chase. At daylight on October 18th the enemy hoisted her French colours and came alongside to board. The Master, Nathaniel Taylor, organised the passengers to open their musquetry upon her killing or wounding 41 of 68 on board. Captain Taylor was killed in the moment of victory. The “Temeraire” was taken into Montserrat as a prize, and the “Portland” left St. Kitts on 30th October bound Falmouth. Due a shortage of fresh water she put into the River Shannon on the west coast of Ireland on 6th January 1797. Sailing shortly after she had to put back because of bad weather, and whilst sheltering she was driven from her moorings and higher up the river ran aground. Stranded and waiting to be refloated on the Spring Tides she eventually arrived at Falmouth on 25th March. In the interim the Mate, Richard Leonard, personally took the mails from Limerick to London and they were placed in the post JA 14 97 per backstamp. This is the first recorded “Portland” interrupted mail entire clearly documenting its journey. The full story can be found in “The History of the Sailing Packets to the West Indies” by Len Britnor Pages 72-73 published by the BWI Study Circle 1973.
£2250

BERMUDA postal history
1884 cover marked "per Orinoco" to Roxbury, Massachusetts with QV ˝d stone, QV 2d bright blue CC wmk (SG.19,4) tied K3a "5" duplex used Paget East dated A/AP 10 84. A rare combination as such.
The David Pitts chart only recorded K3a "5" on one example 2d blue CC (SG.3/4) and two examples on ˝d stone. My own chart could only record K3a "5" on one 2d blue CC and one copy ˝d stone.
£1750


BERMUDA postal history
1883 cover p. S.S. "Orinoco" to Troy, Ohio with QV ˝d stone, pair QV 1d rose-red (SG.19,23) tied HAMILTON K3 "1" duplex dated A/DE 6 83 during the first blue ink period March 1882 to January 1884. This is a very rare combination as the few covers known in this band of use are normally made up with QV ˝d, 2d franking.
The OC 1 1876 USA-Bermuda postal convention set a 2d rate effective OC 3 1876 between the two countries but allowed Bermuda to charge 2˝d per half ounce. Bermuda had no ˝d adhesive until the ˝d stone was issued MR 25 1880 and accepted the loss during the interim years.
£375

BERMUDA postal history
1884 cover marked per "Nubian" with 1880 QV 4d orange-red (SG.20) pmk'd ST. GEORGES K3 "2" duplex dated A/FE 21 1884 to London locally directed with crowned "R" handstamp to denote no additional charge, reverse with (early) black HAMILTON (H1, first period blue ink ended January 1883) dated B/FE 21 84 and red London MR 13 84. A rare cover from the second voyage of the "Nubian".
The first voyage of the "Nubian", in transit from Virginia on an experimental new service for the Union Line, was announced to call at Hamilton on JA 10 1884. The ship was five days late and single covers are known from St. Georges pmk'd JA 10 1884 and JA 15 1884 and both landed with red LIVERPOOL SHIP cds.
£450
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