MICHAEL HAMILTON
POSTAL HISTORY
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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: BWI inter-island Clear

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The 2½d on 1d lake INTER-ISLAND RATE from CALLIAQUA, St. Vincent to BARBADOS postal history
1884 cover to H.A. King, Bridgetown, Barbados with QV 2½d on 1d lake positional copy showing curved arc below "N" of "ONE" (SG.40) left to be cancelled at Kingstown by vertical black "A10" (PML.7) with red Kingstown C/NO 28 84 and CALLIAQUA C/NO 28 84 origin cds alongside, b/stamped BARBADOES NO 29 1884 broken dbl-arc.
This QV 2½d on 1d lake was issued specifically for pre-payment of the under 300 miles inter-island rate.
£1425


RETRIEVED STOLEN REGISTERED MAIL from PROSECUTING SOLICITORS FILES, Trinidad postal history
1874 cover front to Joseph Veira, Fish Market Street, Basseterre, St. Kitts twice handstruck red str. line "REGISTERED" with 1/- chrome-yellow (SG.74) paying 6d inter-island postage plus 6d reg. fee. Pmk'd SP 8 1874 and rated red "4" and endorsed with "contents not shown/stated no money/(initials)". Missing is the reverse which would have had wax seals but no backstamps, and the case file number "14876/74" as this cover front was evidence in the prosecuting solicitors files against a corrupt postal official.
Three retrieved stolen mail registered covers and one cover front are currently known for period spanning JY 26 1874 to SP 8 1874 all addressed St. Kitts from case file "14876/74". The JY 26 1874 to Mrs Alice Davoren, Palmetto Point with Colonial Postmaster/Trinidad (large stop at base) impressed into reverse wax seal, three dated SP 8 1874 comprising full cover and cover front to Joseph Veira, and to Miss Margaret Rennels, Dieppe Bay (Marriott Lot 378 realised £2,875) with Colonial Postmaster/Trinidad (rosette at base) and POST OFFICE/(arms)/SAN FERNANDO red wax seals on second.
£1250

ST. KITTS PAID (used during shortage 1d stamps for the internal rate) to NEVIS.
1889 stampless cover to Miss. Richardson, opposite the church, Charlestown, Nevis with the (1d) rate covered by black undated ST. KITTS PAID with ST. KITTS C/DE 10 89 despatch and NEVIS A/DE 11 89 arrival backstamp. Minor blemishes but unique as such and the latest recorded use. Ex BROOKES.
The 1889 shortage of ½d, 1d, 2½d, 4d stamps currently spans a 22 day period NO 21 1889 to DE 12 1889. New supplies were invoiced NO 29 1889 comprising ½d dull green (6,080 stamps), 1d carmine-rose, 2½d ultramarine, 4d grey (6,100 each) all Crown CA wmk, with expected arrival in time for the DE 19 89 sailing to UK. Only four covers and two cover fronts are recorded comprising NO 21 89 (at the over 300 miles rate) to Trinidad, NO 21 89 and DE 5 89 cover fronts (at the 4d UPU rate) to Edinburgh and London respectively, DE 5 89 and DE 12 89 (at the 2½d under 300 miles radius rate) to Barbados and Antigua respectively, and DE 10 89 (at the 1d local rate) to Nevis.
£1350

ST. KITTS PAID (used during shortage 2½d stamps for the under 300 sea miles rate) to ANTIGUA.
1889 stampless cover to Joe Goodwin, High Street, (St. John's), Antigua with the (2½d) rate covered by black undated ST. KITTS PAID with ST. KITTS C/DE 12 89 despatch being the latest known date of use. Frontal vertical fold and with no arrival backstamp which is consistent with covers to Antigua at this time. Ex FORSYTH, BROOKES.
The 1889 shortage of ½d, 1d, 2½d, 4d stamps currently spans a 22 day period NO 21 1889 to DE 12 1889. New supplies were invoiced NO 29 1889 comprising ½d dull green (6,080 stamps), 1d carmine-rose, 2½d ultramarine, 4d grey (6,100 each) all Crown CA wmk, with expected arrival in time for the DE 19 89 sailing to UK. Only four covers and two cover fronts are recorded comprising NO 21 89 (at the over 300 miles rate) to Trinidad, NO 21 89 and DE 5 89 cover fronts (at the 4d UPU rate) to Edinburgh and London respectively, DE 5 89 and DE 12 89 (at the 2½d under 300 miles radius rate) to Barbados and Antigua respectively, and DE 10 89 (at the 1d local rate) to Nevis.
£1250



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

MONTSERRAT taken to ST. CHRISTOPHER for posting to BARBADOS postal history
1876 cover endorsed "J.S. Hollings Montserrat W.I" at lower left from the known correspondence to James Sanderson, Bridgetown, Barbados conveyed "loose" (as too late for sealed bag) by the Cassin contract mailboat to St. Kitts where inter-island rate QV 6d green affixed and tied by dumb circled single central bar cancel with ST. KITTS JY 13 76 despatch rated red "4". An exquisite and most unusual exhibition piece. Ex HART.
TOO LATE FOR INCLUSION FIRST SAILING OF JY 12 1876 BEARING MONTSERRAT 1st PRINTING QV 1d, 6d ADHESIVES: The 1st printings Montserrat QV 1d red (13,200 stamps) and QV 6d green (6,960 stamps) Crown CC Perf.14 were invoiced JU 12 1876 and would have arrived in time for the JY 12 1876 first sailing bearing Montserrat's own adhesives. Montserrat had lost its steamer service in 1852 and for many years thereafter the mails were conveyed to and from St. Kitts by means of sailing vessels. From SP 26 1864 to DE 31 1879 Frederick Slater Cassin, of Antigua, held the contract to convey the mails between St. Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat, for which he received a subsidy of £490 a year.
£4250




ST. BARTHELEMY taken to St. CHRISTOPHER for posting to TURKS ISLANDS postal history
1879 entire headed "St Barths 11 Septr 1879" to The Post Master, Grand Turk, Turks Islands, enclosing a letter for Mr. Gibbs (presumed George Gibbs, the Salt Merchant, and Commission and Forwarding Agent at Grand Turk). Conveyed to neighbouring St. Christopher for onward transit where QV 6d green affixed and tied by the "APMY" dumb cds with weak ST. KITTS despatch (thought SP 12 79), rated red "4". On arrival most unusually handstruck internally with pristine TURK'S-ISLAND code removed/OC 10 79 cds probably as a record of receipt to show date acted upon for any future reference. Additionally unique for being the only known St. Christopher UPU member cover to a non-UPU member commanding a 6d rate (St. Christopher was full member from JY 1 1879, Turks Islands did not join the UPU until JA 1 1881). An exceptional showpiece conveyed through British Colonial Post Offices during the second year of French reoccupation.
On NO 26 1781 St. Eustatius was captured by the French under Marquis De Bouille, St. Martin was seized the following day, and Saba and St. Bartholomew soon after. The latter island remained French until 1784 when it was suddenly sold by one of Louis XVI's ministers to Sweden in exchange for trading rights in the Swedish port of Gothenburg. In 1877 France bought back the island from Sweden for 400,000 francs with the agreement ratifield in Stockholm NO 9 1877 and in Paris MR 4 1878. On MR 16 1878 the French officially reoccupied St. Barthelemy. A census in 1875 indicated there were around 2,300 inhabitants on the island. (Note: this is similar to the expectation of how a Cayman Island cover for the period would travel, if one existed, and equally as rare).
£12500


PAID AT NEVIS - AN EXQUISITE and INTRIGUING FAKED COVER
1885 completed fabricated cover showing why the PAID AT NEVIS Crowned Circle was used on pairs QV ½d dull green and singles QV 1d carmine (SG.25,27a) during the period 9/12/83 to 9/9/86 (dates taken from village manuscript markings on loose stamp overstruck with the Crowned Circle): 1885 cover addressed Chas. Hill Esq., English Harbour, Antigua with genuine QV 1d carmine superbly tied full upr. bogus PAID AT NEVIS Crowned Circle to uprate to 2½d for the under 300 mile inter-island rate (with further strike alongside) additionally showing bogus NEVIS A/DE 12 85 despatch cds alongside address panel. B/stamped further bogus NEVIS A/DE 12 85 cds and what is now considered extremely dubious ANTIGUA/ A/DE 14 85/ ENGLISH HARBOUR cds (note that this is the same date as found on the E.V. Toeg cover bearing 8 x QV 1d to Sherring, Bristol with RPS certificate). The author being aware that genuine strikes of both the Crowned Paid and Nevis cds have an oily appearance at this time has cleverly used his paint brush to simulate the oily stains within the Nevis despatch cds and soiled the cover at top left for good measure. (Shortages of the 2½d adhesive were highly probable at this time as only 1080 copies 2½d red-brown CA were invoiced AU 10 82 followed by 5100, 5100, 5160 copies of the 2½d ultramarine on NO 6 83, MY 21 84, AU 7 84). No genuine covers with the QV ½ds or single QV 1d with PAID AT NEVIS are known to exist.
£925
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