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;) ;) | PRIVATE SHIP LETTER landed LE HAVRE and LONDON, Brazil postal history 1837 outer wrapper (with written list of produce on reverse) docketted "Buenos Ayres 9 Nov, received 7 Feb" marked "p. Phoenix via Havre" to Huth & Co., London with boxed "PAYS D'OUTREMAR/PAR LE HAVRE" and upper flap displaying red ink SHIP LETTER/(crown)/LONDON dated 7 FE 1838, a rare combination. £225 |
;) ;) | BAHAMAS 1848 (DEC 31) Report of the Religious State of The Societies in the First Eleuthera Circuit with sections showing changes at Rock Sound, Tarpum Bay, Savannah Sound, Pear Cay, and Deep Creek with total membership in the Circuit of 534 addressed to the Wesleyan Mission, London rated 1/- showing on top flap poor BAHAMAS MR 29 1849/B dbl-arc and London AP 24 1849 receiver. £75 |
;) ;) | "On board ye Hector of Montserratt" landed ANTIGUA straight line 1792 cover headed "On board ye Hector of Montserratt Nov.22 1792" to Mrs. Cockin in Bristol rated 1/2 changed 1/5 landed after lengthy journey with Capt. Ronaldson with ANTIGUA str. line, JA 2 1793 arrival. £525 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | Mail to the former ACTING GOVERNOR of BRITISH EAST FLORIDA (1763-84) from educated negro slave Entire from Nassau, Bahamas June 22nd 1795 to John Moultrie, London with salutation “My Dear Master” and “deliver’d by Doctor Bailey who was on your plantation since we left St. Augustine” and “my kind love to Mistress Sally” signed "Your ever faithfull servant Quamino”. Moultrie was a planter who moved his 200 slaves from South Carolina to St. Augustine in 1771 having been appointed acting lieutenant governor. When England handed over Florida to Spain in July 1784 Moultrie sailed to England and lived at Aston Hall, Shropshire. £1500 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | 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 "½", two chisel slits, rarely found on Private Ship Letters from the BWI, struck from reverse (about 1½ 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 |
;) ;) | BRITISH GUIANA Full content entire written Berbice April 1, 1836 "p. Apollo" to London rated 1/4 landed SHIP LETTER/DOVER, JU 11 1836 arrival. £100 |
;) | BRITISH HONDURAS to IRELAND postal history 1868 cover to Dublin, Ireland with red BELIZE PAID dated A/NO 3 68 showing London 24 NO 68 transit, reverse H&K PACT NO 24 1868, some light staining. £250 |
;) ;) ;) | BELIZE via HAVANA to CADIZ, SPAIN, British Honduras postal history 1842 entire headed "Belize Honduras 13 April 1842" carried privately to Havana where identified with red 2-line ISLAS DE/BARLOVENTO (Windward Islands) and marked by forwarding agent in Havana as received AP 19 and sent AP 23, red handstruck "5R" charge mark. £450 |
;) ;) | BERBICE dbl-arc, British Guiana postal history 1841 wrapper to the Revd A. Tidman, London with BERBICE DE 31 1841 seriffed dbl-arc (T.6, ERD, showing inverted figure "1" in year) rated 1/- (last date of quarter ounce rate, introduced JA 1 1840) unpaid with FE 18 1842 arrival and docketted "acknowledged 1 March 1842". Exhibition quality (the only example dated 1841) and possibly the only example carried by the old Falmouth sailing packets. The last old sailing packet "Seagull" landed mail fom Jamaica at Falmouth on 3 March 1842. The packet rate was reduced to 1/- per half ounce on 1 January 1842. £325 |
;) | CAPE OF GOOD HOPE postal history 1839 lengthy cross-written entire headed "Bedford Wednesday Feb'y 6th 1839" and marked "Post paid March 8th" to Mrs Maclear, Royal Observatory, Cape Town with red ink PAID-SHIP LETTER/(crown) 9 MR 9 1839/LONDON and black SHIP LETTER/(crown)/CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. £150 |
;) ;) ;) ;) | Proofed/unrecorded ERRONEOUSLY APPLIED unique TRINCOMALEE/RETURNED FOR POSTAGE,CEYLON postal history 1845 wrapper from C. Brun fils, Port Louis pmk'd red MAURITIUS POST OFFICE d/ring dated NO 05 1845 marked "via Ceylon" to Veillon Freres, Bordeaux, France with "Paid 1/8" in dark black ink most unusually landed on Ceylon's north east coast (instead of the southern port of Galle) showing prepared for application TRINCOMALEE/RETURNED FOR POSTAGE datestamp for NO 22 1845 erroneously applied, crossed through, and TRINCOMALEE/STEAMER LETTER added for the next day in the same coloured ink. Carried via ALEXANDRIA (JA 7 1846) with 25mm chisels slits and large part PURIFIE AU LAZERET/MALTE handstamp added showing red PAQ. ANG. MARSEILLES (16 JANV 46) on address panel and Bordeaux (10 JANV 46) arrival backstamp with 96 decimes to be collected. Exhibition item collecting cancellations from five different countries. Similar RETURNED FOR POSTAGE datestamps were proofed for other Ceylon towns but none are known used. This remarkable example only exists due being wrongly applied. £7250 |
;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) | 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 |
;) ;) ;) | The unique HIGINBOTHOM & HUMPHRYS forwarding agents cachet, ANTIGUA postal history 1851 mourning band entire headed "St. Martin 2nd March 1851" marked "Particular care of R. Higginbothom Esq., U.S. Consul, Antigua" with "FORWARDED BY/HIGINBOTHOM & HUMPHRYS/ANTIGUA" double lined oval cachet posted with ANTIGUA MR 11 1851 dbl-arc to St. James Street, London locally directed Stratford Place rated 2/-. £1750 |
;) | POSTMARKED DAY GB STAMPS ARRIVED and also on DAY THEY WERE PLACED ON SALE, Jamaica postal history FROM AN OFFICE ABOUT TO BOYCOTT THEM!: 1858 entire to Archibald Campbell in London with weakly struck GRANGE-HILL manuscript dated 6 May (185)8 marked "Paid "6" in red crayon showing both red JAMAICA/PAID MY 8 1858 and London Paid MY 31 58 arrival. This being a unique "associated first day cover" for the day that GB QV adhesives were placed on sale in Kingston, Jamaica. The GB QV 1d, 4d, 6d arrived on "Solent" MY 6 1858 and were placed on sale at Kingston MY 8 1858. When Grange Hill received its supply of GB adhesives it boycotted their use for some 3 months along with about 30 other offices (Thomas Foster handbook Page 127) as GPO London ruled on April 16 1858 that the PMG's deputies at the Post Towns would receive only 1% commission on sale of the GB stamps whereas they had been receiving 15% commission on prestamp letters prepaid in money. £350 |
;) ;) ;) | 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 |
;) ;) ;) | SAILOR'S LETTER WITH CONCESSION RATE PAID BY 1d COIN, Antigua postal history 1845 entire headed May 26th 1845 from John King, Master at Arms on board Her Majesty's Ship Pique, Antigua (a naval soldier responsible for discipline and law enforcement aboard a ship) countersigned Horace Baker (Lieutenant & Commanding Officer) to his wife in Devonshire Buildings in Bath without the customary manuscript "1d paid" in red ink (as applied on land) but with his last ("my last") GB QV 1d coin sewn alongside the address panel confirmed by London PAID JU 20 1845 transit (not deemed overweight or subject to additional charge). Although a few dozen Soldier's Letters are recorded for the prestamp period this seems to be the only recorded accepted stampless Sailor's Letter from the BWI prior 1850. Contents include mention of discovery that the Foremast is so rotten, and a portion sent to the Admiralty with expectation of being ordered Home by September unless the mast is ordered to be built at Halifax or Port Royal "which I do not think they will do now the ship is three years in Commission". (Between 1841 and 1846 Pique, a sailing frigate with 36 guns, served on the North America and West Indies Station, on 10 March 1842 the Illustrious (see David Pitts lots 39, 159), with the Pique, Fair Rosamond and Spitfire departed Barbados for Antigua and Jamaica). A scan of the entire has been mounted on card and an actual 1845 1d coin has been sewn on with hemp, using the original 7 in and 7 out needle holes, to simulate how it could have looked, although it was on reverse in actual transit. Only one other BWI prepayment by sewn 1d coin entire is known written January 24th 1847 and posted on land with ANTIGUA double arc JA 27 1847 on a Soldiers Letter (ex Gerald Sattin) to a shoe maker in Edinburgh, the coin evidently was also sewn to the reverse as the circumference of the sewing holes obscure the frontal addressing. £6500 |
;) | SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica postal history (P1 in black) dated MY 30 1835 (the Foster ERD) on wrapper docketted as from St. Mary (MY 27) to London rated 2/2. £85 |
;) | BERMUDA postal history 1852 wrapper, no side flaps, to George Clerk, Ireland Island with red HAMILTON+BERMUDA (PM4) dated JA 1 1852 (day slug inverted) struck on face due being a locally addressed letter. Ex TUCKER, ULRICH, "LONGTAIL". The Forand/Freeland handbook only records two red PM4 entires to Ireland Island (other dated OC 4 1854). £375 |
;) ;) | Return by RMSP "Tay" (28th home, arriving Falmouth MR 19), JAMAICA postal history OCANA - SANTA MARTA - KINGSTON - LONDON: 1843 wrapper docketted from Marcelino de Pinillos, Ocana (Colombia) JA 2 with manuscript forwarding at coastal town Santa Marta on JA 20 with Q.B.S.M. (que besa su mano - who kisses your hand) with KINGSTON FE 16 1843 dbl-arc transit addressed Federico Huth, London (MR 21) rated 1/-, address panel soiled which would display opened in inverted position. £185 |
;) ;) | GRENADA postal history GRENADA dbl-arc (A11) with code "B" inverted: 1853 entire to John Richards, London rated 1/- with top flap (portion missing) displaying GRENADA dbl-arc dated AP 25 1853/B. Only four examples code "B" currently recorded, others dated OC 28 1852/B (Pearce Est.£300/350); JA 29 1853/B (Russell Jones Est.£450), AP 10 1853/B as arrival on incoming Trinidad (1d) cover (WD Walker). £325 |