Great BritainPostal History |
|
1652 (15 Dec.) 'Haste Post Haste' entire letter "For the service of the State/To the Right Hono(ra)ble/the Lord President/of the Counsell/of State/those/present/Whitehall" (i.e. John Bradshaw (1602-59) who presided at the trial of Charles I and passed sentence), "Hast Hast/Post/Hast Hast/Tho: Kelsy" and on reverse flap (opening marvellously for display) six endorsements at times of arrival "From Dover past six at night/Receiv(e)d att Canterbury past 10 att night/Received at Settingborn past 2 in the morning/Rochester past 5 in the morning/Dar(t)ford past 9 in the morning/arrived at Southwerk past 2 in the afternoon" and with largely complete, cracked wax seal, a light horizontal fold at foot; The letter refers to "The Dutch Fleete" of "seventy sayle" anchored "in our roade." Kelsey adds that the Dutch "unhappily mett with three English Shippes coming from Barbadoes" which captured "two of them, the other escaped and came under the Castle." An endorsement in a second hand reads "Letter from Coll: Kellsey Governr of Dover Castle relating the state of the Dutch fleet then in Dover Roade". A marvellous 'Haste Post Haste' letter. A major British Postal History rarity. Photo £20,000-25,000
Note: During the Civil War it appears that the postal service for the general public was severely restricted, if not non-existent. Both Royalists and Parliamentarians employed special couriers for Official Mail, otherwise letters were carried (and, occasionally charged or postally endorsed) privately. The 'Old' Post was restored in c. 1647, utilising the 1635 rates and, in 1653 the Post office was reorganised and the 'New' Post was established
|
|
|
1660 (25 April) "An Act for erecting and eftablifhing a Poft-Office", eighteen page printed Act of Parliament. By this measure the British postal system was created, this act not only established the existence of a postal service, but also laid down the rates of postage - the most important measure in the postal service until the introduction of the Penny Post in 1840; fine and very fresh. A major new discovery. A variation exists in the British Library. Photo £1,500-2,000
|
|
|
1670 (29 Oct.) entire letter addressed to "Sir Gilbert Ireland/By Warrington Post/Lancashire", on reverse, and opening well for display, a fine upright strike of the very rare "3/Off"(ice) handstamp and light "oc/30" Bishop marking; believed to be the finest known example of this marking. Photo £1,200-1,500
|
|
|
1754 (18 July), entire letter from William Warburton, addressed to Mr. Nourse/ Bookseller at the/Lamb in the Strand and endorsed "ffree R. Allen, on reverse, and opening well for display, "bath" and Bishop marking; fragile as might be expected but fine, extremely rare and of postal historical significance. Photo £800-1,000
Note: William Warburton (1698-1779), bishop and scholar, defender of Alexander Pope's Essay on Man, a controversialist who tackled Hume, the Deists and Wesley. Ralph Allen (1693-1764), entrepreneur and philanthropist, friend of Pope and Fielding, notable for his reforms to the British postal system. In 1712 he became postmaster of Bath and devised a system of cross-posts for England and Wales
|
|
|
1779 (June) Peter Williamson's "List of all the streets, wynds, squares, and closes, of the city of Edinburgh" (340x460mm.) and with "Edinburgh printed and sold by Peter Williamson, at his penny post office, Luckenbooths, where Letters and Parcel, are regularly delivered within a mile of the cross of Edinburgh, and as far as North and South Leith, for one Penny each. N.B. Burial letters are delivered for one halfpenny each, when the publisher is employed to print them" imprint; fold and some stains. The only recorded example in private hands and with no other copy located in institutions. A Scottish postal history rarity of major importance. Photo £2,000-2,500
|
|
| |
1790-1816 five entire letters to London with different size red "belfast" handstamps, including Mileage, variously rated; fine £50-60
|
|
| |
1793 (24 Aug.) entire letter with fine red triple circle "free" datestamp, 1832 (14 March) entire letter with undated double ring "rhuabon", 1838 (9 July) entire letter with undated magenta double ring "denbigh" on reverse; all to Oswestry; good to fine £60-80
|
|
|
1794 (5 Dec.) entire letter to Gloucestershire, endorsed "Pd 1d" and with superb "BRENTFd/-2-" experimental receiving house handstamp in black. Wonderful quality. Photo £220-250
|
|
|
1801 (8 April) entire letter to London with a superb and upright strike of the distinctive "belfast" in scroll with shading at the ends in red and "s/apr 12/1801" datestamp in the same colour on reverse; complete, cracked red wax seal of a female head. A stunning entire. Photo £400-500
|
|
| |
1809 (5 Feb.) "royal mail coach office/12, dawson-street" ticket for the Cork mail coach (133x162mm), 1836 (20 Jan.) "royal mail coach office/pembroke street." ticket for the Dublin mail coach (111x190mm), both mounted on card and framed; also two prints depicting "Bordoyle Bridge/Dublin & Drogheda Railway" and "The Louth Mail Snowed Up, 1836", both mounted and framed. An interesting group housed in a carton £75-100
|
|
|
1814 (c.) coloured rebus Valentine, postally used from London to Beverley, on reverse framed "Gt. RUSSELL St." marking; minor staining but most unusual and intriguing. Believed to be the only recorded English rebus Valentine of this early period. Photo £400-500
|
|
| |
1829 (24 Aug.) entire letter to Hampshire with fine framed red "Lymington/Py Post" on the front and "lymington" horseshoe with mileage erased on reverse, opening well for display. Wonderful strikes and scarce £60-80
|
|
| |
1830 (1 Jan.) entire letter to Falkingham, on reverse superb red undated double ring
"st. noets" (sic), also 1838 (16 March) entire letter to Lynn with fine red undated double ring "st. neots" on reverse; a fine pair and accompanied by a contemporary coloured map of Huntingdon £100-120
|
|
| |
1833 (May) General Post Office "Time Bill" printed circular from the Duke of Richmond Postmaster-General, completed and being returned from Borobridge to J.H. Fletcher, Surveyor of the General Post Office in York, despatch c.d.s. on face; instructions include "The Time must be punctually observed, and the Bills correctly dated"; small fault at one corner. Unusual £200-250
|
|
| |
1833 (28 Oct.) entire letter to Guernsey with fine undated "COWES/I of Wt" (Willcocks & Jay 37) on reverse; also 1840 (3 Jan.) entire letter to Sligo with fine handstruck Glasgow "4"; the second with vertical filing fold at left, clear of the handstamp £100-120
|
|
| |
1835 (7 March) entire letter from London to Dunsany Castle, redirected to Dublin with Redirected at "dunshaughlin" on the front, on reverse red Charing Cross Maltese Cross and arrival markings of 9.3 and 11.3; also 1835 (11 March) printed "Uniformity of Weights and Measures" entire with similar Redirected at "dunshaughlin", both fine and uncreased £80-100
|
|
| |
1839 (13 Feb.) entire letter with fine framed Oswestry/Py Post" on the front and d.s. on reverse, also 1839 (17 June), entire letter to Oswestry with faint boxed "No. 2" and fine "Westbury Salop/Penny Post" marking on the front and "shrewsbury" d.s. on reverse.
An appealing pair £60-80
|
|
| |
1839 (15 July) entire letter to Montgomeryshire with straight line "cefn y bedd" in brown, Wrexham d.s. on reverse; fine and scarce £50-60
|
|
|
1840 (17 March) entire letter to Leeds with superb blue "otley" double ring d.s., "paid" and red Uniform Penny Postage "1d." alongside; horizontal filing fold well clear of the markings. Superb and rare. Photo £200-250
|
|
| |
1840 (14 April), "The Times" newspaper, with a lengthy article entitled "prepayment of postage" giving a splendid background history and analysis of the production of the Penny Black and Mulready (which the editor sees fit to ridicule). There is criticism of the choice of Treasury competition winners, suggesting partiality was involved; fine and a most important record of the introduction of postage stamps, just over two weeks prior to their issue on 1 May 1840 £250-350
|
|
|
1842 (23 Jan.) entire letter to Oswestry with undated double ring "port madoc" and a beautiful strike of "P1d." Uniform Penny Post handstamp, both in red; horizontal filing fold crosses the first, otherwise fine and a rare Welsh Uniform Penny Postage marking. Photo £150-200
|
|
| |
1842 (2 May) entire letter with undated double ring "wem" and dated markings on reverse; 1842 (18 July) entire with straight line "breewood" on front (4 years later than recorded) and with dated markings on reverse; 1844 (10 July) with blue undated double ring "gretabridge" (unrecorded in blue) and black "barnard castle" d.s. (12.7),
both on the front, all to the same address in Oswestry, fine £50-60
|
|
|
1842 (8 Sept.) entire letter with superb red "carnarvon" d.s. and clear "Pd 1d." Uniform Penny Post handstamp alongside in the same colour; light horizontal filing fold. Attractive and scarce. Photo £150-200
|
|
| |
1843 (27 Oct.) entire letter from Khandis (India) to Edinburgh with red oval "india" handstamp, on arrival re-addressed to Dunfermline and thence to Fordal, bearing 1841 1d. with black Maltese Cross cancellation and showing a variety of datestamps on reverse; some cover faults though a colourful and unusual entire £100-150
|
|
|
1844 (24 Aug.) entire letter to Oswestry with extremely fine, distinctive boxed purple "Pd/1d" Uniform Penny Postage handstamp of Farringdon (unrecorded in Willcocks and only one other example known) with black undated double-ring "farringdon" alongside; filing fold, fine and attractive. A major rarity in the Cheshire and Uniform Penny fields. Photo £500-600
|
|
| |
1844 (26 Sept.) entire letter to Oswestry with red Wrexham d.s. on the front, "too late" in the same colour and Oswestry d.s. in black on reverse (both across flap); light horizontal filing fold, fine and scarce £50-60
|
|
| |
1844 and 1846 entire letters to and from France, each with red "paid" in circle with gaps datestamps, also 1845 entire letter to Oswestry With London 7 Aug. datestamp and "2" uniform penny postage handstamp, both in red; fine and an unusual trio £50-60
|
|
| |
1844, three entire letters, the first with red Bangor "Pd. 1d" Uniform Penny Postage handstamp, the second with red "llanryst" and the last with black undated double ring "llanryst", all to the same address in Oswestry, also 1856 envelope franked 1d. with "220" barred oval cancellation of Bala; fine £60-80
|
|
| |
1847 (15 March) envelope with embossed "monday" on the front, from Canterbury to Hendon, with enclosure, also embossed "monday" being a letter of thanks from a school boy to his brother, red Paid d.s. on the front and Canterbury d.s. on reverse, fine intact seal with the head of Queen Victoria. A trifle wrinkled but charming £80-100
|
|
| |
x 1856-97, a group of registered covers with 1856 1d. pink envelope of London & Westminster Bank to Malton, from Southward Branch and bearing straight-line "Borough" in blue (the registration paid in cash); 1859 1d. pink envelope uprated 6d. from Chester to Haverfordwest, via London; 1861 1d. pink envelope uprated manuscript "6d" to Malton bearing tombstone "lombard street/b/registered latter" in red; 1873 1d. pink envelope uprated 4d. from Frome to Tetbury via Bath and Chippenham; 1880 1d. pink envelope uprated 1879 1/2d., 1d. (3) and 2 1/2d cancelled by four-bar oval obliterators from Seething Lane, London to Bern, Switzerland; 1897 4d. stationery envelope uprated 1d. stationery cut out used locally in Old Trafford, Manchester.
Also 1890 wrapper to Vera Cruz beaing Jubilee 4d. tied by Manchester duplex. A very interesting and desirable group of registered postal stationery covers. (7 covers) £250-300
|
|
|
x 1858 (10 Nov.) envelope addressed to Rowland Hill, Secretary of the General Post Office, with 1d. Stars neatly tied by Sunderland sideways duplex. Also 1873 (21 Oct.) cover front addressed to Belgrave Road, apparently in his hand and signed at foot, "Rowland Hill". (2 covers). Photo £550-600
|
|
|
1871 (8 Jan.) Ballon Monte to London, bearing Laureated 30c. with unclear Paris star cancellation, carried on the "Dusquesne", red London Paid d.s. (11.1) on the front; small portion of the flap missing, otherwise fine. Photo £320-350
| 1840 Mulready | |
One Penny Envelopes | |
|
| |
x A131, A138, A155, A170, A174 (2), A176 and A181, unused, fair to fine. Cat. £2,800 £500-600
|
|
| |
x A141 and 173, unused pair, creased and a little stained. Cat. £900+ £120-150
|
|
| |
x A146, dated 14 July 1840, from Southwell to Ballymena, A154, dated 6 June 1840, to Ashby De la Zouche, A293 (rare unallocated stereo) from Oswestry to Montgomery (ex Alcock); all with red Maltese Cross cancellations; mixed condition £500-600
|
|
|
x A149, additionally franked 1d. black, Plate 6, OI, touched at places, tied by red Maltese Cross cancellations, on reverse red double ring Bristol d.s. (1.11.1840) and on front double ring undated "clifton"; some stains and creases. Rare. Specialised ME2, £15,000. Photo £400-500
|
|
| |
x A153, dated 5 Sept. 1840, to Westmoreland, red Maltese Cross cancellation and with green Newcastle on Tyne d.s. on reverse; small faults, also a matching unused envelope £200-250
|
|
| |
x A161 and A177, unused, a trifle soiled but fine. Cat. £700 £180-200
|
|
|
x A172, dated 20 June 1841, to Plymouth, "5" in Maltese Cross cancellation and with blue receiving house handstamp alongside, dated marking on reverse; torn at top and other small faults. Good appearance and scarce. Specialised £3,000. Photo £500-600
|
|
|
x A173 (unallocated stereo), dated 10 May 1840 (first Sunday), to London, fine red Maltese Cross cancellation and with double ring Ramsgate c.d.s. on reverse overstruck by red London B morning duty arrival (11.5); some creases and soiling. Rare. Specialised ME2, £16,000. Photo £2,500-3,000
Literature:
Recorded in "May Dates" by Mike Jackson
|
|
|
A174, dated 9 May 1840 (fourth official day of use), addressed to Paris and returned to Glasgow, most unusually without Maltese Cross cancellation but with central red "p.d." in oval cancelling Britannia instead, red boxed "glasgow/paid/9 my/1840", London Tombstone (11.5) and Calais (13.5) d.s. in red on the front, black boxed "glasgow/my 19 1840/3-pm" and other datestamps on reverse; pressed horizontal crease at top and a trifle soiled (mostly on the reverse) but fine and a significant rarity. The only recorded Mulready returned from abroad for which the correct postage had been paid, and the third earliest recorded Mulready addressed overseas. B.P.A. Certificate (1996). Photo £8,000-10,000
Provenance: "Yates", February 1949
"Daisy", October 1996
literature:
Recorded in "May Dates" by Mike Jackson
|
|
| |
x A181 and A182, unused, the first with pre-printing paper crease (pli accordion); fine £150-200
|
|
| |
x A186 (unplaced stereo), unused, small traces of staining on reverse; fine and scarce. Specialised ME2e, £425 £100-150
Provenance: R.C. Alcock
|
|
| |
x A187 (unplaced stereo), unused; fine and fresh. Specialised ME2e, £425 £120-150
| One Penny Letter Sheets | |
|
| |
x A1, dated 29 May 1841, used within London; A9, dated 29 Nov. 1841, from London to Oxon; A24, dated 30 July 1840, used within London; A25, dated 25 Nov. 1840, used from Oxford to London; A37, dated 15 Jan. 1841, to Hampshire and with "Milbrook/Penny Post"; all with faults £250-300
|
|
| |
x A6, A7, A11, A14 (displaced stereo) and A15, all Forme 1, first series, unused, fair to good £300-350
|
|
| |
x A16, unused, fresh and fine. Cat. £350 £100-120
|
|
| |
x A18, A21, A22, A30, forme 2, first series, unused; fair to good £150-200
|
|
|
A21, dated 9 July 1840, addressed to Huntingdon, fine red Maltese Cross cancellation and with Religious Tract Society wafer seal on reverse; clean and fresh. Photo £180-200
|
|
|
x A23, dated 1 Feb. 1841, to Beverley, bright red Maltese Cross cancellation, Stourbridge skeleton d.s. on reverse across flap (date slugs inverted); light horizontal filing fold, fine. Photo £150-200
|
|
