Postal History of the World

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Great Britain Pre-philately

Great Britain

Great Britain Pre-philately

Great Britain

Great Britain Pre-philately

Lot 2021

90.00 CAD

Live

1837 (January 2), Glasgow to Dundas, Upper Canada, forwarded via Liverpool agents, stampless folded letter endorsed "p.

1837 (January 2), Glasgow to Dundas, Upper Canada, forwarded via Liverpool agents, stampless folded letter endorsed "p. Shakspeare" indicating carriage by the Black Ball Line packet ship, routed via forwarding agents Rathbone Brothers & Co., Liverpool, manuscript "1/4½" pre-paid single British packet rate, faint red "2/9" initial double-rate miscalculation corrected by large manuscript "1/9" due from recipient for American transit and Canadian inland carriage, green double split-ring QUEENSTON / U.C. (10 Mar 1837) arrival and red NEW-YORK / SHIP (8 Mar) transit on front, slight fold separations reinforced with glassine hinges sealing a tear along vertical crease at top, else of very fine appearance. Writing from Scotland, the correspondent describes a widespread influenza epidemic so severe that Sir Robert Peel's banquet was disrupted and "26 workmen" were absent from a single establishment. The recipient, Rev. Mark Young Stark, was a graduate of Glasgow University who became the first Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland in Canada and a driving force behind the establishment of Knox College.

Great Britain

Lot 2025

80.00 CAD

Live

1850 (June 29), Quebec Citadel officer's prepaid trans-Atlantic folded letter to Bannockburn, Scotland, red manuscript "1/2" currency rate

1850 (June 29), Quebec Citadel officer's prepaid trans-Atlantic folded letter to Bannockburn, Scotland, red manuscript "1/2" currency rate and "1/4 stg" sterling equivalent on front, two faint red circular QUEBEC / L.C. datestamps including a faint crowned PAID AT QUEBEC L.C. mark, carried by Cunard Line Niagara departing Boston (10 Jul) and arriving Liverpool (21 Jul), crisp black STIRLING (22 Jul) arrival double-arc datestamp and partial red wax seal on reverse, file fold, else very fine. The contents, "Citadel Barracks, Quebec, June 29th, 1850," consist of a letter from Lieutenant and Adjutant H. Mackay of the 79th Regiment of Foot (Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders) to tartan manufacturers William Wilson and Son, requesting "a large handsome Shepherds Plaid of the best quality" with the next regimental supply, payment to be remitted through the Quarter Master or Regimental Agent, and noting that the Regiment "expect to be in Scotland next year"."

Great Britain

Great Britain Pre-philately

Lot 2037

50.00 CAD

Live

1899 (December 26), Boer War Field Post Office letter card, Belmont Camp to Quebec City, struck with choice Field Post Office B.O.

1899 (December 26), Boer War Field Post Office letter card, Belmont Camp to Quebec City, struck with choice Field Post Office B.O. / British Army S. Africa c.d.s., to Quebec City, with duplex arrival backstamp (26 Jan), the writer remarking upon cricket matches between engagements, acclimatisation to the South African conditions, and waiting for orders from Cape Town, noting that letters from Canada have been received, very fine.

Great Britain Pre-philately

Lot 2155

50.00 CAD

Live

1792 (March 23), folded entire from London to Pontarlier, France, redirected to Yverdon, Switzerland, with black straight-line Angleterre

1792 (March 23), folded entire from London to Pontarlier, France, redirected to Yverdon, Switzerland, with black straight-line Angleterre and bold manuscript "16" (decimes) in black, crossed-out red manuscript rate markings at centre, remarkably fresh and attractive, very fine.

Lot 2156

60.00 CAD

Live

1795 (July 13), folded entire from London to Yverdon, Switzerland, with contents on illustrated Reeves & Son letterhead, with manuscript

1795 (July 13), folded entire from London to Yverdon, Switzerland, with contents on illustrated Reeves & Son letterhead, with manuscript "Londres le 13 Juillet 1795" departure date, bold manuscript "10" decimes and manuscript "paid 11"m large red manuscript cross markings applied by postal exchange offices to record transit fees in accounts, fresh and very fine. The letter is from Reeves & Son, "Superfine Colour Manufacturers to the Royal Family," operating at "The Kings Arms & Blue Coat Boy" on Holborn Bridge, detailing a shipment of "cake" watercolours and brushes forwarded via "Messrs. Duvins" to ensure safe delivery during the French Revolutionary Wars. Reeves details their pricing for "cakes without boxes," noting that expensive pigments such as Lake and Vermillion "stand us in more than 12/- a Dozen."

Lot 2157

80.00 CAD

Live

1801 (August 24), Glasgow to New York, stampless folded letter, being a letter of introduction and market report, to prominent merchant

1801 (August 24), Glasgow to New York, stampless folded letter, being a letter of introduction and market report, to prominent merchant Isaac Hicks, two clear strikes of the GLASGOW (1 Sep 1801) straight-line handstamp and circular POST PAID strike, octagonal red PAID (4 Sep 1801) transit mark, large red manuscript "2/8" (two shillings eight pence) double-rate for a two-sheet letter, remarkably fresh, very fine.

Lot 2158

50.00 CAD

Live

1803 (February), Scotland to New York, stampless transatlantic forwarded letter, datelined "Mill Bank", to Mrs. Divie Bethune, New York,

1803 (February), Scotland to New York, stampless transatlantic forwarded letter, datelined "Mill Bank", to Mrs. Divie Bethune, New York, wife of American Bible Society founder Divie Bethune, from Janet Bethune routed via Greenock, bold black circular DING / WALL mileage mark and red London (17 Feb 1803) transit datestamp, red manuscript "paid 1/1" (one shilling one penny) for the 8d inland rate from Dingwall to London plus 5d ship letter rate, manuscript "Care of Messrs John & Jas. MacGown, Greenock" private forwarding instruction at lower left, light wear, fine-very fine. Written from the "MillBank" estate, the letter mentions "Mrs. Graham," the famous educator Isabella Graham, mother of the recipient, and an "amiable cousin Mrs. Gladstone" (likely of the family that produced the future Prime Minister) nursing a child in Liverpool, alongside details of the "distress of the worthy family at Mount Harmon."

Lot 2159

150.00 CAD

Live

1814 (July 4), War of 1812 emergency surcharge folded letter from Glasgow to New York, with family contents, arriving via

1814 (July 4), War of 1812 emergency surcharge folded letter from Glasgow to New York, with family contents, arriving via Norfolk, Virginia, struck with two distinct Glasgow markings, an undated oval PAID AT GLASGOW and three-line GLASGOW / 4 JUL 1814 / 405 A handstamp, initially prepaid red manuscript "2/5½", redirected to London due to the American naval blockade and forwarded by private ship with red PAID SHIP LETTER LONDON (13 Jul 1814) circular handstamp, black Norfolk (8 Mar 1815) circular datestamp on arrival, rated "33" cents due, quite fresh, a desirable example of this elusive rate. Written just weeks before the Burning of Washington D.C. in August 1814, the letter remained at sea for nearly a year as the conflict raged across the Atlantic states, reaching Virginia in March 1815 only after the Treaty of Ghent had already been ratified.

Great Britain Pre-philately

Great Britain Mulready and Caricature

Lot 2160

90.00 CAD

Live

1830 (May), "2/1" rate transatlantic stampless folded letter from Warrington, via Liverpool and New York, to Montreal, conveyed via Law R.

1830 (May), "2/1" rate transatlantic stampless folded letter from Warrington, via Liverpool and New York, to Montreal, conveyed via Law R. Dowie in Liverpool (struck through), addressed to William Lunn in Montreal, black Warrington (22 May) c.d.s. and manuscript "Paid to L'pool" with red rectangular SHIP handstamp and red circular NEW-YORK (7 Jul) datestamp, "1/7" currency rate for North American transit at upper left, ultimately rated "2/1" total rate due from the recipient, some archival reinforcement of internal fold tears, else a very fine and elusive rate, the letter sent to one of the most influential city fathers of Montreal.

Great Britain Mulready and Caricature

Great Britain

Great Britain Mulready and Caricature

Lot 2161

90.00 CAD

Live

1840 (August 28), 1d. Mulready letter sheet to Willington, struck with red Maltese Cross, without backstamps, some small marks or adhesions

Great Britain

Lot 2162

100.00 CAD

Live

1840 (September 9), Heath near Halifax to Philadelphia, stampless transatlantic letter carried per Great Western from Bristol via New York,

1840 (September 9), Heath near Halifax to Philadelphia, stampless transatlantic letter carried per Great Western from Bristol via New York, red crowned oval SHIP LETTER / PAID / LONDON (11 Sep), red PAID / AT / HALIFAX oval, and red tombstone PAID / 11 / SEP / 1840 datestamp on face, blue broken double-circle HALIFAX (10 Sep) dispatch on reverse, red NEW YORK / SHIP / SEP / 28 arrival, red manuscript "8" indicating the 8d British inland rate from Halifax to Bristol, black "1" (1 shilling) crossed out and replaced by "27" representing 27 cents due in Philadelphia (25 cents inland rate plus 2-cent ship letter fee), very fine.

Lot 2163

50.00 CAD

Live

1844 (June 16), London to Charleston, South Carolina, transatlantic stampless folded letter, with family contents, struck with red circular

1844 (June 16), London to Charleston, South Carolina, transatlantic stampless folded letter, with family contents, struck with red circular BOSTON / MS. / SHIP (3 Jul) transit and matching red circular "27" rate marking representing the 2-cent ship fee plus 25-cent U.S. inland postage for distances exceeding 400 miles from Boston to Charleston, very fine. The letter provides an account of a father's medical crisis involving his young son Lenox in London, where multiple doctors including Sir James Clark discovered "an enlargement of the heart." The sender writes "Last night was the most awful night I ever spent," describing Lenox's quiet bravery and "most manly" conduct on ship despite "no desire" to see the sights of London due to his failing health.

Lot 2164

180.00 CAD

Live

1846 (March 16), folded letter from London to Santiago, Cuba, struck with red "Paid / L.S." Maltese Cross datestamp on front, rated "2/3"

1846 (March 16), folded letter from London to Santiago, Cuba, struck with red "Paid / L.S." Maltese Cross datestamp on front, rated "2/3" in manuscript and endorsed "p. West India Pkt", struck with red "2", with Santiago de Cuba c.d.s. arrival backstamp, some typical toning and edge wear not affecting overall presentation, a scarce and desirable transatlantic destination from this period.

Lot 2165

40.00 CAD

Live

1848 (June 2), printed merchant prices current from London to Lyon, France, with extensive contents regarding the silk trade, struck with

1848 (June 2), printed merchant prices current from London to Lyon, France, with extensive contents regarding the silk trade, struck with London / Paid departure double split-ring. (2 Jun), red oval PD handstamp, and black Angl. 3 / Boulogne-s-Mer entry nark (3 Jun) on front and reverse, additional faint red manuscript markings on front, reverse with red Paris transit c.d.s. (3 Jun) and black Lyon arrival c.d.s. (5 Jun), very fine. Interestingly, the letter was mailed during the revolutionary upheaval of June 1848, and the text explicitly notes "ristretto" (restricted) consumption reflecting the disruption to trade.

Lot 2166

50.00 CAD

Live

1852 (October 22), 1sh Embossed on transatlantic folded letter from London to Grayville, Illinois, franked with a single 1sh

1852 (October 22), 1sh Embossed on transatlantic folded letter from London to Grayville, Illinois, franked with a single 1sh green embossed, two clear margins, tied by barred numeral "34" cancel, with red Paid / 24 / N. York Am. Packet entry c.d.s. (10 Nov), reverse with blue Fleet St. W.C. despatch mark and red London Paid c.d.s. (22 Oct), with contents, adhesive toned, else fine.

Lot 2167

90.00 CAD

Live

1853 (August 5), Gold Rush commercial letter with gold dust remittance reference, J. & R. Tennant, Glasgow, to Daniel Gibb & Co., San

1853 (August 5), Gold Rush commercial letter with gold dust remittance reference, J. & R. Tennant, Glasgow, to Daniel Gibb & Co., San Francisco, stampless folded letter, noting an "unauthorized" remittance of gold dust, sent "Via United States," orange-yellow octagonal GLASGOW / PAID II (5 Aug 1853) datestamp and black PAID handstamp, green circular Liverpool (6 Aug) backstamps, red manuscript "2/1" packet rate, internally docketed as received per the Str. Winfield Scott on 20 September 1853, carried during its final months of service before its wreck on Anacapa Island, light wear, fine-very fine, a fascinating illustration of the use of raw gold as payment during the early development of the American west.

Lot 2168

110.00 CAD

Live

1855 (March 23), folded cover from London to the British Army in the Crimea, franked with cut-to-shape 6d red-violet embossed issue, struck

1855 (March 23), folded cover from London to the British Army in the Crimea, franked with cut-to-shape 6d red-violet embossed issue, struck by faint "19" numeral cancel, manuscript "Via Marseilles / 23rd March 1855" endorsement at upper left, reverse with black Maltese Cross (Lombard Street, London) (23 Mar), light soiling, toning, and corner and edge wear typical of such campaign mail. The cover is addressed to Captain Kent of the 77th (East Middlesex) Regiment, during the Siege of Sevastopol. The 77th served throughout the Crimean campaign, participating in the battles of Alma and Inkerman and enduring the winter siege conditions before Sevastopol.

Lot 2169

50.00 CAD

Live

1855 (September 14), London to Montreal, Lower Canada, stampless transatlantic letter, struck with Lombard Street Maltese Cross (14 Sep

1855 (September 14), London to Montreal, Lower Canada, stampless transatlantic letter, struck with Lombard Street Maltese Cross (14 Sep 1855), manuscript "7" in black ink, endorsed "p. steamer from Liverpool", "10d Cy" currency handstamp struck on face for collection from the recipient in Montreal, carried by Cunard Line steamer America via Liverpool and Boston, reverse with red MONTGOMERIE & GREENHORNE wax seal and double split-ring MONTREAL / L.C. (30 Sep) arrival, 16-day transit, fine-very fine and fresh.