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Free front sent from Esher to London, dated Nov 21st 1805 Addressed to Mrs Macklin, 39 Fleet Street, London Markings Ref (JT Whitney 7th Ed) – Large Single Circle Free stamp in red dated NOV 22 1805 1A/9 p10 (cat £50), plus single line town mark with mileage in box 3/20 p32 (cat £30) Signed by “Fletcher” Sir Henry Fletcher, 1st Baronet of Clea Hall (1727-1807). 1768-1806 – MP for Cumberland The addressee, Mrs Hannah Macklin, was married to Thomas Macklin, author of the Poet’s Gallery, and the Folio Bible project -
A fascinating Free front sent from Wincanton to London, dated Aug 24th 1784 Addressed to Carbonell & Son, King Street, London (Carbonell & Son are wine merchants) Markings (Ref JT Whitney 7th Ed) – Noted “Not properly dated – put into Wincanton office”, surcharge “4” applied twice (Ref 2/34 p30? cat £35 each) The cover was originally signed “Westmorland”, but as it was not completed correctly to get free postage, it was turned in to Wincanton. It was subsequently crossed out due to above, then dated properly and signed “Greville” to enable delivery. A fascinating group of markings I have not seen before Westmorland – John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland (1759-1841) 1774-1841 – House of Lords, Earl of Westmorland 1798-1806, 1807-27 – Lord Privy Seal Greville – Charles Francis Greville (1749-1809). 1774-90 – MP for Warwick As a young man, Charles Greville courted Emma Hart, who would later become Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson’s lover. -
Free Cover (undated) with "FREE" in circle in red (type 1/2 £50) and faint Bishop Mark on reverse (type 1/4 £40). Addressed to Mr Browne, Chappell Town nr Sheffield. Repaired but still visibly a fine early piece -
1860 letter Chamonix to Horsham, Sussex then redirected to Westminster. MS Angleterre in top left, 2 very crisp "Chamonix 22 Juin 60" code C over France 40c orange (SG64 £24), PD boxed in red. Receivers mark Horsham JU 25 1860 and London BX rec mark in red dated JU. A stunning little piece of postal history, very attractive -
First Flight letters 1937, sent on the occasion of the first flight between Aberdeen and Lerwick, Shetland Islands on 23/11/37. Letters sent in each direction, both with 1½d brown KGVI definitive. Nice pair of covers -
First Day covers Channel Islands. 1d red and 2½d blue first issued 10 May 1948. 1 cover issued on Jersey, and the other on Alderney. Jersey cover has crumple in top right corner -
Entire 1850 Stirling to Falkirk with 1d red imperf blued paper letters RC 2 margins tied by 4-5-4 barred numeral 308 handstamp of Stirling. Backstamped by boxed Falkirk datestamp in blue, double arc Stirling CDS, plus Edinburgh transit stamp, all dated 6th Feb 1850. Contents is a tax notice for an amount of £1-2sh. Nice item -
Entire 1828 Sevenoaks to Margate, with manuscript postage rate "6" crossed out and "8" added. Backstamped by SEVEN OAKS town mark with mileage (type 3/20 £15) and receivers mark double rim in red dated 22 MY 1828 code G -
Outer 1874 Liverpool to Oporto (1/- stamp removed!) with EXCHANGE LIVERPOOL duplex mark dated 24 JY 1874 code A 14, with FRANCA oval in black, and red PD in circle. Cover marked "Via France". Backstamped by Porto arrival mark in black dated 1 AUG 1874. Letter from a company called John Glynn, asking for the enclosed letter to be delivered to a Captain Johnson either at Porto or Vienna, depending on where he drops off his cargo of fish from Newfoundland! -
Entire 1873 Cambridge local post with ½d bantam plate 4 letters OK tied by Cambridge 158 duplex cancel dated NO 3 73. Contents is a promotional leaflet for the Cambridge University Temperance Union, who are looking for members either as abstainers or non-abstainers! -
Entire 1871 Mourning letter Edinburgh to Ayr, with ½p Bantam pl8 tied by Edinburgh duplex mark 131 dated AP 6 71, an unusual duplex having san-serif letters for the town, but seriffed letters for the date. Backstamped by single arc AYR code A AP 7 71, and a large black wax seal. The letter is a beautifully written request for the recipient to attend the funeral of the senders uncle. Cat of the stamp alone is £120, twice that on cover. Letter has a fold in it, otherwise very fine and well preserved. -
Entire 1870 Edinburgh to Perth with 2d Blue pl13 letter SB tied by Edinburgh duplex stamp dated JU-6-1870, backstamped PERTH JU 7 70 with a quite superb and intact "Royal Bank of Scotland" wax seal with coat of arms. Contents are in relation to credits and debits due to the Perth branch of Royal Bank of Scotland, including a Bill from Union Bank of Australia dated Jun 3 1860 - if additional papers included in this letter, might explain why the extra postage was paid. SG47 used on cover cat £75. -
Entire 1864 Liverpool to Dewsbury with 1d red Star plate 80 tied by Liverpool 466 duplex cancel dated AU 16 64 codes R 4, partial backstamp dated AU 17 64. Contents is a memo from British and American Express Co. -
Huge entire 1859 with 1d red Star with Leicester 449 sideways duplex cancel. Backstamped by Castle Donnington CDS in blue. Letter to a solicitor with a statement of account on a half folded A4 sheet of paper -
Entire 1857 Nottingham to Melbourne Derbyshire, with 1d red Star tied by Nottingham 583 sideways duplex cancel dated OC 6 1857, as well as Melbourne CDS in blue OC 7 1857. Backstamped by double rim Derby CDS dated OC 7 1857 -
Entire 1853 to Edinburgh with 1d red imperf cancelled by numerical cancel 131 of Edinburgh. Backstamped by Hanover Street boxed receivers mark x 2 and Edinburgh receival mark dated DEC 16 1853 codes H + -
Entire 1853 Dunse to local Edinburgh Solicitors Davidson & Syme, with 1d red imperf 2½ margins ted by barred numeral 122 of Dunse, with DUNSE twin arc CDS in red and Edinburgh arrival CDS dated AUG-24-1853. Contents re credit note owed to their client. Nice item -
Entire 1852 to Edinburgh with 1d red imperf cancelled by numerical cancel 131 of Edinburgh. Backstamped by Hanover Street boxed receivers mark and Edinburgh receival mark dated OCT 4 1852 codes Z E -
Entire 1848 London to Beverly with double rim PAID stamp dated JA 15 1848 in red and partial "St John St" 2 line mark in black. Backstamped by Beverly double rim receivers mark in blue dated JAN 16 1848 -
Entire 1848 Edinburgh to Alnwick with 1d red imperf on blued paper letters NK almost 4 margins (TR corner cut into), tied by barred numeral cancel 131 of Edinburgh, with twin arc CDS of Alnwick dated DE-31-1848 and Edinburgh datestamp of DE-30-1848. Also has a Mae West type "Too Late" handstamp, which according to records was the 2nd last day of use for this mark in Edinburgh. Great item, and late usage such as this is rare. -
Entire 1847 Edinburgh to Greenock with 1d red imperf letters MJ nice 4 margin example tied by 4-5-4 barred numeral handstamp 131 of Edinburgh, backstamped by double arc Greenock CDS dated AP-3-1847 in blue, and Edinburgh datestamp of same date. Nice item with interesting contents re payments for an estate. -
Nice entire 1846 London local post with some fascinating markings. Front cover has "Chief Office 1d Paid 2 line in red, which is usually accompanied by the backstamp "PD JY 10 1846" code 12NN (Noon posting) in red, but has also been backstamped by "1 An 1 JY 10 1846" code C, which is usually used in conjunction with the oval number obliteration. As a final salute to this fabulous little cover, there is an intact wax seal that has a rooster in the centre and the poignant words "WHILE I LIVE I'LL CROW". Very nice cover -
Entire 1846 Greenock to London with manuscript "2" in red, Boxed Greenock DE 8 1846 code E in blue, and London Tombstone "2 PAID DE 10 1846" in orange. Letter written in cross style to save on paper and postage costs -
Entire 1845 Tain to Edinburgh with 1d red imperf 2½ margins tied by Tain 320 machine cancel. Backstamped by Tain double rim CDS dated MR 9 1845 and Edinburgh arrival mark in red dated MAR 10 45 codes G N -
Entire 1845 Ashford to Charing, London, backstamped by Ashford double rim CDS in black dated SE 25 1845 and Maidstone double rim CDS in black dated SE 25 1845 -
Entire 1843 Sherborne to Baltonsbury with 1d red imperf plate 32 letters RB 4 margin tied by crisp black Maltese Cross, also has a Sherborne CDS dated SE 20 1843 next to but not touching the stamp. Backstamped by Glastonbury CDS double rim dated SE 22 1843. Super quality stamp and super light maltese cross The contents are interesting too - a customer of Mr Whitehead, a cheese dealer, is complaining about the last batch of cheese they took delivery of - "If you have anything finer, I would be glad to receive them." They also instruct him to send his men to collect the cheese, or they will send them to Wells (a market town) for them to collect there -
Entire 1842 Westerleigh to Gloucester with part black MX cancel on front (stamp removed!), backstamped by Chippenham double rim CDS dated JY 30 1842, Gloucester double rim dated JY 31 1842 code B and undated Chipping Sodbury CDS (type 3/14 £20). Fascinating letter to the resident physician at a Lunatic Asylum, enquiring on behalf of the husband of a patient there. -
Entire 1842 Strathaven to Glasgow with partial MX cancel (stamp removed!). Backstamped by Glasgow octagonal receivers mark in red dated MY 30 1842, Glasgow boxed receiver mark in black dated 30 MAY 1842 7:30AM, as well as Strathaven boxed mark in black dated MY 29 1842 -
Entire 1842 Northampton to Ashby St Ledgers with 1d red imperf 3½ margins tied by black MX cancel. Backstamped by Northampton double rim CDS dated MR 8 1842 -
Entire 1842 New York to London with "1/-" postage rate on front and London receivers mark " S OC 30 1842" (type 1/11 £125). Letter sent by Nevins Townsend & Co. (bond firm in New York) regarding prices in various states. No markings to indicate dispatch from the US unfortunately, but a fine lot nonetheless -
Entire 1842 Boness to Worcester, with boxed Boness receivers mark in black dated AP 2 1842, a branch office receivers mark in red dated APR 3 1842 codes G M, and finally a Worcester CDS in black dated AP 5 1842. Letter regarding the request for a birth certificate -
Entire 1841 Dunfermline to Leith with Dunfermline single rim CDS in red dated 1 JAN 1841, arrival mark in red dated JAN 2 1841 codes Z M, and Leith arrival mark in red dated JAN 2 1841. Letter regarding the debt issues of a glazier named Robert Watson, who wants to avoid his estate being sold to pay off a small percentage of his debts -
Entire 1839 Glasgow to Rothesay with Glasgow Paid town mark boxed in red dated 15 FE 1839. The letter is very sweet, a letter from a little girl to her grandpapa written in quite beautiful writing (letter is grubby, looks like it has been read many times!). My children will never write that neatly! The child was one of the children of James McClelland, one of the founders, and first President of IAAG. Mary Ann, born in 1830, died in 1869 and is buried alongside her father and grandpapa in Glasgow necropolis. A wonderful piece of social history
