(Missionary Mail) 1843 outer letter sheet to Wesleyan Missions House, London, docketed as from George Parsonson, St Mary’s, 9th May 1843 (received 27 June), reverse shows a red London arrival overstriking a straight-line SHIP LETTER, carried by the “Patriot” that arrived at Dartmouth on 26th, the mail presumably in a closed bag that was sent up to London and sorted there, the front showing “8”d charge erased and ½oz to 1oz charge of “1/4” . A fine early item.
(Morocco) 1952 cover to Liverpool franked 1d. tied two-line ‘SHIP LETTER/ TANGIER’ , British Post Office A Tangier cds to left, underfranked and charge raised; fine condition without backstamps.
(Ship Letter) 1821 (13 Mar) entire from New York to Dublin, handstamped ‘6d’ and manuscript “7” and showing on reverse, across the join, fine crowned SHIP LETTER/ DUBLIN oval datestamp. Ex. G. Booth.
(Ship Letter) 1833 (12 Oct) entire letter from Rio de Janeiro to London, rated “3/6” and showing DUNGARVAN/97 handstamp with red “Ship letter” alongside and, on reverse, Waterford and arrival date stamps; light vertical crease at left through cancel not detracting from good appearance of the only recorded example. Ex T Roberts (1989) and G. Booth.
(Ship Letter) 1837 (24 July) entire from New York to London, endorsed “P St Andrews”, rated “4/2” showing a very fin framed CORK/ SHIP LETTER, reverse with Cork (18.8.), Dublin (19.8.) and arrival (21.8.) date stamps; a fine example. Ex G Booth
(Ship Letter) 1842 (16 May) entire from France to Limerick showing large ‘8’ handstamp and to left two-line ‘DUBLIN/ Ship Letter’, reverse with Dublin (4.7.) and arrival (5.7.) datestamps; fine and clean condition.
(Ship Letter) 1844 (18 July) duplicate entire from Montevideo to Edinburgh, rated “8”, showing fine unframed ‘CORK/ SHIP LETTER’ and on reverse Cork (14.10.), Dublin (15.10.) and arrival (17.10.) date stamps. A fine example ex Robertson and Booth.
(Ship Letter) 1849 outer letter sheet from Mauritius to London, endorsed (by ship) “John Stuart”, charged “8”d. uniform ship rate to Great Britain, bearing very fine bright blue BELFAST/ SHIP LETTER framed handstamp, reverse with Belfast cds (MR 21) in same ink and London arrival of 23rd; fine and attractive.
(Ship Letter) 1864 incoming cover from Habana, Cuba franked 1r. with bar cancel and cds above and bearing fine example of the very rare SHIP-LETTER/ NASSAU cds, with manuscript “Unclaimed” and handstamped ‘ADVERTISED’; trivial corner fault to envelope, otherwise fine and attractive example
(Ship Letter) 1873 blue envelope with embossed backflap from a St John’s N.F company (Newfoundland), rated “6d”, showing framed GREENOCK/ SHIP/ LETTER handstamp and cds at right, reverse with red Ship Letter London cds; fine and fresh.
(Transatlantic) ) 1807 entire to Dewsbury Nr/ Leeds, from Philadelphia without postal markings so carried privately with manuscript marking top centre and, on arrival fine oval ShipLetter/ (crown)/ HULL handstamp. One of two known, Ex Robertson
(Victoria) 1856 entire from London to Melbourne franked initially with cut-to-shape 6d. Embossed, endorsed “Pr Lightning”, redirected upon arrival with 1854-57 Half Lengths added, a 1d. with two large margins and a four margined 3d. tied by ‘1’ numeral cancel of Melbourne, reverse with red SHIP LETTER/ FREE/ G.P.O. VICTORIA date stamp. Some faults to entire and stamps with variable margins, light vertical creasing, scarce item.
1762 (16 Aug) entire from Charleston, South Carolina to London, rated “5” which has been deleted and replaced with “11d”, manuscript “ship” top right and straight-line ‘CLONMELL’ below, reverse with straight-line ‘COUNTRY’ and arrival Bishopmark. A remarkable item , believed to be the only recorded ship letter from Clonmel which was further upstream from Dungarvan. Ex Roberts (1989)
1801 entire from Kingston to Glasgow initially rated at "2/8" and subsequently amended to "3/-", endorsed HM Ship Surprize and bearing fair strike of Ship Letter/crown/ JAMAICA in oval and a similar mark for Deal. Foster records the earliest date of this ship letter cancel as 11/4/01 wheras this dates 18/2/01.
1812 (23rd August) entire from the ‘Tower’ correspondence to Aberdeen, endorsed to travel on the “Neptune” which arrived in Lancaster on 30th October – a long transit of 69 days, bearing a very fine SHIP LETTER/ crown/ LANCASTER oval handstamp, manuscript charge “1/4” under the Act of July that year (4d Ship Letter and 1/- for 230-300 miles inland to Aberdeen). The content is mainly concerned with the purchase of puncheons of meal to tide the slaves over until the yam crop. Ex Robertson and Booth.
1815 (18 Aug) entire from John Fergus to Falmouth with some interesting content, with a N.B. addition reading "I am sorry to say that Port Royale is most all burnt down about four weeks before our arrival here". Ship Letter Jamaica oval crown handstamp, rate markings and "1/2" local carriage charge handstamp. Some peripheral faults to entire.
1837 13th May entire from the Parkam Lodge Estate to England, endorsed at base per barque “Ann Gales” with full bill of landing, manuscript rate and fine framed INDIA LETTER/PORTSMOUTH struck in error. One of the two known such errors from this correspondence, the only ones known from anywhere in the West Indies. Very fine.
1837 cross-written entire to Launceston, “Island of Van Diemens Land” with smudged manuscript rating, at right ‘crown’ above oval GENERAL POST OFFICE/ CAPE OF GOOD HOPE of SE 25, on reverse with framed SHIP LETTER/ 14 NO 14/ 1837; two vertical filing creases, an unusual destination at this date.
1845 (29th September) long family letter from the ‘Holland’ correspondence, full of domestic information from a father in Salem, North Carolina to his son, a missionary in Jamaica, bearing blue despatch cds and PAID handstamp, charged ”12” to Philadelphia (which consisted of 10c for over 300 miles and incorrectly 2 cents Ship). Landed with framed Montego Bay/ SHIP LETTER handstamp, charge “1/-“ to May Hill via Spanish Town. Ex Hugh Wood and Booth.
1845 (4th June) thick entire from Columbia, South Carolina, USA via Philadelphia via private ship, rated “1/6” for a double Ship Letter rate plus inland postage from St Ann’s to Mandeville of 2d. for a total charge of “1/8”, showing the only recorded ‘SHIP LETTER/ St ANNS’ handstamp that is not recorded in foster but in Proud SL1. Ex H. Wood