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| Country: Malta Clear Subject: COVER with STORY Clear | Sort: Newest listed first |
;) ;) | HMS SULTAN (under command of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh), MALTA postal history 1877 cover with H.M.S. SULTAN printed flap to the Honorable Mrs. Lindsay, Woodlands, Cardiff, South Wales (possibly written by Royal hand) with GB QV 2½d rosy-mauve Plate 5 pmk'd Malta "A25" duplex dated D/AP 6 77, flap intact but poorly opened either side of printing clear of light Cardiff C/AP 11 77 arrival. In 1876 HMS Sultan was refitted and reduced from a small Channel Fleet coastal warship to a barque rig and posted to the Mediterranean under the command of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Albert (1844-1900) second son of Queen Victoria. Alfred married the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovana of Russia in St. Petersburg and their second daughter Princess Victoria Melita was born on 25 November 1876 in Malta. Prince Alfred, Honorary President 1890-1900 of what is now the Royal Philatelic Society, was the first serious stamp collector in the royal family and it is thought that he encouraged his nephew, later KGV, to collect stamps. Prince Alfred sold his collection to his brother King Edward VII, who shared his enthusiasm, who in turn gave it to his son King George V, and keenly expanded by the latter the two collections became the basis of what is now the Royal Philatelic collection. £225 |
;) | Mail to the "U.S.S. Michigan" (Fenian Raids/Canada), MALTA postal history 1872 cover marked "Via Italy & Germany" to a U.S. Naval Lieutenant on the U.S.S. Michigan, Erie, Pennsylvania with GB QV 1d, 3d, 6d pmk'd Malta "A25" duplex dated B/NO 18 72 showing London Paid (NO 26) but without arrival backstamps, small corner fault. U.S.S. Michigan was the first iron-hulled ship in the U.S. Navy and was built in response to the British Government arming two steamers in response to the Canadian rebellion in the late 1830's and operated on the Great Lakes out of Erie, Pennsylvania. Irish immigrants in the Fenian Brotherhood, after the American Civil War, saw their opportunity to attack the British Empire at their weakest point on the borders with Canada, and seize a sufficient portion of Canada to form a belligerent government recognised by the United States. In early June 1866, 850 Fenians led by Col. John O'Neill crossed the Niagara River. Battles with Canadian Volunteer Forces and British regiments were fought at Ridgeway and Fort Erie, and with some 2,000 to 3,000 re-inforcements unable to cross from Buffalo the raid was effectively over. In 1866 the 'Michigan' intercepted and interned the army of the Fenian Brotherhood as it returned from its invasion of Canada near Buffalo. £625 |