MICHAEL HAMILTON
POSTAL HISTORY
POSTMARKS
STAMPS
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All world BANK TRANSFERS by WISE to Michael David Cameron Hamilton SORT CODE 23-08-01 Account 58021507. No postal charges
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Subject: Pre-stamp entires Clear

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POSTMARKED DAY GB STAMPS ARRIVED and also on DAY THEY WERE PLACED ON SALE, Jamaica postal history
FROM AN OFFICE ABOUT TO BOYCOTT THEM!: 1858 entire to Archibald Campbell in London with weakly struck GRANGE-HILL manuscript dated 6 May (185)8 marked "Paid "6" in red crayon showing both red JAMAICA/PAID MY 8 1858 and London Paid MY 31 58 arrival. This being a unique "associated first day cover" for the day that GB QV adhesives were placed on sale in Kingston, Jamaica.
The GB QV 1d, 4d, 6d arrived on "Solent" MY 6 1858 and were placed on sale at Kingston MY 8 1858. When Grange Hill received its supply of GB adhesives it boycotted their use for some 3 months along with about 30 other offices (Thomas Foster handbook Page 127) as GPO London ruled on April 16 1858 that the PMG's deputies at the Post Towns would receive only 1% commission on sale of the GB stamps whereas they had been receiving 15% commission on prestamp letters prepaid in money.
£350



VICTORIOUS "PORTLAND" RAN AGROUND in RIVER SHANNON and STRANDED, ANTIGUA INTERRUPTED PACKET MAIL
This entire is headed “Antigua 28th Octr 1796” and marked “by Portland packet” from the Tudway correspondence to Wells, Somersetshire with handstruck S:KITTS rated 2/- changed 3/2. The “Portland” had left Falmouth with the mails for the Leeward Islands on AU 29 1796 and when off Barbados was attacked by a French privateer in which she beat off the attacker and preserved the mails. The Cook, William Thomson, lost a leg during the fighting and subsequently died of his injuries. In calm seas, near Guadeloupe, another armed privateer, the “Temeraire”, of much superior force gave chase. At daylight on October 18th the enemy hoisted her French colours and came alongside to board. The Master, Nathaniel Taylor, organised the passengers to open their musquetry upon her killing or wounding 41 of 68 on board. Captain Taylor was killed in the moment of victory. The “Temeraire” was taken into Montserrat as a prize, and the “Portland” left St. Kitts on 30th October bound Falmouth. Due a shortage of fresh water she put into the River Shannon on the west coast of Ireland on 6th January 1797. Sailing shortly after she had to put back because of bad weather, and whilst sheltering she was driven from her moorings and higher up the river ran aground. Stranded and waiting to be refloated on the Spring Tides she eventually arrived at Falmouth on 25th March. In the interim the Mate, Richard Leonard, personally took the mails from Limerick to London and they were placed in the post JA 14 97 per backstamp. This is the first recorded “Portland” interrupted mail entire clearly documenting its journey. The full story can be found in “The History of the Sailing Packets to the West Indies” by Len Britnor Pages 72-73 published by the BWI Study Circle 1973.
£2250



SAILOR'S LETTER WITH CONCESSION RATE PAID BY 1d COIN, Antigua postal history
1845 entire headed May 26th 1845 from John King, Master at Arms on board Her Majesty's Ship Pique, Antigua (a naval soldier responsible for discipline and law enforcement aboard a ship) countersigned Horace Baker (Lieutenant & Commanding Officer) to his wife in Devonshire Buildings in Bath without the customary manuscript "1d paid" in red ink (as applied on land) but with his last ("my last") GB QV 1d coin sewn alongside the address panel confirmed by London PAID JU 20 1845 transit (not deemed overweight or subject to additional charge). Although a few dozen Soldier's Letters are recorded for the prestamp period this seems to be the only recorded accepted stampless Sailor's Letter from the BWI prior 1850. Contents include mention of discovery that the Foremast is so rotten, and a portion sent to the Admiralty with expectation of being ordered Home by September unless the mast is ordered to be built at Halifax or Port Royal "which I do not think they will do now the ship is three years in Commission". (Between 1841 and 1846 Pique, a sailing frigate with 36 guns, served on the North America and West Indies Station, on 10 March 1842 the Illustrious (see David Pitts lots 39, 159), with the Pique, Fair Rosamond and Spitfire departed Barbados for Antigua and Jamaica).
A scan of the entire has been mounted on card and an actual 1845 1d coin has been sewn on with hemp, using the original 7 in and 7 out needle holes, to simulate how it could have looked, although it was on reverse in actual transit. Only one other BWI prepayment by sewn 1d coin entire is known written January 24th 1847 and posted on land with ANTIGUA double arc JA 27 1847 on a Soldiers Letter (ex Gerald Sattin) to a shoe maker in Edinburgh, the coin evidently was also sewn to the reverse as the circumference of the sewing holes obscure the frontal addressing.
£6500

SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica postal history
(P1 in black) dated MY 30 1835 (the Foster ERD) on wrapper docketted as from St. Mary (MY 27) to London rated 2/2.
£85

BERMUDA postal history
1852 wrapper, no side flaps, to George Clerk, Ireland Island with red HAMILTON+BERMUDA (PM4) dated JA 1 1852 (day slug inverted) struck on face due being a locally addressed letter. Ex TUCKER, ULRICH, "LONGTAIL".
The Forand/Freeland handbook only records two red PM4 entires to Ireland Island (other dated OC 4 1854).
£375


Return by RMSP "Tay" (28th home, arriving Falmouth MR 19), JAMAICA postal history
OCANA - SANTA MARTA - KINGSTON - LONDON: 1843 wrapper docketted from Marcelino de Pinillos, Ocana (Colombia) JA 2 with manuscript forwarding at coastal town Santa Marta on JA 20 with Q.B.S.M. (que besa su mano - who kisses your hand) with KINGSTON FE 16 1843 dbl-arc transit addressed Federico Huth, London (MR 21) rated 1/-, address panel soiled which would display opened in inverted position.
£185


GRENADA postal history
GRENADA dbl-arc (A11) with code "B" inverted: 1853 entire to John Richards, London rated 1/- with top flap (portion missing) displaying GRENADA dbl-arc dated AP 25 1853/B.
Only four examples code "B" currently recorded, others dated OC 28 1852/B (Pearce Est.£300/350); JA 29 1853/B (Russell Jones Est.£450), AP 10 1853/B as arrival on incoming Trinidad (1d) cover (WD Walker).
£325



MARTHA/BRAE and IAMAICA, Jamaica postal history
1792 lengthy entire from David Hood headed "Trelawny, Jamaica 7th Feb 1792" to James Stothart in Dumfries rated 1/- changed 1/7 showing weak MARTHA/BRAE (overstruck MAR 26 arrival) and IAMAICA (42 x 6mm).
Contents include "Mr. Meredith, Postmaster & clerk of the vestry, died lately at Martha Brae"
£120

Port Antonio, JAMAICA to FRANCE postal history
1853 entire to Orleans, France re-directed to Charing Cross, London rated 1/2 with framed red "POSTAGE NOT PAID/TO LONDON" despatched with PORT-ANTONIO dbl-arc (P3) dated MY 6 1853. Lengthy content from John Richards describing the discovery of "copper well interspersed with silver" found on one of his properties and "strong indications of Black Lead" on another. The letter goes on to describe the boom in mining and exploration - "The Parish of Portland seems to be one vast lump of mineral worth, every day brings a new discovery".
£240


JAMAICA postal history
January 1st 1851 printed circular from Kingston to London rated 1/- in black with MR 10 1851 arrival additionally showing circular 5/NEW YORK/FEB 26 and red framed MAITLAND PHELPS & Co/NEW-YORK cachet.
The circular 10/NEW YORK (half ounce mail) and 20/NEW YORK (under one ounce mail) are regular seen, but the 5/NEW YORK on printed matter very seldom seen on BWI correspondence.
£65


JAMAICA postal history
FIRST DAY WITH NEW 1/- PER QUARTER OUNCE PACKET RATE to BWI based on progressive weight (previously based on sheets): entire written Ayr 30th December with light boxed AYR/DEC 30 1839 and red (London) N/1 JA 1/1840 which display top flap to Alex C. Logan, Great Valley, Manchester, Jamaica rated 1/- unpaid with 2/3½" (local currency) below and red "silver" (unknown whether contemporary), docketting on lower flap, some soiling but finding another would be like looking for a needle in a haystack!
The new rate introduced from G.P.O. London January 1st 1840, increased to 1/- per half ounce January 1st 1842.
£225

BERMUDA postal history
1832 faded archive backed entire written "Hamilton 14th Sept 1832" to Darrell & Smith, Halifax, N.S. with poor St. George's 14 SE 1832 fleuron (PM2) rated 8d changed 9 1/10.
Only four fleurons recorded on entires to Nova Scotia, all from the same faded correspondence
£225

BERMUDA postal history
1832 faded archive backed entire written "Hamilton 14th Sept 1832" to Darrell & Smith, Halifax, N.S. with poor St. George's 14 SE 1832 fleuron (PM2), marked rate by weight "1¼oz" and with 1/8 changed "1N10".
Only four fleurons recorded on entires to Nova Scotia, all from the same faded correspondence
£225




Confirmation new 6d rate with locally handstruck "6d", Jamaica postal history
entire headed "Duplicate. Kingston Jamaica 24th June 1854" pmk'd KINGSTON-JAMAICA JY 11 1854 dbl-arc to John Mathie, Stirling, North Britain rated manuscript "6" unpaid confirmed with handstruck "6d" which appears to be in matching ink colour. Red JY 31 1854 (applied London) and red circled M/NR (Morning, Northern Railway applied London) and STIRLING AU 1 1854 in paler black ink. Currently the only known example.
The new 6d rate per half ounce was introduced MR 23 1854. Three experts on UK postal history have been approached and their combined opinion is that the handstruck "6d" is not a British handstamp, and therefore most probably applied at Jamaica (a similar handstruck "6" is known on two ingoing unpaid Barbados entires)
£725


POSITIONING VOYAGE of TWEED - PRIOR START R.M.S.P. SAILINGS FROM FALMOUTH 3rd JANUARY 1842
1841 business entire from Messrs. Stewart & Westmoreland, London to Alexander Logan, May Hill P.O., Manchester, Jamaica initially marked “Paid” and rated “8” with red PAID SHIP LETTER/(crown)/17 DE 17/1841/LONDON, but with the “Tweed” leaving for her West Indies station the following day the entire changed to “p. packet” and duly rated 1/- (unpaid) prior precise inscription of “By Ship” (no R.M.S. prefix as the R.M.S.P.Co not officially up and running) and “Steamer Tweed” arriving as a “ship letter” as handstamped KINGSTON SHIP LETTER (SL3) dated JA 17 1842. An exceptional first page item of R.M.S.P. Co. postal history showing all the intricate detail of “first ever” mail carried by the company to the West Indies.
The R.M.S.P. handbook by Kenton & Parsons notes on Page 10 that the Tweed “carried some Ship letter mail to Jamaica and Arr. 17/1”
£5250


FABRICATED PAID AT ENGLISH HARBOR Crowned Circle, ANTIGUA postal history
a completely fabricated wrapper (produced circa 1950) on brown parchment-like outer lettersheet addressed J. Lea Esq, Solicitor, Nevis with “Pd” lower left corner showing very fine red ink PAID AT ENGLISH HARBOR Crowned Circle plus very fine black ink ENGLISH HARBOR, ANTIGUA datestamp for JY 1 19 (19 for 61) and purplish ink “4” inter-island rate mark above address panel. Lower flap with trace of NEVIS arrival dbl-arc and some circular stains which are the base of a candle holder which has been cunninglyly blown out to spatter tiny flecks of red wax, also some minor soiling added by use of a paint brush dipped in water. Only two genuine entires with this Crowned Circle (Cat.£9,000) are recorded.
£725

LACOVIA, Jamaica postmark
(P2a) dated AP 21 1842 on pre-stamp piece showing Liverpool MY 12 1842 arrival, few examples on full entire recorded.
Sailed with R.M.S. "Clyde" arrived Falmouth May 8th (unfortunate outgoing R.M.S. Medina struck rocks off Turks Island May 11th)
£20
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