Post by jamesw on Jan 2, 2014 2:56:34 GMT
What a lovely New Years Day. Slept in, a walk with the missus out in the cold, shucked a dozen oysters for a relaxed lunch, din with my girls and an evening of stamping! Does it get any better?
YES it does.
Investigating this 1853 stampless cover I quickly found that the Honourable Robt. D. Wilmot of Fredericton NB was quite a distinguished fellow.
A quick cut and paste from Wikipedia,
"He served as mayor of Saint John from 1849 to 1850. He was made a member of the Executive Council of New Brunswick, serving as the Surveyor-General (1851–1854). He was provincial secretary from 1856-1857. After his resignation from the Senate in 1880, he served as the sixth Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick until 1885."
He is also what we here in Canada call a 'Father of Confederation', which means he was one of the guys that help put this country together.
Unfortunately there's no letter in this folded sheet, it is literally the cover sheet. Under the flap is a signature from a T. T. Wilmot (if I'm reading that right, possibly S.S.). A relative I suppose, but none of his kin listed on the Wiki article have repeated initials, so who knows? A cousin perhaps.
As far as the cancels, the back shows a JA 5 1853 cancel from Salisbury NB. The receiver cancel on the flap is indecipherable but the there is a very nice clear transit cancel from St. John New Brunswick dated JA 7 1853.
Shown left to right, front, back, mystery signature and the Honourable Mr. Wilmot's image from Wikipedia.
So there you go. History in my hand!
YES it does.
Investigating this 1853 stampless cover I quickly found that the Honourable Robt. D. Wilmot of Fredericton NB was quite a distinguished fellow.
A quick cut and paste from Wikipedia,
"He served as mayor of Saint John from 1849 to 1850. He was made a member of the Executive Council of New Brunswick, serving as the Surveyor-General (1851–1854). He was provincial secretary from 1856-1857. After his resignation from the Senate in 1880, he served as the sixth Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick until 1885."
He is also what we here in Canada call a 'Father of Confederation', which means he was one of the guys that help put this country together.
Unfortunately there's no letter in this folded sheet, it is literally the cover sheet. Under the flap is a signature from a T. T. Wilmot (if I'm reading that right, possibly S.S.). A relative I suppose, but none of his kin listed on the Wiki article have repeated initials, so who knows? A cousin perhaps.
As far as the cancels, the back shows a JA 5 1853 cancel from Salisbury NB. The receiver cancel on the flap is indecipherable but the there is a very nice clear transit cancel from St. John New Brunswick dated JA 7 1853.
Shown left to right, front, back, mystery signature and the Honourable Mr. Wilmot's image from Wikipedia.
So there you go. History in my hand!
