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Post by jamesw on Sept 21, 2016 3:07:43 GMT
Help! I just purchased an 1857 stampless cover off eBay. I did notice that there is no postal rate written on the cover, but in the lower left corner is written 'per favor' (or at least that's what it looks like. Is this a form of free franking? Does any one know?
It was sent to the wife of a local politician, though I can't make out the name under the phrase.
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tomiseksj
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Woodbridge, Virginia, USA
Posts: 6,263
What I collect: Worldwide stamps/covers, Cinderellas, Ohio Prepaid Sales Tax Receipts, U.S. WWII Ration ephemera
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Post by tomiseksj on Sept 21, 2016 12:07:25 GMT
Others will correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the marking indicated that the letter was carried by someone outside of the official mail stream (see Siegel). Was there a town postmark on the cover?
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Mick
Member
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Posts: 930
What I collect: Mostly covers and postmarks. Also miscellaneous paper ephemera.
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Post by Mick on Sept 22, 2016 1:01:24 GMT
I think you are right, Steve. A search for "per favor" brought up a lot of very interesting old correspondence (mainly via google books), and afforded me a happy half hour or so. Included in my search results was this from "Post Offices That Never Were", The Alaskan Philatelist, 38:4 (2002) - Commercial Fishing in Alaska called for personal mail service since the ships and crews were often separated from fixed stations. Informal arrangements were established that included carriage of the mail by the first boat of a fleet to leave a fishing area -- and the mail was faithfully deposited in the first post office. The handling of mail “per favor” was common for both incoming and outgoing items... link.
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Post by jamesw on Sept 22, 2016 1:30:50 GMT
Yes theres a St. Catharines postmark. The letter was delivered in town.
Don't know where it originated, no return address.
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Post by jamesw on Sept 23, 2016 2:53:48 GMT
The cover arrived today! Wow. Really fast delivery from the seller and Canada Post. I'm impressed! Here it is... ...addressed to Mrs D.W. Beadle. Mr Beadle has an extensive bio on line. He was a noted horticulturalist, author, editor and office holder. I'll have to extract more for the album page. Also, inside this envelope was a note printed in pencil which reads. 'Delos W. Beadle had contact to take mail from St. Catherines (sic) to Toronto. See Holme's Catalogue' I've been looking in my copy of Holmes, but haven't found the notation yet. It looks like it came from a Mr. Huntt, if I'm reading the notation in the lower left correctly.
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Post by jamesw on Sept 30, 2016 18:07:03 GMT
Looking at the name in the lower left again, I think it may read 'Mr Merritt' That could refer to William Hamilton Merritt, the founder of the first Welland Canal (which bypassed the Niagara river and linked Lakes Erie and Ontario, for you who may not know what I'm referring to) or his son Thomas Rodman Merritt. The hand writing doesn't match either of their signatures, found on line, so could have been written by a secretary (both were very successful businessmen) or another member of the Merritt family.
Just a thought.
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