New Zealand: Chalons - 1855-1873

Hi Peter

If that is the shade then yours is a Brown SG42, CP ( Campbell Paterson ) A5b ( 3 )

Regards Grant

Here is a 'local' Chalon cover I have had for some time.

I hadn't really looked too much at it over the years, closely that is, until today.

It is a small part envelope (one back flap missing) which is addressed to William Swanson Esq.




The stamp is SG130a p10x12.5 retouched - possibly r18/1
The address is 'West Queen St, Auckland' - Back stamped Auckland CDS of DE 5 72

The obliterator is a well worn one of what appears to be the 'Headquarters' NZ Wars cancel with the word 'Headquarters' excised.

Vol.7 of the RPSNZ books page 281 states :

"About 1866 the word 'Headquarters' was excised from the obliterator which was then used at Tauranga to cancel adhesive stamps until about 1872.The earliest recorded cover is of 11 February 1867 and the latest, 26 June 1872".

So, this cover was sent from Tauranga to Auckland in early December 1872. Does this now become the latest cover known bearing this obliterator?!

Other facts about this cover :

West Queen St later became "Swanson" St  !
A suburb in West Auckland was named after him - Swanson
William Swanson was a notable Merchant & Politician of his day :




William Swanson Esq

William Swanson Esq 2

‘Honest Willie Swanson’ tried his hand at many things and perhaps his proudest achievement, although now largely forgotten, was his contribution to writing the revolutionary Education Act of 1877. In the name of that far-sighted Act of Parliament, New Zealand led the world with education that was “free, secular and compulsory”. It even paved the way for women and Maori to seek education.

This was not a happy accidental outcome. Swanson believed in education and opportunities for everyone regardless of “class”. He was also a pioneering multi-culturalist and believer in opportunities for women. He was married three times (de facto on two occasions and always to Maori women). First to Mere Ngaoko and they had two sons who were foundation pupils at St Stephen’s School for Maori boys. After Mere died, he developed a de facto relationship with Timata Titoki and together they had son who was an early pupil at Auckland Grammar.

Finally, he married Ani Rangitunoa, high-born of the Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti of Hawke’s Bay and they had five children, two boys and three girls. According to the Encyclopaedia of New Zealand “His daughters are finished musicians, their indulgent father having provided his children with every opportunity of culture, besides attending to their material well being. ”

Like those other two pioneering giants of early Auckland, Henderson and Sir John Logan Campbell, Swanson was a Scot who tried his hand in various industries including politics, making himself rich several times over. Yet above all, during his life, he seems to have had an enduring reputation for honesty, generosity and for his charity.

He must have been a formidable personality. He was born at Leith just outside Edinburgh on 30 May 1819, and was soon orphaned and brought up by his grandfather and then by an uncle. As a youth he had little education and no family fortune but he was apprenticed as a shipwright, a useful trade for a man who would try his luck in the colonies by the time he was 25.

He moved first to Cork in Ireland and then joined a band of emigrants travelling first to Sydney before arriving in the fledgling settlement of Auckland in 1844 and sought employment in his trade. At first he worked at boat building on Great Barrier and then later he collected sea shells to make lime for the building of the Albert Barrack Wall.

Finally he went into the cabinet making business. However, low wages drove him to seek his fortune on the California gold fields and brought his enterprising, not to mention courageous, and independent character to the fore.

He built a tiny sailing boat of a mere 14 tonnes in which to sail to America. This plan was immediately thwarted by an Auckland customs officer who refused to clear the vessel to sail because he believed it was far too small to cross the wide Pacific. Undaunted Swanson sneaked away to the Bay of Islands where, he “found an officer more ignorant or less strict as to the tonnage of his little craft.”

This encyclopedia entry, written while Swanson was still alive, went on in a humorous vein that “his mates, though possessing a theoretical knowledge of seamanship, were divided in opinion on some of the more abstruse points of navigation.”

The guardians of our coasts today would have nightmares at the thought of such a tiny boat setting off across the vast Pacific with no-one on board who had the slightest idea of navigation. As it was a Mr Bell, who did know his way around a chart and a sextant, joined the vessel which duly made it to Tahiti and then Honolulu.

Selling the boat in Hawaii, Swanson went on to the goldfield and made a fortune. It seems from the information now available, he was one of the smart ones who made a lot of money providing for the needs of the miners rather than actually chasing the elusive “colour” himself.

In any event Swanson landed back in West Auckland in 1852 with money in his pocket he went straight into the timber trade based in the area that now bears his name. He lived at the end of what is now Tram Valley Road.

By 1861 he was finished with the timber trade and two years later was elected to the equivalent of the Auckland Council. Two years later he was elected to the Provincial Council and in 1870, along with Sir George Grey and two other Public Buildings Commissioners, he helped oversee the creation of Auckland Hospital.

The following year he was elected to Parliament and he remained a serving national politician for the rest of his career, making him a member of that almost legendary group who helped create the New Zealand we know today. He was then appointed to the Legislative Council where he served until his death on 23 April 1903. William Swanson died a few days short of his 84th birthday and is buried with his family at Waikumete Cemetery.



Interesting what you find when you look further !

Dave

Hi Grant

The cover hasn't exactly been hidden away as such, it was in one of my Chalon stockbooks along with other covers I have, it just wasn't highlighted for any particular reason ... :-)

My reading of the m/s is "Kirkwood wants me to take care of Helen McGregor" - Swanson / Kirkwood / McGregor all Scottish surnames!

Anyway, the obliterator doesn't (in my opinion) line up correctly. It may have been lifted and replaced at some time.
Perhaps Philip may have something to say about it being the excised 'Headquarters' obliterator or NOT .....

Its not as good looking as those Chalon covers with multiple different colored values on them, but, if a genuine example of the obliterator then very interesting in it being possibly the latest use of it.



Dave

Hi Grant

I agree. It appears that it may well have been moved down a little when replaced (after lifting).

I have done a quick mock up in 'Paint' and things align better when the stamp is moved back up a couple of mm.




Dave

Hi Philip

Thanks for your thoughts on the cover.
Agreed that the obliterator is smudged and worn, makes it quite difficult to determine exactly which cancel it is. 'Headquarters' or 'Queens Redoubt'.

Looking at the ends of the 'erased' wording it looks to me to be open but then !!

More study of the two obliterators and the history of them is reqd.

Dave

Looking at Grants cover above, if the 'Queens Redoubt' obliterator is open ended then that cover is 'Queens Redoubt' name erased!

All I have found currently on the 'Queens Redoubt' name excised cancel is that it was in use at the British Military encampment at Pokeno from 22 August 1863 until 31 October 1865.

Where was it in use after October 1865, after the 'Queens Redoubt' name had been excised from it?

More work required ....


Dave

Interesting Queens Redoubt links there Dave. The excised Queens Redoubt obliterator was used in the Civil post Office in Pokeno after the Queens Redoubt post office was closed on 31st October 1865. This is supported by one known cover posted on 1st October 1866 but I can't find any information on how long it was used for. 

Going back to your TU Timaru cancel, a nice clear cancel, I don't have one and I've never seen one until yours so I'm guessing it could be rare. I do have another cancel in a similar vein, A67 of Tauranga which was also believed to have been supplied before the end of 1873, a poor strike but probably also rare.





Philip

Hi Dave and Philip

Great items guys, especially yours Dave with the clarity. I too have not seen either of these on Chalons.

Keep on showing them, great to see.

Cheers Grant

Hi Grant

Interesting :-)

Spoiler alert. Before I noticed something really crucial when doing some research on this one I had only got to a couple of immediate conclusions :

Very worn imperf 2d blue - so SG39 or SG98
Top right corner CDS looks like a 'Province-of-Auckland' cancel
Left margin is interesting!!!

However, I have just seen something that would probably give the answer away so will give it a day or so and see if anyone else sees it!! :-)

Dave

Hi Everyone, just a note that the reprint posts have been moved to "New Zealand: Chalon Head Reprints & Proofs" so it is much easier to find them. Thanks to Beryllium Guy . 

Sorry Grant I forgot to answer within a day or two didnt I! :-)

Added left margin !


Dave

Cheers Dave

Whow, prices too steep for me.

Nice looking though 

These have been posted into the SON thread so thought that as they are on Chalons we had better put them in here as well :





Dave