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Post by jamesw on Apr 4, 2022 3:17:52 GMT
Hello all. I picked this up today, not realizing it was British (my brain was thinking Canada, silly me). This folded letter was sent from Canterbury to Deal, a distance of about 30km. There are postmarks on the back (when folded) from both Canterbury and Deal.  But on the front there is no indication of postal rate, no stamp and the only mark is a red wax pencil line. Is this an indication of rate? There doesn't seem to be any sign that a stamp had fallen off. I think I can probably assume the rate would have been 1 penny, as this is certainly the cost during this period. Any help would be appreciated. I'll include a scan of the letter, just for interests sake. The handwriting is pretty indecipherable. It looks to be addressed to a Mssr's Mercer & Edwards. Google hasn't supplied any info on them so far.  Edit: Immediately after posting this, I did another quick google search and came up with this website about the Mercer and Edwards families in Deal. Yikes! What a story!!!! familiesofdealandwalmer.co.uk/james-barber-edwards/3/ |
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vikingeck
Member 
Posts: 3,262
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Apr 4, 2022 8:04:33 GMT
The red line is almost certainly the figure “1”. and represents one penny postage paid in cash (red) . If it had been postage due it would have been in black ink.
It is surely unusual that one of these “new fangled stamps” has not been applied, after all by 1846 they have been around for 6 years and people were quite used to them
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Post by jamesw on Apr 4, 2022 12:39:07 GMT
Thanks vikingeck, so it's as I suspected. Yes, no stamp is a head scratcher. Could be that's why glancing at it I thought it was Canadian. 1846 would still be stampless. The question now is how to store it. It is flat and looks like it has been for sometime. Usually put these, folded, on an album page with a write up. Oh well, first world problems. |
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vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,262
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Apr 4, 2022 17:01:01 GMT
James, It is usual Lawyers scrawl but I read : Dear Sir Leggett Decd. I have inserted Advt (advert) of sale in the Gazette for Tuesday the 21st at 1/2 past one Re DunnWhen you send the abstract please to send me also the account of principal and interest due to the Extrs ( Executors) of Mr Edwards and the account of the balance in your hands which will go to the reduction of the XXXXXXX sum due upon the  Yours Truly William Sladden |
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Post by jamesw on Apr 4, 2022 17:55:24 GMT
Thanks Viking. Interesting in the context of the bio link I found. I think this is early in the career of Mr. Edwards, the junior partner and son-in-law. He found himself in much hot water some 40 years later and the firm did not end well. Also came to light they were probably not doing right by many of the clients they acted as executors for. Shady dealings.
....Allegedly!
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Post by gstamps on Apr 4, 2022 18:59:23 GMT
It's not my area of interest, but I always try to learn something new.
I guess it makes sense for the letter to be folded and sealed when presented to the post office?
How can the cancellation appear on the folding line?
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Post by jamesw on Apr 4, 2022 19:53:20 GMT
Hi gstamps. The two heavy folded lines would not be the original lines. the lighter lines would indicate where the letter was folded and presented at the post office. The heavier lines probably happened sometime in the last 176 years of the life of this piece of paper, either being folded and filed after receiving it, or some collector along the way folded it that way. Either way it's been flatted out since. My quandry, since I mount these on a page with clear photo corners, is whether to refold it on its original lines or not.
Note how the Canterbury cancel is in sections. It would have been applied at the point of the edge of the page overlapping on the other side.
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vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,262
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Apr 4, 2022 19:58:05 GMT
I guess it makes sense for the letter to be folded and sealed when presented to the post office? envelopes were not in common use at this time so the letter was folded shut and sealed with hot wax.
How can the cancellation appear on the folding line? When the letter arrived and was read and answered , a small note with the senders name. W Sladden and the date received 30 March 1846 was written by the addressee ( upside down at the foot of the scan) It was then folded longways for storage in a file . So the fold through the cancel is a later addition for storage and happens after it has been cancelled and delivered.
a second set of folds. |
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Post by jamesw on Apr 4, 2022 20:14:13 GMT
a little more concise answer, thank you viking.
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Post by gstamps on Apr 5, 2022 6:23:22 GMT
Thanks jamesw and vikingeck. Now that you've brought it to my attention It's obvious to me too that there are more fold lines. |
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