Postmarks:
"MONTREAL L.C. DE 28 1836" in red
"SHIP LETTER DEAL" Robertson type S10 in red recorded 1836-39,
"18 JAN 18 1837" - London in red

Transit time 21 days

The lower panel of the ship letter is 27 mm wide and should properly be type 10a. It was the last Deal ship letter mark to be introduced but an earlier mark is recorded up to 1851.

Rate Markings: -
"PAID 1/-" (Cy.) This is double the special rate from Montreal to the U.S. border
"PAID 37½" (U.S. Cents) double the 150 to 400 miles U.S. rate to the port
"1/4" (Stg) - 8d ship letter and 8d inland postage Deal-London

Montreal was only about 30 miles from the nearest exchange office. The 6d rate was in force from 1818-1837 and was reduced to 4 1/2 Cy in March 1837 when the ferriage charge was dropped elsewhere. The Letter appears to have been charged a single rate in Britain, but a double rate in N. America.

Mersea, nr. Windsor, Canada to Chelsea, England via Liverpool - April 15 1836

Postmarks: -
"MERSEA U.C. 15" Apl 36" in red, date in manuscript
"LIVERPOOL SHIP LETTER" Robertson type S13 recorded 1834-38
"EX 6 JY 6 1836" (London)
"10 Fn 10 JY 7 1836" (London) in red
"10 Fn 10 JY 7 1836" (London Twopenny Post) in red

Transit time 83 days, confirmed by "Received July 7 1836".

Rate Markings: -
"1/1" Cy. - Rate for 201-300 miles
"U. States. 1/3" Overwritten 25 (U.S. cents) - the rate in the U.S
"PAID 2/4"
"1/7" (Stg) - 8d ship letter and 11d inland postage Liverpool-London,
"?? 2" (Stg) - 2d for the London Twopenny Post,

Using the nearest exchange point at Windsor, only 30 miles from Mersea, would only have cost 4½d in Canadian postage. Instead the letter probably went via the Lewiston exchange office. The Mersea Post Office had only been open 6 months on 15/4/1836 so the postmaster probably had little experience of cross border mail.

"PAID 1/2 & 50"

Ferriage in Upper Canada was abolished in 1837 reducing the combined rate to New York from "9 & 25", (Cy. & U.S. cents), to "7 & 25"

A double letter was therefore rated "1/2 & 50"

The letter is marked "via New York"

Postmarks: -
"CITY of TORONTO U.C. DE 29 1837"
"LIVERPOOL SHIP LETTER" Robertson type S13 recorded in black 1815-39
"N 2 FE 2 1838" (London)

Transit time to London 35 days.

Rate Markings: -
"PAID 1/2 & 50" in red, (1/2d Cy & 50 cents U.S.)
"3/2" (Stg) - 2 x 8d ship letter and 2 x 11d inland postage Liverpool-London,

The letter states: - "I now send it" (an important document) "enclosed herein". The enclosure made the letter liable to double postage.

"PAID 7 & 25" HANDSTAMP
Ferriage in Upper Canada was abolished in 1837 reducing the combined rate to New York from "*9 & 25", (Cy. & U.S. cents), to "7 & 25", Toronto, Canada to Edinburgh, Scotland via New York - January 20 1838

The letter is marked "Paid to New York" and "via New York"

Postmarks:
"CITY of TORONTO U.C. JA 2 1838"
"LIVERPOOL SHIP LETTER" Robertson type S13 recorded in black 1815-39,
"FEB W 14 F 1838" (London)

Transit time to London 43 days.

Rate Markings: -
"PAID 7 & 25" in red, 7d Cy & 25 cents U.S.)
"1/7" (Stg) - 8d ship letter and 11d inland postage Liverpool-London
"½" (Stg) - Scottish road tax

Port Hope, Upper Canada to London, England, 3 February 1836.

Per Post Office Department Circular, 6/29, 5th January 1829:
"As the postmaster at Kingston, Upper Canada acted also as a postmaster for the United States no Canadian postage was charged on letters posted at his office, only a threepence Currency ferriage fee, higher than that at other exchange offices to cover the more complex crossing of the St. Lawrence River. Letters from further afield, however, were charged postage to the border."

This letter was prepaid to New York: one shilling Currency, comprising ninepence Currency inland postage' plus threepence ferriage, and elevenpence halfpenny Currency the Currency equivalent of eighteen and three-quarters cents.' From New York the letter was sent by private sailing ship to Liverpool where it was marked as a ship letter and charged a further one shilling and sevenpence to London.

There were a number of places, not designated as exchange offices, where mail was carried privately to United States post offices, with a considerable saving expense to Canadian correspondents. Although a post office opened at Moore, Upper Canada in 1837, mail was still being exchanged privately to St. Clair the following year.

This letter, from Robert Watson at Moore on the Sydenham River, was carried privately to St. Clair and paid twenty five cents to New York. In New York it was placed aboard a private sailing ship for Liverpool and there charged one shilling and ninepence, eightpence ship letter fee and one shilling and a penny intand postage, plus a halfpenny Scottish mail tax, to Aberdeen.

New York, NY printed circular to Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucester, England 10 Nov 1830. Superb & scarce "Office of the American & Foreign Agency" fancy forwarding agent cachet used as an advertising handstamp. Recorded by Rowe 1830-1840. "Bristol Ship Letter" transit & rated 1N5.

1839 Stampless cover carried by the ship Montreal, bearing a clear strike of 'GILPIN'S EXCHANGE/READING ROOM AND/FORWARD LETTER OFFICE/N. YORK' agent's stamp, used between 1838 and 1840. Addressed to London, the cover also features a bold strike of the black framed 'PORTSMOUTH/SHIP LETTER' marking upon arrival in the United Kingdom.

The Montreal served the Black X/London Swallowtail Line from 1833 to 1844 under Captain Henry L. Champlin. This cover is an early example of Gilpin's forwarding service, used to expedite correspondence during this period.

Red "Forwarded by Gilpin's Exchange Reading Room" handstamp with black "Liverpool Ship Letter" handstamp on folded letter.

The original letter was written on the 11th March and was sent on the "President" on her last and fatal voyage, when she disappeared with all hands in March 1841.

This letter is a duplicate copy sent on the "Virginian". In this case the letter never entered the U.S. postal system but was given to Gilpin's Exchange and Reading Room. It struck the reverse with a cachet in red and paid for the ocean passage on the "Virginian", but there is no indication as to whether Freight Money was paid. Presumably it was, and probably would have amounted to 12 ½ cents. There is no indication of departure or arrival dates, but the Market Report enclosed is dated the 12th and the cover arrived in Leeds on 3rd April, so that the actual sailing time was probably 20 days, not much slower than the steamers. In Liverpool it was struck with a Ship Letter hand stamp (Tabeart S 14) and charged 1/4d.

Red "Forwarded by Gilpin's Exchange Reading Room" handstamp with black "Liverpool Ship Letter" handstamp on folded letter, from New York. Datelined 18th March 1839. It was given to Gilpin's Reading Room who put it on the "Orpheus" with no involvement of the New York Post Office. The ship left on the 23rd under the command of Captain Barley and arrived in Liverpool on 14th April, a fast passage of 22 days. On arrival it was back stamped with Tabeart S14 and charged 1/5d for the transfer to Sheffield - 8d Ship Letter and 9d Inland (80- 120miles).

Great Britain Penny Red on transatlantic front Boston to Wales via Liverpool Harnden's Express forwarded Willmer & Smiths. Red "FORWARDED FROM HARNDEN'S PACKAGE EXPRESS & FOREIGN LETTER OFFICE NO 8 COURT ST BOSTON" and black," FORWARDED THROUGH WILLMER & SMITHS PACKAGE EXPRESS OFFICE BRITISH & AMERICAN LIVERPOOL". Per Acadia.

1841 Stampless cover forwarded by Harnden's Express, with red 'FORWARDED BY HARNDEN & CO./FOREIGN EXPRESS OFFICE' oval handstamp, Carried on the Caledonia, in its second year of service. The cover originated in New York and traveled via Boston and Liverpool, addressed to Bordeaux, France. It bears a red boxed 'PACKET LETTER' marking applied at the London Foreign Branch.

1841 stampless folded letter Harnden's Express Boston to London via Columbia Steamer. Red FORWARDED FROM HARNDEN'S PACKAGE EXPRESS & FOREIGN LETTER OFFICE NO 2. WALL ST NEW YORK.

Letter datelined at Boston. At this time the U.S . and Great Britain had no treaty and postage had to be paid at both sides of the Atlantic. To avoid this duplicate cost, the forwarding agents Harnden' s Express made arrangements to accept mail for Europe to be prepaid at their Boston office as "Paid to the Frontier'' of France.

1843 Stampless cover originating from Havana, Cuba, and forwarded to New York by Collomb & Iselin, with black oval forwarding handstamp 'FORWARDED BY COLLOMB & ISELIN NEW YORK.' After reaching New York, it was further forwarded by Harnden & Co., indicated by the red oval 'FORWARDED BY HARNDEN & CO. FOREIGN LETTER OFFICE.'

Manuscript "per Acadia" and "H and Co."

"FORWARDED BY HARNDEN & CO. NO. 20. WATER ST LIVERPOOL" with ship in center (1844-48, oval 40 x 29, black) on front, Boston to London Via Liverpool. "PAID 1844" tombstone mark at London.
Red "LIVERPOOL 1844." Addressed to Thomas Aspinwall, American Consul at London.

10c Green, Ty. V (35) tied by "New Orleans La. May 2" circular datestamp on folded letter to Vera Cruz, Mexico. New Orleans forwarding stamp on back. 1860

Weiss Certificate states, “Scott #35 (pulled perf at LR), Genuine 1860 use from N. Orleans/La to Mexico on sound outer FLS.”

New York Oct 26 1887 cds with San Francisco, Melbourne, and New York markings on reverse.

209, U311 Meriden, CT to New Zealand 1889 at 12cts treaty rate. San Fransisco transit and NZ backstamp.

Housatonic Rail Road 5. Clear strike of red handstamp on fresh blue folded letter datelined "Falls Village (Conn.) Jany. 12th 1848" to Collinsville Ct., Very Fine, a beautiful and very scarce marking.

Housatonic Rail Road (Towle 88-B-1 Rarity VI) 1847 red CDS of fancy circled "5" at right, worn with adhesive on backflap, pencil markings on reverse.

Housatonic Rail Road (Towle 88-B-7 Rarity V) Oct 9 red CDS with matching "5" at right, with file fold and toning.

Housatonic Rail Road (Towle 88-B-3 Rarity VII "Rare") 1848 red CDS of fancy circled "5" at left, with file folds and some wear