Land of Wood and Water

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1 Land of Wood and Water Volume 1, Issue 3 July, 2000 Jamaica: Money Letters and Registration Rates, The table below shows the chronological development of the money letter and registration postage rates of Jamaica during the Nineteenth Century. It has been constructed by piecing together the numerous snippets of information contained within several reference texts, combined with the knowledge and findings of several collectors and dealers. The description and accuracy of the early (pre 1858) rates are questionable, due to a lack of reliable documented rates and the scarcity of material upon which to base deductions. The rate table will be amended accordingly, as further material comes to light. Bill Atmore atmorew@aol.com W. Atmore, 2000 Date Inland UK Foreign Pre-UPU (non-upu, post 1878) UPU Members April 1836 (or before) 2 Enclosure counted as part of letter (i.e. an additional sheet), and additional Fee of 10d?? ? 2/6d plus twice foreign inland postage c (or before) 4 Enclosure counted as part of?? letter (i.e. an additional sheet), but NO additional Fee c (or before) 5 6d (?)? c Enclosure NOT counted as part? of letter, and no Registration Fee d? d 6d 6d (?) c d 4d 1877 (1 st April?) 10 6d, or 4d to USA 1878 (1 st June) 11? 4d 1893 (1 st June) 12 2d 2d 2d Inside this issue: Jamaica: Money Letters and Registration Rates, Part 1 - Inland Part 2 - To the British Isles Part 3 - USA, Canada and the Caribbean Part 4 - Foreign Illustrations All countries (from 1893) [Britnor, Sutcliffe/Jarvis] 2. Foster notes a 10d Registration Fee, and also mentions that the practice, used in various other British colonies (since??), of counting the enclosure as part of the letter, may also have been applicable in Jamaica at some juncture. The Inland Money Letter of 28 th August 1836 (see list below) would appear to suggest that both of these measures were employed contemporaneously. Items to be marked Money Letter. A m/ s number usually appended. Item entered into Dispatch Book and Bag Docket. April 1836 is the earliest rate recorded by Foster (being the earliest item he had seen). [Foster page 50] 3. GPO Notice of 3 rd February 1837 allowed for registration of letters to specific foreign destinations: France, Sardinia, Switzerland, Southern Italy, Austria, Venetian Lombardy and the German States [any others?]. Items to be marked Registered. [Foster page 55] 4. The Inland Money Letter of 28 th July, 1841 (see list below) seems to suggest that the 10d Registration Fee was dropped, and Money Letters were treated simply by considering the enclosure as part of the letter. 5. Item sent from Alexandria to London, January 1842 (see list below). Rated 2/-, comprising 1/- packet charge, 6d inland postage and 6d registration fee? 6. See Foster page See Foster page See Foster page 53. Letter from GPO of 28 th March 1858 refers to (existing) regulation requiring a Postmaster, upon registering a letter, to write Registered in red ink thereon. [Q: Was the d rate available to all countries?] 9. The UK Registration Fee of 4d was extended for use in the Colonies in February 1862 [Maurice Buxton, display at London 2000]. However, the book-post items to England dated between 1865 and 1870 (see Part 2) would suggest that the 6d registration rate was still in use at that time. 10. Interim UPU rate to USA suggested by MH. This was the first time that registered mail could be sent to the USA. 11. Sutcliffe/Jarvis page 10.

2 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3 LAND OF WOOD AND WAT ER PAGE 2 [Q: What was the rate to non-upu countries? Did the 6d rate remain?] 12. Britnor page 48 and Sutcliffe/Jarvis. Sources: Foster Jamaica, The Postal History , by T. Foster. Robson Lowe, 1968 Britnor British West Indies Postal Rates Up To 1900, by L. E. Britnor. BWISC, 1977 Nicholson Jamaica, Its Postal History, Postage Stamps and Postmarks, by L. C. C. Nicholson et al. Stanley Gibbons, 1928 Sutcliffe/Jarvis Encyclopedia of Jamaican Philately, Vol. 1, by Jarvis & Sutcliffe. BWISC, 1997 Lant Registration Markings and Labels of Jamaica, by R. Lant et al. BCPSG. [NB: where registration type marks are given, they are per this publication] Woodward Exploring Jamaica Through Obliterators, by I. R. Woodward. BCPSG, 1982 WA Bill Atmore PW Paul Wright MH Michael Hamilton The lists of Money/Registered items that follows is by no mean exhaustive. Early (pre-upu) registered items are scarce, so all such items known to the author (to date) are included. Post 1879, the lists are somewhat more selective, including only items of in- Part 1 - Inland 1836 (28 th August), Kingston to May Hill. Distance: 63 miles. A single letter, rated 1/10d, being 1/- postage (double letter rate of 1765, for 60 to 100 miles, with the enclosed money being treated as the second sheet) plus 10d Registration Fee. Manuscript Money Letter and No 26. Contents include I now beg leave to enclose to you d [BCPJ Vol.19, No. 3, June 1979] [Fig. 1] 1841 (28 th July), Port Maria to Kingston. Distance: 42 miles. A single letter (confirmed by R. Swarbrick), rated 8d, so seemingly an example of the enclosure being treated as a second sheet (see note 2), but with no additional registration fee. Manuscript Money Letter. Contents include (I) enclose 3 [Ex Swarbrick] 1848 (2 nd October), Savannah-la-Mar to Spanish Town. Distance: 106 miles. Rated 1/4d (1oz double letter rate of 1843, over 100 miles), no registration fee. Manuscript No. 4. [Ex Simpson per MH list] 1852 (?? April), Goshen to Montego Bay. Distance: 184 miles. Rated 8d (½oz, over 100 miles rate of 1843), no registration fee. Manuscript Money Letter and No 1 in black. [Illustrated Lant] 1853 (5 th April), Black River to Montego Bay. Distance: 203 miles. Rated 8d (½oz, over 100 miles rate of 1843), no registration fee. Manuscript Money Letter and No 1. [MH list] 1856 (14 th October), Porus to Kingston. Distance: 46 miles. Rated 8d (1oz double rate of 1843, up to 60 miles), no registration fee. Manuscript Money Letter. [PW collection] [Fig. 2] 1859 (15 th March), Plantain Garden River to Kingston. Distance: 57 miles. Franked 4d and 6d, being 4d postage (½oz, up to 60 miles rate of 1843) plus 6d registration. Manuscript Registered Letter and No. 5. [Foster item 120(g)?] [Ex Gaston] 1859 (3 rd May), Mile Gully to Kingston. Distance: 62 miles. Franked 6d only whereas correct rate would have been 1/- i.e. 6d postage ( mile rate of 1843) plus 6d registration. Manuscript 6 postage/4 fine/10 postage due calculation and also Money Letter [Amaryllis] [Fig. 3] 1859 (13 th May), Old Harbour to Kingston. Distance: 25 miles. Two reunited part entires, franked 3 x 6d and 4d, being 1/4d postage (2oz quad letter rate of 1843, up to 60 miles) plus 6d registration. Manuscript On Service (sent to the Receiver General), but not sent free because free inland postage for official mail did not extend to registered items at this time. [Ex Hart, Hooton Mitchell, Yates, Nicolson etc. per MH list] 1859 (25 th August), Falmouth to Kingston. Distance: 93 miles. Franked 2 x 6d, being 6d postage (½oz, miles rate of 1843) plus 6d registration. Manuscript Registered. [Ex Glassco per MH list] 1859 (6 th September), Port Morant to Kingston. Distance: 42 miles. Franked 4 x 4d and 6d, being 1/4d postage (2oz quad letter rate of 1843, up to 60 miles) plus 6d registration. Manuscript Registered Money Letter. [Ex Trivett, Glassco, Hart, Yates, Nicholson, Lees, Pinchess per MH list] 1859 (29 th November), Port Morant to Kingston. Distance: 42 miles. Franked 4d and 6d, being 4d postage (½ oz, up to 60 miles rate of 1843) plus 6d registration. Manuscript Money. Two such items reported by Foster as item 123(e). [Ex Collett per MH list] c. 1859, Old Harbour to Kingston. Distance: 25 miles. Franked 6d (additional 4d having been removed), being 4d postage (½ oz, up to 60 miles rate of 1843) plus 6d registration. [Foster item 119(d)] c. 1859, Port Morant to Kingston. Distance: 42 miles. Part wrapper franked 2 x 1d and 4d. Probable charging being 4d postage (½ oz, up to 60 miles rate of 1843) plus 6d registration. Missing portion of wrapper would have carried additional stamps. [Foster item 123(f)] c. 1859, Porus to Kingston. Distance: 46 miles. Franked 2 x 4d and 6d, being 8d postage (1oz double letter rate of 1843, up to 60 miles) plus 6d registration. [Foster item 126(f)] 1860 (3 rd April), Spanish Town to Kingston. Distance:

3 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3 LAND OF WOOD AND WAT ER PAGE 3 13 miles. Franked 4d and 6d, being 4d postage (½oz, up to 60 miles rate of 1843) plus 6d registration. [Foster item 82(i)] 1862 (12 th December), Newport to Kingston. Distance: c. 64 miles. Franked 2 x 4d and 2d, being 4d postage (½oz, over 60 mile rate of 1862) plus 6d registration. Manuscript Registered in red crayon. [WA collection] [Fig. 4] 1867 (10 th September), Montego Bay to Kingston. Distance: 116 miles. Franked 2 x 3d (one stamp missing from entire, presumably 3d), being 3d postage (½oz, over 30 miles rate of 1865) plus 6d registration. Manuscript Registered No [Ex Hooton Mitchell per MH list] 1887 (15 th January), Trinityville to Kingston. Distance: c. 20 miles. Franked 2 x 4d, being 2d postage (½oz, Inland letter rate of 1878) plus 4d registration, i.e. 2d overpaid? Type RC4 Registered cancel and Type RS1 R-in-oval. [Illustrated Woodward] [Q: If this was an overweight item, greater than ½oz, postage would have been 6d postage plus 4d registration?] 1893 (18 th November), Spanish Town to Kingston. Distance: 13 miles. Franked 2½d Provisional, being ½d bookpost (rate of 1861) and 2d registration. [PW Collection] [Fig. 5] Part 2 - To the British Isles 1842 (4 th January), Alexandria to London. Inland distance: 88 miles. Rated 2/-. Normal postage should have been 1/6d i.e. 1/- packet rate (per ½oz rate of 1840) plus 6d inland postage (single letter rate of 1765 for miles). This would suggest a registration fee of 6d predating the 10d fee of 1850? Manuscript Money Letter. [Ex Simpson per MH list] 1860 (9 th October), Kingston to Aberdeen. Rated?? (presumably 1/-). Bears Kingston Jamaica/Paid (Type PD6a) of which Foster notes used to frank pre-paid letters after the withdrawal of Imperial Postage Stamps in the autumn of Probable charging: 6d packet rate (all-in rate of 1860) plus 6d registration (1858). Manuscript Money Letter. [Ex Simpson per MH list] 1862 (24 th June), Spanish Town to Exeter. Franked 2 x 6d, being 6d packet rate (all-in rate of 1860) plus 6d registration (1858). Manuscript Registered in black ink. [WA collection] [Fig. 6] 1862 (24 th September), Spanish Town to Exeter. Franked 2 x 6d, being 6d packet rate (all-in rate of 1860) plus 6d registration (1858). Manuscript Registered in red ink. [Illustrated Lant] 1865 (23 rd January), Vere to Derby by book post. Franked 3d and 3 x 1d i.e. underpaid by 1d (correct rate being 1d international book post postage and 6d registration). Manuscript 2 in red (denoting postage due upon arrival?) [Seen by WA] 1869 (24 th June), Kingston to Shrewsbury. Large printed Book Post wrapper, franked 3d and 4d being 1d international book post postage and 6d registration. Type RC3 Registered cancel in red. [PW collection] [Fig. 7] 1870 (8 th October), Vere to Derby via Book Post. Franked 1d and 6d, being 1d international book post postage and 6d registration. Type RC3 Registered cancel in red and manuscript per packet of 10/10/70. [Ex Hooton Mitchell per MH list and Amaryllis] 1873 (23 rd February), St. David to London. Franked 1/- and 2 x 2d, being 1/- packet rate (all-in Packet rate of 1863) plus 4d registration. Manuscript Registered plus Type RC4 Registered cancel (?) (EKD). [Illustrated Woodward] 1873 (24 th June), Annotto Bay to London. Franked 4 x 4d, being 1/- packet rate (all-in Packet rate of 1863) plus 4d registration. Manuscript Registered. [Ex Ericsson per MH list] 1883 (9 th March), Kingston to Birmingham. Franked 2 x 4d, being 4d postage (½oz UPU rate of 1879) plus 4d registration. Type RC4 Registered cancel and Type RS1 R-in-oval (three years earlier than the Lant EKD). Also bears straight line REGISTERED in blue/black ink, measuring 49mm by 5½mm, the status of which is at present unknown. [MH] [Fig 8] 1886 (6 th January), Kingston to Hallatrow. Preprinted Registration Envelope Type RE1, Size G (late use, according to Nicholson. RE1 apparently in use from 1881), franked 2 x 1d, 2d, 2 x 4d (total 1/-), being 8d postage (1oz double UPU rate of 1879) plus 4d registration. Type RC4 Registered cancel and Type RS1 R-in-oval (EKD). Numbered 141 in blue crayon. [WA Collection] [Fig. 9] 1886 (3 rd March), Kingston to Birmingham. Preprinted Registration Envelope Type RE1, size G, franked 4 x 2d (slate), being 4d postage (½oz UPU rate of 1879) plus 4d registration. Type RC4 Registered cancel and Type RS1 R-in-oval. Numbered 43 in blue crayon. [PW Collection] [Fig. 10] 1886 (14 th April), Kingston to Birmingham. Preprinted Registration Envelope Type RE1, size G, franked 2 x 4d, being 4d postage (½oz UPU rate of 1879) plus 4d registration. Manuscript 153. [David Smith Collection]

4 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3 LAND OF WOOD AND WAT ER PAGE (26 th September), Kingston to Colchester. Franked 4d and 2 x 6d, being 1/- (1½oz UPU rate of 1879) plus 4d registration. Early use of R handstamp type 12. Manuscript Registered and 143. [Amaryllis] 1890 (30 th January), Kingston to Manchester. Preprinted Registration Envelope Type RE1, size G, franked 4 x 3d Fiscal, being 8d postage (1oz UPU rate of 1879) plus 4d registration. [Amaryllis] 1890 (4 th June), Kingston to Manchester. Pre-printed Registration Envelope Type RE1, size G, franked 2 x 2½d on 4d Provisional plus 3d Fiscal, being 4d postage (½oz UPU rate of 1879) plus 4d registration. Manuscript 184. [PW Collection] 1891 (22 nd September), Kingston to Manchester. Pre -printed Registration Envelope Type RE1, size G, franked Crown CA 4d and 2 x ½d and Keyplate 2½d, 2d and 2 x 1d (i.e. total of 11½d), being 7½d postage (1½oz rate of January 1891) plus 4d registration. [David Smith Collection] Part 3 - USA, Canada and the Caribbean 1878 (22 nd January), Port Antonio to Missouri. Franked 2 x 2d and 6d, being 6d postage (interim UPU rate of 1877) and 4d registration (interim fee to USA). [Ex Hooton Mitchell per MH list] 1878 (25 th January), Port Antonio to Missouri. Franked 4d and 6d (NB cancelled A64 in blue ink), being 6d postage (interim UPU rate of 1877) and 4d registration (interim fee to USA). [Illustrated Woodward, ex Hooton Mitchell per MH list] 1882 (2 nd August), Little River to??. Franked 2 x 4d, being 4d postage (UPU rate of 1879) plus 4d registration. [MH list] 1885 (1 st March), Malvern to Nova Scotia. Franked 6 x 1d, 6 x 2d, 3d (total 1/9d), being 1/5d postage (??) plus 4d registration. [MH list] [Q: 1/5d postage??] 4 x 2d, being 4d postage (UPU rate of 1879) plus 4d registration. Reverse bears previously unrecorded Copse P11 date-stamp. [BCPJ Vol.23, No. 1, Feb 1983] 1893 (15 th March), Kingston to Brooklyn, New York. Franked ½d and 2 x 3d, being 2½d postage (revised UPU rate of January 1891) plus 4d registration. [Amaryllis] 1896 (12 th May), Kingston to Barbados. Franked 1½d and 3d Fiscals, being 2½d postage (revised UPU rate of January 1891) plus 2d registration. [Seen by WA] 1896 (27 th June), On Her Majesty s Service envelope from Kingston to St Johns, Canada. Franked Keyplate 2½d and 2 x 1d, being 2½d postage (revised UPU rate of January 1891) plus 2d registration. [WA] 1887 (3 rd November), Copse to Toledo, Ohio. Franked Part 4 - Foreign 1873 (9 th June), Gordon Town to Mons, Belgium. Franked 3 x 1/-, being 2/8d postage (??) and 4d registration. [Ex Vokins per MH list] 1880 (28 th August), Savannah-la-Mar to Hamburg, Germany. Franked 2 x 4d, being 4d postage (UPU rate of 1879) plus 4d registration. [MH list] 1894 (23 rd January), On Her Majesty s Service envelope from Kingston to Baden Baden, Germany. Franked 6d and Keyplate 1d, being 2 x 2½d postage (revised UPU rate of January 1891) plus 2d registration. [WA] 1898 (??), Kingston to Dunedin, New Zealand. Franked ½d and 4d, being 2½d postage (UPU rate of 1891) plus 2d registration. Via San Francisco, where Registration label applied. [WA] [Fig. 9] Version E 29/4/01

5 Illustrations Fig. Fig. 1 Fig. 4 Fig. 3 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7

6 Fig. 8 Fig. 9 Fig. 10 Fig. 11