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Auction: 17020 - Autographs, Historical Documents, Ephemera and Postal History
Lot: 901

Autographs
Thomas Fletcher Waghorn
1829-60 an archive of letters, many with original envelopes (adhesives removed) which includes a rare 1849 A.L.S. from Thomas Waghorn to his broker, 1829 and 1830 third person letters from the Duke of Wellington (one with tears along folds), 1848 A.L.S. from William Gladstone, A.L.S. from Robert Peel, A.L.S. from Lord John Russell (2); 1848 A.L.S. from Joseph Hume to Lord John Russell recommending government reward Waghorn's services to the improved postal route. Further letters to Mrs Waghorn relating to the death of her husband or her requests for payments for his scheme from a variety of politicians including Lord John Russell and Richard Cobden. An interesting group highlighting the plight of this famous postal pioneer. (22 letters)

Thomas Fletcher Waghorn (1800–1850) was a postal pioneer who developed a new route from Great Britain to India. Waghorn's route reduced the journey from 16,000 miles, via the Cape of Good Hope, to 6,000 miles: from three months to between 35 and 45 days.

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Sold for
£1,800