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Auction: 17025 - Bermuda, Crossroads of the Atlantic: A Postal History from 1617 to 1877 - The David Pitts Collection
Lot: 35

(x) Military Mail
The strategic importance of Bermuda had been apparent from the 18th. Century. In 1795, after the Revolutionary War, the British restored bases its bases on the American continent though it wasn't until the War of 1812 that there was a significant increase in the British naval presence on Bermuda. She became the winter home of the Atlantic fleet and the principal naval port between Halifax and the B.W.I. Halifax was the fleet's summer home
Concessionary Rates
The routing of military mail is not as easily explained as civilian mail. Mail was sent by the most expeditious method, usually by non-military ships. Military vessels carried civilian mail, their sendings were not advertised so their use was very much on an ad hoc basis
Soldiers and Sailors rates
A special rate of 1d. for Soldiers and Sailors was in effect from 1795. The letters needed to be countersigned by the Commanding Officer and had to include the senders and regiments name
Soldiers
1848 (3 July) entire letter "From 1150 Pte. D McKenzie 1/42nd. Regiment" to Edinburgh per Cunard Lady Olge to Halifax and thence by Cunard Cambria to Liverpool, signed by the Commanding Officer and dated "1d", showing superb Crowned Circle "paid/at/ireland isle/bermuda" (P2) and with equally fine "ireland-isle/bermuda" datestamp (PM5) at right with London Paid datestamp (24.7) below, Edinburgh arrival datestamp (25.7) on reverse; clean central vertical filing fold. The earliest recorded date of use of the Ireland Island Crowned Circle datestamp and an outstanding soldier's letter. Photo

Note: The writer requests his solicitor to pay £30 to obtain a discharge from the service.
After this trip Cunard introduced steam vessels between Bermuda and Halifax

Illustrated on page 55 of "Bermuda Mails to 1865" by Forand and Freeland

provenance:
Morris H. Ludington, June 1999

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Sold for
£7,000