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Auction: 17025 - Bermuda, Crossroads of the Atlantic: A Postal History from 1617 to 1877 - The David Pitts Collection
Lot: 103

(x) Packet Letters
The Cunard Line, 1833-1886
The last Admiralty packet left Falmouth on 6 June 1840, Thereafter Cunard steamers assumed the transatlantic route under contract to the Admiralty, using Liverpool as their home base. From January 1848, Cunard's transatlantic service altered weekly between Boston and New York, however after July 1848 the New York steamers did not stop at Halifax. There are five different routes
Route 1, May 1840-July 1848, Sail to Halifax
Cunard sailing vessels carried mail between Bermuda and Halifax twice a month though only once a month during the winter
The route was Liverpool-Halifax-Boston-(or New York, Jan.-July 1848)-Halifax-Liverpool by steamer; Halifax-Bermuda-Halifax by sail
1844 (29 May) entire letter from Rev. Leggett at St. George's "per Packet via Halifax" to the Secretary of the Wesleyan Mission in London and rated "1/-", per Roseway to Halifax and per Caledonia to London, and showing, on reverse, a fine strike of the "bermuda" fleuron datestamp (PM2, 1.6) in red alongside arrival datestamp (29.6); clean and most attractive. Photo

Note: The writer advocates the appointment of a second missionary, commenting on what parishes would form an interesting circuit and "what with the naval, the military, the engineer, and the convict departments, these pretty islands are full of life and bustle"

provenance:
George Ulrich, June 1989

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Sold for
£480