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Auction: 17025 - Bermuda, Crossroads of the Atlantic: A Postal History from 1617 to 1877 - The David Pitts Collection
Lot: 108

(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 2, August 1848-June 1854, Steam and sail as needed
Even after Cunard's switch from sail to steam between Halifax and Bermuda the monthly winter and bi-weekly summer schedule continued. The route was Liverpool-Halifax-Boston-Halifax-Liverpool; Halifax-Bermuda-Halifax
This combination of transatlantic and Bermuda routes persisted until the Inman Line won the transatlantic contract as of 1 January 1868, however the Cunard steamers continued their Halifax to Bermuda route until 1886
1850 (2 Sept.) entire from Turk's Islands to London, sent by private ship to Bermuda, per Ospray to Halifax and thence per Cunard Hibernian to Liverpool, rated "1/-" and showing, on reverse, hamilton/bermuda" datestamp (PM4) in red, overwritten by filing endorsement, and London datestamp (30.9). Photo

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