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Auction: 17025 - Bermuda, Crossroads of the Atlantic: A Postal History from 1617 to 1877 - The David Pitts Collection
Lot: 119

(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 4, July 1854-December 1867
At this time Cunard stopped at Halifax on its bi-weekly run to New York, its bi-weekly service to Boston stopped at Halifax on the return trip only. Therefore, Bermuda received its mail by Cunard steamer from Halifax only once a month. Depending on the connection, mail on the "regular" New York-bound trip arrived in about 18 days while mail brought by the "intermediate" Boston-bound trip had to wait two weeks at Halifax and took 33 days.
The "regular" route was G.B.-Halifax-Bermuda-St. Thomas-Bermuda-Halifax-G.B.
The "intermediate" route was G.B.-Boston-Halifax-Bermuda-Halifax-G.B.
There was no direct organised service from the United States to Bermuda from 1854 until 1868. Mail was carried on an ad hoc basis from New York depending on availability. Some was carried through Halifax or St. Thomas. Direct services began on a private contract basis in 1868.
Route 4 North of Bermuda not involving St. Thomas
Mail Between Bermuda and England
1856 (1 June, docket) officer's envelope from Bermuda to Canterbury, per Marlin to Halifax and thence per America from Boston to Liverpool, bearing G.B. 1d. Stars strip of six, MG-NL, cancelled with oval of bars at the Chief Office, the reverse with London "ship letter" handstamp alongside London (12.7) and Canterbury (12.7) datestamps; envelope with a couple of small imperfections though one of only six known covers from Bermuda paid with a strip of six Great Britain 1d. adhesives. Photo


provenance:
Sir Henry Tucker, October 1978

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Estimate
£1,500 to £2,000