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Auction: 17025 - Bermuda, Crossroads of the Atlantic: A Postal History from 1617 to 1877 - The David Pitts Collection
Lot: 145

(x) Packet Letters
The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, 1842-1850
The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was formed to take advantage of faster communications offered by steam power, initially for the West Indies though including a few Mexican ports. In 1847, as trade with Mexico increased, additional routes to the western Caribbean and east coast of Mexico were added. There were two contracts with the RMSP involving stops at Bermuda between 1854 and 1850. After 1 August 1850, RMSP ceased stopping at Bermuda, and Cunard's Halifax route became the principal one from Bermuda. There were four routes during the first contract and three during the second
First Contract
Route 1, 1 January 1840-12 September 1842
While the contract was initiated in 1840 it took almost two years to build the ships and therefore the first trip to carry mail was in January 1842. The route was Falmouth-Barbados-St. Vincent-Grenada-St. Thomas-Nassau-Bermuda-Falmouth, bi-weekly on the 2nd. and 16th. of each month
1842 (15 Jan.) entire letter from London to Messrs. Astwood and Burgess, from Falmouth "Via West Indies p Royal Mail Steamer Dee", per Clyde to St. Thomas and per Thames to Bermuda, rated "1/-" (postage) and "1/3" (postage + 3d. internal = 1/3d. due) and with despatch datestamp on reverse. A rare cover carried on the first trip to Bermuda by RMSP. Photo

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