Need ship Information

[mcornes]

I have a really nice domestic postcard H&G5a used internationally. It was mailed Dec 23rd in Margate and arrived in New York 1-1-88. Trying to write up for a show and tell at my local stamp club in Phoenix as this is a bit unusual usage. I have two questions I could use some help on to finish the write up.

1) Does anyone have access to one of those steam ship books to try and find out what boat this may have been used?
2) Does anyone know what the "F" or "E" means in the receiving NY postmark

Thanks in advance
Martin

[admin]

Can't help with the steamship I'm afraid -- possibly there are some online newspaper archives which have a record of ships landing in New York?

US postmarks aren't my area, but I suspect the "F" or "E" may simply be a code to distinguish the handstamp (or its user)? That's what that sort of thing typically was in the UK.

[Mike Jackson]

Martin, following Maurice's suggestion of looking at newspaper archives, Lloyd's List is available on the British Newspaper Archive. Here's a clipping of some vessels departing for New York to give an idea of the advertising on the front page. There's lots of various listings inside. I believe the trip took 7 to 8 days, so to get there by 1 Jan. 1888 the departure date should be about 23/24 Dec. Cunard went every Saturday from Liverpool, so Sat. 24 Dec departure would fit. But I don't know where a card posted in Margate would naturally go to catch a ship. Finding the answer to your query might not be trivial! Best of luck, Mike

[mcornes]

Thanks