Falmouth Packet Rates

Rates in general and questions on particular covers.
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oyabu50
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:38 pm

Falmouth Packet Rates

Post by oyabu50 »

Could someone with good knowlege about the packet postage for the Falmouth service explain some facts related to actual charge for letters addressed to Madeira prior to the 1808 Act 48 George III cap 116? (The latter lists postage to 1/6 for SL.) I have a letter dated 1790, also charged 1/6 in mss, but I have never seen any specific Act covering Madeira specifically prior to 1808. As far as I know, e earlier Act (1710) only states a general charge of 1/6 for mail between London,Spain or Portugal by Packet Boats . Did the Portugal packet also call Madeira on the roundtrip from Falmouth? Or was indeed the mail carried domestically from Lisbon .
The letter is struck with "FALMOUTH;o" handstamp , but with no reference to name of vessel or actual port(s) of call. Further, in addition to the mss "1/6," an extra endorsement in mss.reads "to pay 1/2" . This is different from the normal "40" as I've seen on other similar letters .
Finally; since the port of Madeira had a large export of wine to North America and UK, would it be normal for the Halifax or West Indies bound packets to call Madeira on way out or home?
All informatioin would be appreaciated.
Kind regards
Oyabu50
Winston W
Posts: 113
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 6:00 pm
Location: East Anglia

Re: Falmouth Packet Rates

Post by Winston W »

Oyabu50

I’m not sure if you are trying to ascertain where your letter was from or have forgotten to tell us.

On your first query, I can’t currently answer. However I am due to receive the British Post Office’s “Notices to the Public” from 1782 to beyond 1790 this month (but from abroad, so no telling when that will actually arrive) which might have an answer.

As regards your last query, John Olenkiewicz’s Falmouth packet sailings listings stop showing the West Indies packet going via Madeira (on the way out from Falmouth) in 1780 & the Halifax packet by the mid-1780’s. But I don’t know if they actually stopped going via Falmouth for a while or wars etc prevented Olenkiewicz from ascertaining some stopping points.
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