1859 GB Ship Letter Rate of 4d ?

Rates in general and questions on particular covers.
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leamphil
Posts: 56
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:00 pm

1859 GB Ship Letter Rate of 4d ?

Post by leamphil »

I have encountered a Bristol Ship Letter whose rate I cannot explain.

I understand that after 1840 incoming Ship Letters were charged 8d, including postage to their destination (subject to a weight limit).

The wrapper (image attached) is from Oporto to Bristol in October 1859 and initially gets a rate of 6d which is then changed to 4d.

The letter is addressed to Harveys in Bristol.

Is there a reduction in the 8d rate if the letter's destination is local to the port ?

Potentially confusing, earlier in 1859 rates were agreed to Portugal of either 4d (Peninsular Packet or private ship) or 6d (via France). I assume that this is irrelevant to the rate for mail from Portugal.
Attachments
Wrapper from Oporto, Portugal to Bristol with a sans-serif “BRISTOL / SHIP-LETTER” handstamp<br />(49x12 mm, Robertson S12, in use 1856-1866 &amp; 1904-1913), and a “BRISTOL”  double-arc receiving mark <br />dated 20th October 1859.  Manuscript filing date of 26th September 1859.<br />Manuscript “Ship letter p Alarm”.  Manuscript “6” crossed out and replaced with “4” for postage.
Wrapper from Oporto, Portugal to Bristol with a sans-serif “BRISTOL / SHIP-LETTER” handstamp
(49x12 mm, Robertson S12, in use 1856-1866 & 1904-1913), and a “BRISTOL” double-arc receiving mark
dated 20th October 1859. Manuscript filing date of 26th September 1859.
Manuscript “Ship letter p Alarm”. Manuscript “6” crossed out and replaced with “4” for postage.
Winston W
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Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 6:00 pm
Location: East Anglia

Re: 1859 GB Ship Letter Rate of 4d ?

Post by Winston W »

Nick,

Postal History collectors are so used to the 8d ship letter rate that it is easy to forget that postal treaties after 1840 could change that rate. This is one of them.

Have a look at clause seven of the 1859 Anglo-Portuguese convention that you can see here:-
https://www.gbps.org.uk/information/sou ... 07-01b.pdf
and you will see the answer should be 8d applied from 1 July 1859, whether to port of entry or beyond.

So I think that an incorrect rate was charged, with confusion arising from the treaty that had been in force for only three months that had a 4d rate for outgoing ship letters (clause six).
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leamphil
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Re: 1859 GB Ship Letter Rate of 4d ?

Post by leamphil »

I agree that it is possibly an error by the clerk - but I couldn't spot the bit in the Anglo-Portugese Convention clause 7 that said "whether to port of entry or beyond" ??
... maybe I have convention-blindness !
Winston W
Posts: 113
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 6:00 pm
Location: East Anglia

Re: 1859 GB Ship Letter Rate of 4d ?

Post by Winston W »

The Convention Clause 7 only refers to the United Kingdom. It is silent as to where in the United Kingdom the letter is going. So my interpretation, answering a query you had, is that means "whether to port of entry or beyond".
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