The History of the Postmarks of the British Isles from 1840 to 1876 - John Hendy (1909)

CHAPTER VII.
FOREIGN BRANCH.
In April, 1840, the Foreign Letter Office, which had hitherto been separate and independent,
was consoHdated with the Inland Office. The duty of opening and dispatching
foreign mails was performed by the general body of clerks ; all inward foreign mails were
opened, and the letters, which between 1840 and i860 in nearly every instance reached
this country with postage unpaid, were taxed with the postage due upon them. The
duty of taxing was a very difficult one, as the rates varied so much in the different countries
; for instance, in 1848, for letters not exceeding \ ounce the postage was to or
from—Africa, 8d. ; China via Marseilles, is. lod., via Southampton, is. ; Egypt, is. 8d. ;
Java, IS. ; Gibraltar, is. ; Vigo, 2s. 2d. ; Brazil, 2s. gd. ; Monte Video, 2s. 7d. ; ChiH, 2s. ;
France, lod., and Holland, is. The rates of postage between the Mother Country and
the various Colonies varied between 8d. and is., according to whether the letter happened
to be conveyed by a private ship or a regular packet. In many cases these charges only
meant the sea-rate, and the inland rate had to be added ; in other cases heavy transit
rates had to be accounted for.
A convention was signed in London on the 15th December, 1848, between Great
Britain and the United States, for an improvement in communication by post between
their respective territories. Under Article V of this convention the United States
granted the transit through their territory for closed mails, accompanied by a British
officer.
When these mails reached New York they were forwarded by the first Packet
All letters reaching London by
Boat (either Enghsh or American) sailing for England.
these mails were impressed with stamps to distinguish whether conveyed by British
(Cunard) or United States (Collins) Packets (Figs. 303, 304).
A RT-5 A RT- 5
B R Pkt us PKT
Fig. 303. Fig. 304.
Under Article XII single-rate letters from foreign countries, passing through the
United Kingdom for the United States, were liable to a transit rate according to weight,
and were postmarked as in Fig. 305.
5
^^N-^^
Fig. 305. Used in red; various amounts indicate
what is claimed or allowed upon Letters for the
United States of America.
Towards the end of 1851 a popular demand arose for a low rate of transmarine
postage—" Ocean Penny Postage" with the Colonies. The proposed measure was not
adopted, but early in 1853 the Lords of the Treasury gave their authority for a uniform
sixpenny rate to be established with any of the Colonies who were desirous of joining in
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