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

CHAPTER IX.
SHIP LETTERS.
So long as the sea service was performed by sailing-vessels, no great disadvantage was
found in forwarding letters by private ships ; for although the regular mail packets
started on their passage on a given day, no one could predict what the duration of the
voyage would be. But the introduction of steam-vessels, such as the Sirius and the
Great Western^ on long-distance voyages, revolutionized mail traffic between Great
Britain and America. The Sirius^ on her first trip, starting on the 31st March, 1838,
only carried a ship-letter mail of 352 letters and eighty-seven newspapers ; but as soon
as it was proved that steam-vessels could cross the Atlantic with safety and regularity,
the number of letters carried ran into many thousands instead of hundreds. The
Great Western, leaving Bristol in January, 1839, carried a ship-letter mail of 3548
letters. The gratuity payable to the master of such vessels was twopence for each
letter, and a penny for each newspaper. Only letters received by private vessels were
impressed with the Ship-Letter stamp of the office, shown in Figs. 396-401, and if the
SOUTHHAMPTON
SHIP-LETTER
Fig. 396.
BRISTOL
SHIP-LETTER
Fig. 397.
LIVERPOOL
V 5 H I P >
GLASGOW
17AU&184:0
SHIP LETTER
Fig. 398. Fig. 399.
LlVEflPOOI-
5HIP LETTER
m. dealL
•
SHIPLETTEH
Figs. 400, 401. In Hack.
Ship-Letter stamp bore no date, the letter was impressed with the date-stamp of the
office also.
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