Description:

INWARDS MAIL: 1847 (Sep.28) stampless entire letter from Worcestershire with 'UPTON-ON-SEVERN/SP9/1847' b/s & 'WORCESTER' cds on the face, rated "1/-" in red & with oval 'PAID SHIP LETTER' d/s of London, rounded-boxed 'SHIP LETTER/31JA 1/1848' arrival d/s in black (3rd type), minor blemishes. [The contents of the lengthy personal letter include reporting on the loss of a daughter to smallpox: "the only one of my children who has not been vaccinated...."]



A scarce example of Toulmin Packet mail to Van Diemen's Land: carried per "Alert", departed Gravesend 1/10/1847, arrived Sydney 30/1/1858. Ordinarilly, mail for VDL would have been trans-shipped by coastal vessel from Sydney. However, in this instance, the arrival datestamp of 31/1/1848 indicates that the mail for Van Diemen's Land - & presumably for the Port Phillip District - was off-loaded, probably at Melbourne, making this an even more significant item.