1764 Scottish Cover

I don't usually post in this topic area because I don't collect world covers. But I was at an estate auction today (lots of stamps and lots of bidders!) and saw this 1764 stampless cover from Scotland. No bids so I jumped in and got it for (I think) a steal!

I think it will also be of interest to our fellow member duncanvr in Australia because I believe it is addressed to an ancestor of his that he's posted about before.

https://goscf.com/t/21856&whichpage...yth,scotland

It is a single sheet (folded over - 2+ pages) letter dated February 2 of that year and bears on the back what I believe is called a bishop's cancel or mark (correct me if I'm wrong, experts) which looks like it read 2/FE









It is addressed to James Smyth Esq.
Writer to the(?) signet in Edinburgh.

The writer is William Kenloch in London.

One day I'll try to decipher the beautiful script that's inside.
Any other information that you folks can give would be much appreciated. For example, what would the postal rate be? As you can see it says 'single' and a big swirl.
Thoughts?

Jamesw, that is a very nice pre-stamp cover. I have a few and the postmark is a "Bishop Mark". The style of mark you have was in use until 1787. The rate charged for letters during this era was based upon the distance travelled. I checked my Stanley Gibbons Collect British Postmarks (8th edition) and it states that in 1765 the rate for a letter from London to Edinburg was 6p so that number on the front of the cover is a "6". This rate is for a single page letter. If it contained two sheets, the rate would double.
Mike

Oh WOW James that's awesome! Great find!

Hi Jamesw

The Signet was a library in Scotland. I do not know when it was closed and dispersed, but all its books had beautiful amorial insignia embossed in gold on the front and back covers.

At one time there was a fire in the library and many works were destroyed.

This one is the Works of Cassidorius, who was an ancient Roman Senator and wrote the worlds dictionary.
This one is from my private library. It is vellum bound and dated 1650

Regards
Horamakhet

The Society of Writers to Her Majesty's Signet is a Scottish legal society and its members are "Writers to the Signet". You often see old Scottish covers with "Writer to the Signet" or "WS" after the name of the addressee.

Here's a Wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writers_to_the_Signet

and here's the Society's web site:

http://www.thewssociety.co.uk/index.asp

It does have a very fine library (The Signet Library) but it's named for the society rather than the other way round.

This is how the Society describes itself:

"The WS Society is Scotland's independent association for lawyers and one of the oldest professional bodies in the world with over 500 years of history. Today the Society supports the latest generation of lawyers and legal businesses, with professional support lawyer (PSL) and research services, training, accreditation, networking and events.

The Society's home, The Signet Library, is the iconic building for Scottish solicitors, adjacent to Scotland's Supreme Courts complex. It is a superb facility for working and an outstanding venue for corporate and social events."

and here's a little about its origins:

"Originally, the Signet was the private seal of the early Scottish Kings, and the Writers to the Signet were those authorised to supervise its use and, later, to act as clerks to the Courts. The earliest recorded use of the Signet was in 1369, and Writers to the Signet were included as members of the College of Justice when it was established in 1532, but the Society did not take definite shape until 1594, when the King's Secretary, as Keeper of the Signet, granted Commissions to a Deputy Keeper and eighteen other writers."

Hi Nigelc
I am perplexed.
The armorial bearings that I have shown are different to those in your links.
Also the book I own specifically calls it "The Society of Writers to the Signet"
The articles refer to it as HM society etc.
I think that perhaps we are discussing two different "Signets" as the armorial bearing on the book is quite elaborate, and I have seen others with the same armorial.
Very Puzzling, perhaps some-one can shed a light on why the present day society has different a different armorial and calls itself by a different name.
Horamakhet

Hi Horamakhet,

It's the same society. You are just seeing different ways of referring to it.

The arms in gold within the name of the Society are the UK royal arms used in Scotland from 1801 to 1816.

Here's an online scanned history of the society:

http://www.archive.org/stream/histo...ich_djvu.txt

This lists all the members from 1594 to 1890. It also uses the full title including again "Her Majesty's" (as Queen Victoria was on the throne at the time).

If the letter is from 1764 then the addressee was James Smyth of Balhaery, who was admitted to the society on 5th April 1742 and died in 1781.

mhc99 seems to have answered the relevant points.

An Edinburgh Bishop Mark, incidentally, would have the month above the day FE/2 unlike the London one on the cover 2/FE.

Strange fact #23... Letters to England from Scotland before the year 1752 often seemed to have been received before they were written. This was due to Scotland having adopted the new calendar in 1600 but England not until 1752.