Help Please With 1827 Cover From UK To US Naval Officer

Postmarked Annapolis MD. Would someone be kind enough to explain the rate and if possible, the postmaster's marking? Unfortunately the black blob is firmly affixed to the cover and is torn where someone tried to remove it. The year date is written in pencil on the inside of the cover.

might want to post this on Richard Frajola's message board. Lot of folks on there who could answer this question.

Thanks but I'm skeered to post over there Hopefully I'll get lucky and someone here will be able to help.

I don't have the expertise to explain the postal markings, etc., from that era (1827), but the communication from the UK to the US from that period makes perfect sense, given the biography of (Major) Carleton Walker (1777-1840) as described in the link below:

http://ncpedia.org/biography/walker-carleton

Thank you so much for that link! What an interesting person. Paymaster in the War of 1812, three wives, several lost fortunes, lots of intrigue. His family lived in Wooler, so everything fits perfectly.

I have a feeling the Annapolis postmark may be something special.

Posted in Wooler and costed at 2 shillings and three pence.
On arrival it gained the twenty and three quarters (two cents ship fee plus eighteen and three quarters inland fee)

Thank you scotzm - much appreciated!

The route taken by this 1827 letter was very probably from Falmouth, England to Bermuda then transferred to another ship going to Annapolis and getting the 20 and 3/4 cents charge made up of 2 cents (ship fee) and 18 and 3/4 cents inland fee (for letters going 151-400 miles inland).

Thanks once again scotzm for the additional information - I now understand how the rate was calculated. Posters such as yourself make this the most helpful stamp forum on the net!

...and that letter is probably quite very rare. As far as I can tell there are only another 10 existing from that route. Probably carried from Bermuda to Anapolis by Cunard packet ship "Susan" or "Emily".

Rare? My favorite word

With your excellent information, I was able to research further and found some interesting info about the routing on the Schuyler Rumsey auction site:

Since the British Falmouth packet service to New York was suspended in late 1826, letters for America in 1827 were put off at Bermuda, where a Cunard sailing packet was contracted to carry them to Annapolis, Maryland, where they entered the U.S. mail system. This letter was carried on the first of only nine monthly voyages to Annapolis before the British Government ended the service. About 1,200 letters were landed on each voyage.

The above is from Rumsey's description of a similar cover which was auctioned last year and which realized $4,500 This is the rest of the description and a scan of that cover:

1827 (Jan. 7) Eastbourn, England to New York, N.Y., folded letter with "Eastborne" backstamp and red manuscript "2/3" 2s3d rating for prepaid packet fee, London (1.9) d.s., carried by Falmouth Packet Redpole from Falmouth Jan. 11 to Bermuda arriving Mar. 3, then Cunard Sailing Packet Susan to Annapolis arriving Mar. 18, red "Annaps. Md. Mar 19" cds with matching "Ship" h.s. and "20¾" due rating, Very Fine, the first of only nine monthly voyages to Annapolis, a very rare British packet service cover. One of four covers recorded from this voyage of the 10 covers known from all voyages.
Estimate $500 - 750.



Of course mine has condition issues with the black blob/tear underneath, but maybe it's the only one known from the July voyage? Either way, I'm smiling quite a bit right now. Other similar covers in this sale sold for around $1,000.

http://www.rumseyauctions.com/aucti...hapter/50/23

EDIT: I found the ship that carried my cover! It sailed on the Packet Brig Emily which departed Falmouth on June 10,1827, arriving Bermuda on July 19, 1827 and then arriving Annapolis on July 20, 1827.

http://www.rfrajola.com/Mercury/Bri...ailboats.pdf

Thank you so much once again for taking the time to answer my query.

Close....but I think you will find it was the HMS Rinaldo which took the letter across to Bermuda. The "Emily" was used only for the trip to Annapolis.

Bermuda to Annapolis in 1 day on a Sailing ship seems rather quick...

Should be July 10th not 19th...

Ooops yes of course. I misread/mistyped it

Looking again at the "blob", I'd say it was sealing wax transferred from another letter during transit or storage. The black wax is indicative of a mourning seal. In theory it might break up if flexed enough and cold enough.... but as the cover is only one of eleven known to exist I'd be reticent to attempt removal but at least it could be said that the "blob" is probably contemporary and should not detract too much.