Gowahaty HG 3

5 November 1839

1839 Gowahutty – Cornwall entire via Bombay & overland route, with Gauhatty Giles 3 "GOWAHUTTY/Paid" despatch handstamp, date "5 Nov. 1839" & rate "8as" (Gauhatty–Calcutta single letter inland postage) applied in manuscript, addressed to Messrs Canton & Co. at Calcutta. There, Giles G14 "GPO/1839 Nov 9" receipt & "PM" delivery time mark applied. The agent applied their mark "FORWARDED BY/CANTON & Co./CALCUTTA" & paid the Egyptian transit fee of 1 rupee as a single letter (under ½ oz.) and registered this letter with Waghorn's agent at Calcutta. They applied Sidebottom Type 3a "Care of /Mr. T. Waghorn /Suez." mark and registration No. "488", as well as "1/" indicating 1 rupee, with the agent's signature applied in manuscript. They then posted this letter at the GPO in the usual manner. There, Giles SD13 "STEAM POSTAGE/INLAND DO/TOTAL" despatch & SD16 "INDIA" (port transit) mark applied, rate "9" (9A British steam postage up to Suez) & "14" (14A double letter Calcutta–Bombay inland postage, as between ¼–1 tolah wt.), total "1–7" (total 1R7A) paid by the agent Canton & Co. & applied in manuscript. From Bombay it was sent to Suez via the EIC steamer BERENICE, travelled overland to Alexandria with Mr. Waghorn's couriers, from there sent to Malta via H.M.'s packet BLAZER, then sent to Marseilles via H.M.'s packet MAGEARA, and travelled to London via France. There, "II/9 JA 9/1840" receipt mark & "LONDON/9/JAN/1840" double-ring despatch mark applied, finally delivered at Cornwall & bearing "2/6" (single letter India–UK uniform rate via Marseilles comprising 1s 10d British + 10d French postage, as under ¼ oz.) collected from the recipient.

14 November 1840

SCARCE EXPRESS LETTER CARE OF AN AGENT; 14 Nov. 1840 EL (datelined a week earlier 'on a brach of the Brahmaputra [river]....') to England care of a forwarding agent in Calcutta, endorsed 'p Overland mail/Express' at top with an oval "FORWARDED BY/CANTOR & Co" /CALCUTTA" and framed "INDIA" h.s. in red on front. Rear with framed "GOWHATTI/[DATE]Paid" d.s., Calcutta Steam. Contents (partially transcribed) by Captain F.Jenkins 47th Bengal Native Infantry ".....I am company with one of my junior assts......navigating up....that branch of the Brahmaputra.....passing....Nowgong....." Early & unusual example of express mail. Cross Reference: EXPRESS MAIL, FORWARDING AGENTS, INCOMING OVERSEAS MAIL, REDIRECTED MAIL

1851

1851 GOWAHUTTY FREE oval Unrecorded and alongside GOWAHUTTY Paid Giles 3 on folded letter to Nowgong, Assam

1853

1853 (Feb) Tiny cover with contents sent to Ireland from Gowahutty (Giles 3). Other indistinct marks.

13 March 1854

A letter despatched in March 1854 with the "GOWAHUTTY/Paid" mark showing 6 annas paid to Calcutta. This appears wrong, as the distance from Gowahutty to Calcutta was 502 miles, for which the single rateo? postage 3as 4 annas, and 8 annas double. It seems that the post office clerk ignored the extra 2 miles over 500, to reduce the postage to 3 annas for a single letter and 6 annas for double. On arroval at Calcutta, the letter was stamped "CALCUTTA/G.P.O./ SHIP LETTER/13 March 1854" and placed on board the P.& O."Oriental" "Oriental" The red recuatgular framed "INDIA" was marked on the front to show it was to be routed via the Red Sea

This letter was despatched under the "GOWAHUTTY/Paid" stamp, with posta ge of 1 Rupee, to cover the inland transit to Bombay via Calcutta (1685 miles) When the letter reached the Calcutta GPO, it was stamped with the "CALCUTTA G.P.O./SHIP LETTER/Date" mark, but as it was to go to Bombay for shipment on a Government Steamer, it should have been marked with the "CALCUTTA / STEAM LETTER" stamp. However, on arrival at Bombay, it received the red oval "INDIA" mark, and was despatched on the E.I.C.Steamer "ZENOBIA".