COV-2153
5 November 1839 Gowahaty Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Santosh MS
Date
5 November 1839
Description
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.
Provenance
Santosh MS Dr. Sita Bhateja
Same office
Other recorded marks at Gowahaty
5 marks5 other pre-1854 postal markings of Gowahaty are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
About this Gowahaty pre stamp cover
COV-2153 is a Gowahaty pre stamp cover of 5 November 1839 bearing the Gowahaty HG 3 handstamp, struck in red, recorded in the census of Gowahaty postal history — the office known today as Guwahati, Bengal Presidency. What is a pre stamp cover?
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.
Santosh MS Dr. Sita Bhateja
1 image of COV-2153 is recorded (front); the Gowahaty HG 3 mark itself is recorded in use 1839–1854.
Questions about COV-2153
- What is COV-2153?
- COV-2153 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Gowahaty, Bengal Presidency of 5 November 1839, bearing the Gowahaty HG 3 handstamp in red. 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.
- How scarce is the Gowahaty HG 3 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Gowahaty HG 3 as scarce, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1839–1854.
- What is the provenance of COV-2153?
- Santosh MS Dr. Sita Bhateja
- When was COV-2153 posted?
- COV-2153 is dated 5 November 1839, within the recorded period of use of Gowahaty HG 3 (1839–1854).
About this record
This 5 November 1839 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Gowahaty HG 3 handstamp of the Bengal Presidency, a mark graded “Scarce” in this census — one of 7 surviving covers with this mark recorded.