3 June 1816 Tumlook MN 1 Cover

3 June 1816

1816 Tumlook – Bath entire letter via Cape route, with "তামালুক" (written as Tamaluk for Tumlook) dispatch manuscript stamp in contemporary Bengali, date "3d June 1816" and "Post Pd rate 4As" (comprising 2A Tamlook – Calcutta inland postage plus 2A outgoing ship charges for letter not exceeding 1 Sicca Weight) বেথ ইঙ্গলেন্ড – ৷৹ (in Bengali the destination Bath, England, and 4As in fractional currency system) applied in manuscript, upon reaching Calcutta GPO Giles G2 "G.P.O./JUNE 4/180x" applied twice and Giles SD6 "CALCUTTA/POST NOT PAID" (as sent bearing from India) transit mark dated "4th June 1816" applied, it was carried by a private vessel (non-packet) to UK via Cape of Good Hope, entered via Liverpool port & there "LIVERPOOL/SHIP LETTER" transit mark applied, there receiving clerk initially rated the postage at 1/7 pence (1 shilling, 7 pence, comprised the standard 8d non-packet Ship Letter fee as per the Act of 1815 plus an 11d inland postage, based on an estimated direct distance of 170–230 miles to Bath) but as the mail coach route deviated through Huntingdon (“HUNTINGDON/59” provincial mileage mark applied), the actual transit distance exceeded 230 miles. The inland rate was reassessed to the higher 230–300 mile tier (12d). The original "1/7" manuscript was struck through, and the correct "1/8" (8d ship + 12d inland) applied by manuscript, at the destination double ring "F/1 JA 1/1817" CDS delivery mark applied & bearing postage was collected from the recipient. This vernacular (Bengali) manuscript stamp dated 3rd June 1816 proves the existence of Tamlook PO much earlier than the first recoded hand stamp HG 1 of 1837.