Horatio Hardy MN 1

1824

1824 London – Calcutta – Goruckpoor – Cawnpore entire via Cape route, received from the sender & forwarded to Calcutta by Horatio Hardy of Jerusalem Coffee House (London), privately carried & offloaded at Kedgree harbor via Cape route, sent to Calcutta from Kedgree & there Giles G6 "CALCUTTA/29 MAY 29/1825/GENERAL POST OFFICE" receipt along with Calcutta SR9 "Inld Ptg/Ship Do" hand stamp applied, single letter rate "5+2" applied & obliterated as it was a double letter "10+4" (total 14A, comprising 10A double letter inland postage to Calcutta & 4A double letter ship postage, as exceeds 1 Tolah but under 2 Tolah wt.) bearing postage applied in manuscript, which was paid by the agent Messrs Mackintosh & Co. at Calcutta. They forwarded the letter to recipient Hezekiah Clark at Goruckpoor & paid 1R6A inland postage for that as well & at GPO Giles 15a "GPO/MAY/Pt Pd" dispatch hand stamp applied, date "30.25" & rate "1R 6as" (paid 22A double letter inland postage to Goruckpoor from Calcutta) applied in manuscript. As the recipient was at Cawnpore, the letter was redirected there & for that Goruckpoor Giles 1 "GORUCKPOOR/18../POST OFFICE" dispatch hand stamp with rate "Bg from Goruckpoor 8a" (double letter inland postage from Goruckpoor to Cawnpore, written on front side) applied in manuscript. Finally delivered at Cawnpore & bearing postage of 8A collected from the recipient.

1824

** RARE "HORATIO HARDY" SIGNED (FORWARDED FROM LONDON's JERUSALEM COFFEE HOUSE) COVER TO INDIA; 5 Jan. 1824 EL (small tears; cross-written contents, datelined at Peckham, addressed to Hezekiah Clark [1792-1868]) ex London to Calcutta [from the Jerusalem Coffee House signed by its famous proprietor in London] with the distinctive flourished "Horatio Hardy" Forwarding Agent's signature on the top flap; forwarded by another Agent (Messrs Mackintosh & Co.) from Calcutta to "Guruhkpore" with "Inld Ptge/Ship/Do" (Giles type G5) and "CALCUTTA/4 MAY/1824/GENL POST OFFICE" (Giles type G5) arrival cds on rear. Hardy was proprietor of the famous Jerusalem Coffee House from c.1815 - 1840, but his signed Forwarded letters (always to India) are only recorded occasionally from 1823 to 1837. In his way he was as important a character in Anglo-Indian Postal History as Thomas Waghorn. We have only recorded six other "Horatio Hardy" covers. Similar 1833/37 examples were sold by us for £2600 or £2400 in our Sept. 2009 sale. Exhibition Item. 2019 BPA Cert. Cross Reference: FORWARDING AGENTS, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS

3 January 1824

India, 1824, Horatio Hardy Signed Forwarder Cover to India. Long folded letter datelined "Highfield, Southampton, 3rd January 1824" and addressed to "H Clark Esqre, Civil Surgeon, Gorruckpoor, to the care of Messrs. Mackintosh, Calcutta", signed on top flap "Horatio Hardy, 5 Jany 1824" in his distinctive handwriting, Calcutta (May 4) arrival backstamp and ship rate receipt handstamp, manuscript "Recd 18th May 1824" receipt docketing, cover with somewhat heavy overall soiling, fragile interior folds with splitting, staining caused by strengthening along top fold FINE. A RARE COVER WITH THE SIGNATURE OF MAIL FORWARDER HORATIO HARDY, SENT FROM SOUTHAMPTON VIA LONDON AND CALCUTTA TO GORUCKPORE. LESS THAN A DOZEN EXAMPLES ARE THOUGHT TO EXIST. Horatio Hardy was the well-known proprietor of the Jerusalem Coffee House in Cornhill, London, one of the oldest newsrooms. It was frequented by merchants and sea captains, including many from the East India Company. All of the known covers signed by Hardy--an estimated 7 to 10--are addressed to India between 1823 and 1837.

5 January 1824

1824 (5 Jan) cover signed by HORATIO HARDY and forwarded from the Jeruslaem Coffee House (see India Post 217 for article on the Hardy covers). Comes with a selection of previous auction records for such material.

30 Mar 1824

RARE "HORATIO HARDY" SIGNED (FORWARDED FROM LONDON'S JERUSALEM COFFEE HOUSE) COVER TO INDIA; 30 Mar. 1824 E (side-flaps removed; partial cross-written contents, probably ex Peckham) addressed to Hezekiah Clark [1792-1868; a surgeon of the Bengal Medial Service] although intended for his wife (endorsed at lower left "Mrs. Clark" as was the custom at the time). Sent from London to Calcutta (via the Jerusalem Coffee House; signed by its famous proprietor in London) with the distinctive flourished "Horatio Hardy" Forwarding Agent's signature on the top flap; then forwarded by another Agent (Messrs Mackintosh & Co.) from Calcutta to "Guruckpore" with a fine black handstruck "Inld. Ptge./Ship/Do." (similar to Giles type SR9a) and a partly fine red "CALCUTTA/2 SEPTr. 2/1824/GENL POST OFFICE" (Giles type G5) arrival cds on the reverse. Endorsed as having been "Recd. Septr. 1824" on the front. Hardy was proprietor of the famous Jerusalem Coffee House from c.1815 - 1840, but his signed Forwarded letters (always to India) are only recorded occasionally from 1823 to 1837, and this is a very early example. In his way he was as important a character in Anglo-Indian Postal History as Thomas Waghorn. We have only recorded six other "Horatio Hardy" covers. [The complete cover from this same correspondence in Cavendish's 4 Dec. 2019 auction, lot 748, realised £5,500 + BP]. Exhibition Item with great eye-appeal. Cross Reference: FORWARDING AGENTS, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, LONDON POSTAL HISTORY

28 April 1824

21 November 1827

1827 entire letter from Norwood, Great Britain to Calcutta, India, per forwarding agent Horatio Hardy, signed by him on reverse and dated "21 Nov 1827", handstamped framed "Inld. Ptg.-5/Ship Do-2/(1) As.7" with red "CALCUTTA/G.P.O./27 MY 27/1858" arrival datestamp alongside.

17 January 1828

RARE "HORATIO HARDY" signed (forwarded from the Jerusalem Coffee House) cover to India dt 17 Jan. 1828 forwarded by another Agent from Calcutta to "Goruckpore" (received there 6 June) with only Calcutta arrival backstamps. Hardy was proprietor of the famous Jerusalem Coffee House from c.1815 - 1840, but his signed Forwarded letters (always to India) are only recorded from 1823 to 1828.

1832

1832 Horatio Hardy Signed Forwarder Cover to India. Outer portion of folded letter (missing sides flaps) with Jan. 21, 1832 docketing, addressed to "H. Clarke Esqre, Civil Surgeon H.C.I." in Calcutta, forwarded to final destination, signed on back "Horatio Hardy" in this forwarder's distinctive hand, Calcutta Jul. 22 and Jul. 23 arrival datestamps VERY FINE. A RARE COVER WITH THE SIGNATURE OF MAIL FORWARDER HORATIO HARDY, SENT FROM LONDON TO CALCUTTA AND ONWARD. LESS THAN TEN EXAMPLES ARE KNOWN. Horatio Hardy was the well-known proprietor of the Jerusalem Coffee House in Cornhill, London, one of the oldest newsrooms. It was frequented by merchants and sea captains, including many from the East India Company. All of the known covers signed by Hardy--an estimated 7 to 10--are addressed to India between 1823 and 1837

24 February 1832

25 September 1832

RARE “HORATIO HARDY” SIGNED (FORWARDED FROM LONDON’s JERUSALEM COFFEE HOUSE) COVER TO INDIA; 25 Sept. 1832 E (one side-flap removed; family contents) to Calcutta [from the Jerusalem Coffee House signed by its famous proprietor in London] “Per [Ship] Andromache” with the distinctive flourished “Horatio Hardy” Forwarding Agent’s signature on the top flap; forwarded by another Agent (“Mackintosh & Co.”) from Calcutta to “Patna” with only Calcutta (11 May 1833) arrival backstamps. Hardy was proprietor of the famous Jerusalem Coffee House from c.1815 - 1840, but his signed Forwarded letters (always to India) are only recorded occasionally from 1823 to 1837. In his way he was as important a character in Anglo-Indian Postal History as Thomas Waghorn. We have only recorded six other “Horatio Hardy” covers. [The similar 1828 cover from this same correspondence in Cavendish’s Sept. 2009 auction, lot 1256, realised £805.] Exhibition Item. PHOTO - see inside back cove

18 October 1832

India 1832 incoming stampless entire addressed to H. Clark Esq. dt Oct 18th, 1832 "per Ship Susan" forwarded and signed by Horatio Hardy from UK to Patna, via Calcutta. One of the rarest covers of the pre-stamp era, with Giles CS7 "INLd Ptg 8 Ship Do. 3" receipt and "CALCUTTA / G.P.O." faint red strikes.

5 Oct 1834

1817: H.G. H.G.8: A entire folded sheet from LONDON to PATNA. Postage due till PATNA was 13 annas. Ship postage 3 annas, Inland postage initially 8 annas which was enhance to 10 annas because it was redirected from PATNA to CALCUTTA. The letter was sent to Inspector of Opium, Hon'ble Company's service. This handstamp: HORATIO HARDY's famous signature along with "PATNA/BEARING" in black colour, octagonal box and "Inland Ptg / Ship Do" and "CALCUTTA G.P.O." mark.

10 February 1837

March 1837

1837 Horatio Hardy Signed Forwarder Cover to India. Folded letter datelined Blackheath (London) Feb. 17 and Mar. 27, 1837, addressed to "H. Clarke Esqre, Surgeon 22 Regt N.J." and "to the care of Messrs Turner Stopford & Co., Calcutta", forwarded to Nusseerabad, signed on back "Horatio Hardy" in this forwarder's distinctive hand, Calcutta Jul. 11, 1837 transit and faint Rajpootana (Giles 5) Jul. 27 arrival datestamps, cover with some splitting along folds VERY FINE. A RARE COVER WITH THE SIGNATURE OF MAIL FORWARDER HORATIO HARDY, SENT FROM LONDON TO CALCUTTA AND ONWARD. LESS THAN TEN EXAMPLES ARE KNOWN. Horatio Hardy was the well-known proprietor of the Jerusalem Coffee House in Cornhill, London, one of the oldest newsrooms. It was frequented by merchants and sea captains, including many from the East India Company. All of the known covers signed by Hardy--an estimated 7 to 10--are addressed to India between 1823 and 1837. Ex Manning. With 2015 B.P.A. certificate