4 May 1838 Waghorn Sidebottom 3 Cover

4 May 1838

EGYPT, 1838, May 4, Calcutta, India to La Havre, France via Thomas Waghorn's Overland Route thru Egypt. Folded cover with red boxed Calcutta May 4, 1838 datestamp on reverse to La Havre, France, manuscript "par L'Egypte" directive, cover receiving "Care of Mr. Waghorn Suez" oval handstamp on flap (Sidebottom Ty. 3), red boxed "India", boxed "Indes Orien par Alexandrie", red oval "Paquebots de la Mediterranee" and "Purifie au Lazaret, Malte" handstamps, couple disinfection slits, Alexandria transit and arrival datestamps, cover with one internal flap missing VERY FINE STRIKE OF THE RARE AND DESIRABLE "CARE OF MR. WAGHORN SUEZ" HANDSTAMP GOING WESTBOUND FROM INDIA TO FRANCE. Thomas Waghorn is credited for developing a new route for mail to travel from Great Britain to their increasingly important empire in India. His service aimed to provide an express mail service - reducing transit times by nearly two thirds by transporting mail Overland thru Egypt rather than sailing around Cape of Good Hope. Between 1835-1837, with mail directed to him by the British Post Office, he conveyed mail, people and goods by this route. Major setbacks, including new competition set up by the British Post Office, eventually saw his downfall.