5 November 1839 Waghorn Sidebottom 3a Cover

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.

Santosh MS Dr. Sita Bhateja