21 December 1840 Waghorn Sidebottom 9 Cover

21 December 1840

1840, "MADRAS NO. 18/CARE OF MR. WAGHORN/SUEZ" (Sidebottom 9; Smith 9). Clear strike of three-line handstamp with "18" in manuscript on folded letter with highly detailed financial tables, datelined Madras Dec. 21, 1840 and addressed to Colonel de Havilland in Guernsey, two different Madras Dec. 21, 1840 despatch and London transit datestamps, red "INDIA" oval handstamp, minor mended tear on top flap VERY FINE. ONE OF THE RAREST THOMAS WAGHORN HANDSTAMPS, OF WHICH ONLY FIVE ARE RECORDED. THIS IS THE LATEST RECORDED EXAMPLE AND TO A RARE DESTINATION. Sidebottom was evidently unaware of this cover when his book was written, as he notes Madras Nos. 13, 19, and 21, but not this No. 18. Smith records four examples, which we presume includes this cover, but it is not noted as the latest example. Smith notes dates between Dec. 21, 1839, and Dec. 18, 1840, but his Dec. 21 date could be based on the cover offered here, which was sent in 1840, not 1839. There is one other example in the Heddergott collection (No. 34). Apart from the handstamp type, we know of no other Waghorn cover addressed to Guernsey. The recipient, Lieut. Col. Thomas Fiott de Havilland (1775-1866), was a decorated British army officer who was imprisoned by the French in Egypt in 1801. He served as the Madras Presidency engineer and a member of Guernsey's legislature. In 1823 he returned from India to Guernsey, where he was born, and settled on an estate, which is today the largest privately owned estate on the island.

"Magnolia"