Merut HG 5

1839

India: 1839 (Sept. 19) entire (a few faults, crosswritten affected by staining) to Dunse (Scotland) with “DUBLIN/Ship Letter” at right and reverse with framed “MEERUT” datestamp (Giles type 5; date in manuscript), framed Calcutta G.P.O. Ship letter datestamp, Dublin diamond-shaped datestamp and Edinburgh c.d.s. Contents by an Officer Brown at the Meerut Garrison with reference to the Earl of Dalhousie (later Governor-General of India), ongoing campaign in Afghanistan and the rebellions of some local rajahs that were causing difficulties for the British troops. Photo.

9 August 1839

Postal cover from merut (n-w-provinces), bearing HG 5 handstamp in Red. Dated 9 August 1839. Scarce example of postal history from this office.

31 August 1839

India 1839 Pre-stamp Entire from Meerut to Saugor, boxed MEERUT 31 Aug 1839 Paid 9as in red, addressed to Major General Sir T. Aubreey KCB, fragile but scarce early military correspondence

1840

AFGHANISTAN - First Anglo-Afghan War, 1840 Folded Letter from Major General Elphinstone. Folded cover (missing inner sheet) with manuscript "8th July 1840" date at bottom left addressed to London, written in the hand of Major General Elphinstone, entering the mails with framed "Meerut Paid" handstamp (Giles 5) with manuscript "9 July 40, 9as" date and rate added on back, red oval "INDIA" handstamp, London (Sept. 9) arrival datestamp, manuscript "3/6" rate marking, Very Fine, ex Dietrich

8 June 1840

1843 Entire Letter to Scotland via Falmouth with on reverse "MEERUT/ (8 June 40)/Paid 12 as." hs. in orange red. Fine

9 August 1840

India 1840 prestamp commercial cover w/ red oval "INDIA" & red boxed "MEERUT" cachet (Giles #5) via Marseille France to London UK

12 January 1842

1st Afghan War - The journey to retake Kabul The Captain (later Major-General) William Riddell (1805-1875) correspondence to his wife Maggie in Indore. December 1841-September 1842: The extraordinary correspondence (63 entires and 1 letter-sheet) of which this is a large part of the 148 letters found (all except the first were numbered, many with contents already printed in Peter Collins's booklet on this correspondence published by Robson Lowe in 1977) begins with Riddell's letter from Rajwas on 26 Dec 1841 where he starts his journey towards Afghanistan, second entire from Rajwas (each with 'Bearing' handstamp in brown); thence via Tippree with two entires with "Tippree / Paid", entires prepaid from Gwalior, Agra (2), Meerut, Kurnaul, Umballa ("Sir William MacNaghten's murder is not believed...I am certain that the whole force at Cabool will be sacrificed"), prepaid entires from Loodianah, Ferozepore (2), Bearing entires from Camp Chong, Bukrala, near Attock, Peshawar and Camp Kowulsur (4, one stating "The (Khyber) Pass is purchased as far as Ally Musjid but beyond that...") and Camp at Jamrud (3) two with "L.P.O." and Loodianah handstamps; double rate letter from Camp at Ally Musjid ("we fought every inch of the way...the arrangement for purchasing the pass having completely fallen..the sepoys behaved admirably"), letter from Gen. Pollock's Camp, West end of the Gurhee all Beg Valley, another from Dukha opposite Lallpoora and another from Camp Gyrhee with "L.P.O." and Loodianah handstamps stating "Shah Soojah is probably murdered", further entire from General Pollock's Camp near Ally Baghan again via Loodianah (as are nearly all the following entires), entire from Jelalabad with similar markings applied, fully describing the march into the Jelalabad garrison, following cover stating "it is now known that the Barukjee party have got the upper hand at Cabool...", whilst stationed at Jelalabad Riddell suffers from dysentery, 3 Aug 1852 entire stating that the prisoners Capt. Troup and Capt. Lawrence had ridden in to the Camp having been freed by Mahomed Akbar, this and the following letters all now sent via Ferozepore; 30 August entire with superb (for this) "AFIGHANISTAN / Bearing" in black dated and with "10 annas." notation (illustrated in Collins, page 21) ; 5 Sept entire with fine "AFIGHANISTAN / Bearing" in black dated and with "10 annas." notation and boxed Ferozepore below; 9 Sept entire with superb (for this) "AFIGHANISTAN / Bearing" in black dated and with "10 annas." notation and sent via Loodianah, and the famous 15th Sept minute entire with "L.P.O." and framed Loodianah carried at 5 anna rate, sent with General Pollock's despatches, written on the day of the capture of Kabul with fascinating contents (in full in Collins's monograph, the cover illustrated on page 22) "we had to fight our way inch by inch the whole way up the severe ascents and on arriving at the last summit we had the good fortune to capture one of our own 24lb. howitzers taken from the Cabool force and to learn it was against Mahomed Nekbar and his whole strength we had been fighting...Tom (his brother) and I have been mercifully protected by providence and got through one of the severest fights which has ever taken place in Afghanistan". Followed by letters sent during his return written from Camp at Jugdulluck, entires from Jelalabad, Var, Kooar, Paree Wala, Junjattee and Ferozepore (2) all bearing "AFIGHANISTAN / Bearing" handstamps in black (the last in red) with many unusually well struck. An astonishing historic archive collection in superb condition with the letters giving much information of India, the postal system, the War and its personalities. Note: From Peter Collins's monograph the letters offered are: (-), 1, 6-8, 10-16, 18, 22, 26, 31, 33-35, 37, 38, 42-46, 48-53, 56, 70, 71, 73-76, (77a), 78, 85, 87-89, 93, 95, 96, 98, 100, 102, 109, 113, 119, 122-123, 128, 131-132, 136, 138, 142, 145, 148. Provenance: Initial offering of the correspondence was in Robson Lowe, Bournemouth, 5 July 1973 ex lots 1049-1072. Many purchased by Major Adrian Hopkins, Robson Lowe, Zurich, 19 May 1988, ex lots 3307, and collection Horst Dietrich, DF, Geneva, 17 Nov 2003 where further items can be found

6 May 1845

India 1845 Postal History Cover from Meerut (Used later than recorded) to Calcutta, featuring handstuck postage with red 'MEERUT/6 MAY 45' and 'G.P.O./1845 MAY 15' postmarks, plus large boxed cachet.

15 May 1845

Postal cover from merut (n-w-provinces), bearing HG 5 handstamp in Red. Dated 15 May 1845. Scarce example of postal history from this office.

Postal cover from merut (n-w-provinces), bearing HG 5 handstamp in Red. Scarce example of postal history from this office.