Moradabad HG 1

29 March 1815

Anglo-Nepalese War 1815 (March 29): Entire letter endorsed "Service" at top, addressed to Major C. Doyle, Military Secretary at Headquarters, and countersigned at lower left from Lt. H. Dwyer, ADC of the 21st Bengal Native Infantry Regiment at Kashapore, struck with oval framed "MORADABAD / POST FREE" handstamp in black and manuscript dated (March 30). Interesting contents regarding the Campaign (Dwyer was part of Col. Jasper Nicholls' force sent to support Col. Gardner before the key fort of Almora) "we can do nothing by joining Gardner until we get the heavy guns, of which we have not heard anything since we left HQ. but Col. N(icholls) wishes personally to inspect the road... to hasten their passage to Almora" and continues "we hope to induce the Kumaonas to enter the service - they are as averse to clearing their hills as the lowlanders were to enter them...". Almora was taken in April and the whole of Kumaon surrendered to the British. A rare entire that displays well.rnrnNote: The Nepalese had overrun Kumaon in 1791 and taken Almora. The Kumaon area was ceded to the British as part of the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816. It is now part of the state of Uttarakhand in India.rnProvenance: Grosvenor, London, Nov 2005, lot 3234.

2 April 1815

INDIA, Moradabad, 1819, "MORADABAD/POST FREE" Handstamp (Giles 1). Faint but clear oval strike with manuscript "4 Apr. 1815" despatch date on top flap of folded letter from Lt. H. Dwyer datelined "Deoklie 2nd April 1815" , addressed to Major C. S. Doyle in Futtegur, with manuscript "Service" along top, accompanying military letter regarding the Anglo-Nepalese War mentions Col. Nicholls, arrival of Col. Gardner (at "critical point") and Lord Moria, continues with need of "heavy guns", "lack of medical aid", and "I shall endeavor to confine the enemy to their blocks and cut-off their supplies unless a favourable opportunity should present itself of getting possession of any of their posts...," small piece of letter missing due to opening FINE AND RARE STRIKE OF THE MORADABAD POST FREE HANDSTAMP—ONLY FOUR ARE RECORDED BY GILES. A REMARKABLE MILITARY LETTER TO MAJOR DOYLE ABOUT THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND. Ex Giles.

1819

"MORADABAD/POST FREE" Handstamp (Giles 1). Faintly struck but clear oval strike.

29 May 1819

Moradabad: 1819 (29 May) 'bn the service" entire letter to Calcutta showing a good strike of the very rare ovalframed "MORADABAD/POST FREE" (HG 1, four recorded). Fine exhibition item

12 July 1819

1819: H.G.1 : A letter sent in 1819 from an officer, H. Wood to CALCUTTA and on despatch it was endorsed "On the Service"& was stamped with a black previously unrecorded "MORADABAD / POST FREE" despatch mark. The cover was countersigned by the writer to certify the free postage entitlement. Since the discovery of this example, two more covers have been found with the same stamp in 1976, but no others.