Mail from Thorncombe via Chard to Milan, 1831

The entire below was sent from Sadborow Hall, Thorncombe to Milan in May 1831, taking 12 days to arrive.  It first went in the Chard Penny Post (Thorncombe had the "No.1" receiving house handstamp), then in the General Post to London and then via France to Italy.

It was prepaid 2/8d postage which takes a little deciphering.  First there is a charge of 1d for the Chard Penny Post, then a charge of 10d for the around 142 miles from Chard to London.  The charge to Italy via France was 1/1d with a reduction of 2d on the charge from Chard to London, making a total of 2/8d, which is what is marked on the entire (1d + 10d -2d + 1/11d = 2/8d).

To explain the 2d reduction, in January 1817 there was a GPO Notice to All Postmasters "Postmasters are to add to the rates on Foreign Letters made up in London a sum of 2d less than the inland rate from their offices.  On letters sent to Falmouth ... a sum of 1d less than the inland charge".
 

Mail from Australia to Bristol on the Lusitania, 1889

The envelope below went on the RMS (Royal Mail Ship) Lusitania posted on 26th September 1889 and arriving in Bristol on 7th November 1889 (6 weeks).

This was an earlier Lusitania than the one sunk by a German U-boat in May 1915 - this Lusitania was launched in 1871 and wrecked off Nova Scotia on 26th June 1901, as per the newspaper cutting below.

Bristol Foreign Mail - Part 4 - UPU

The first two covers are from 1873, just before the inauguration of the General Postal Union in July 1875, so rates were determined by individual treaties.  The top wrapper was charged 6d from Bristol to Stockholm in April 1873 - the large red 2½ mark would have been an accountancy charge.  The second cover is from Bristol to Canada in September 1873 and is franked with a 3d stamp.  From 6th January 1870 the postal rate was 3d postage paid, with a fine of 3d if posted unpaid (ie. charged 6d).

The Universal Postal Union began as the General Postal Union in July 1875, and took its current name in 1878, although rates could still vary between UPU and non-UPU destinations until 1892.  The top cover to France sent in 1877 paid 2½d while the lower postcard to Cadiz in 1892 went at the 1d international postcard rate.

 

Bristol Foreign Mail, Part 3

 Carrying on, the next letter is from Bristol to New York in January 1863.  The postal rate to the USA was 1/- or 24c per half ounce, so this letter was charged 4/- at the 2 oz rate.  Of the 24c rate, 3c went to UK inland postage, 16c went to whoever was providing the packet service and 5c went for US inland postage.  The red "84/CENTS" handstamp indicates how much of the 4/- postage went to the USA, in this case the packet service was American.

Bristol to Bordeaux in August 1865 was 4d, the red oval "PD" cachet indicates that it was "Paid to the Destination".

Another example of mail to the USA, this time in May 1865.  The letter went on an American Packet so the USA were credited with 21c (16c for the packet transport plus 5c for US inland postage).

Bristol Foreign Mail, Part 2

More foreign mail from Bristol, starting with an entire from Bristol to Bath, Maine in January 1854.  The mail went on a British ship so the USA were credited with 5c for US inland postage.

 

The contents are accounts for the ship.

Another piece of mail to the USA, from Bristol to Concord via Boston in December 1854.  Again it was transported by British Packet, so of the 1/- (= 24c), Britain kept 3c for inland postage plus 16c for the packet transport, while the USA was credited with 5c for US inland postage.  The letter arrived in Boston on Christmas Day 1854.

The next letter is a Registered covered to Genoa, Italy in September 1862.  The letter went from Bristol to London (red registered marks at Bristol and London) and was paid to the destination (red "PD" mark).  The postal rate was 6d postage (set 1st January 1858) plus 6d registration fee.

Bristol Foreign Mail, Part 1

This is the first of 4 posts with examples of Foreign mail to/from Bristol.  The first cover below is from Swansea to Adelaide, Australia in 1847.  It went via forwarding agents W.E. Acraman of Bristol as indicated by the framed cachets.  The entire says it contains some small sheets of copper, which explains the green stain on the paper.

The letter below is from Bristol to Philadelphia in January 1852, going via Liverpool on the American Packet.  As a result there was 24c due, 3c for British postage, 16c for the American Packet shipping and 5c for US inland postage packet

This next example is from Bristol to Drammen in Norway in June 1854.  The marking indicate that it went via Hamburg.