MOURNING COVERS

A single newspaper wrapper is unlikely to excite me, but this one did because of the recipient's name and her address. There can't be too many foreign baroness in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, but Rose Bay would be a likely locale for finding one. The wrapper, without any identifier of the sender, is postmarked twice by BENDIGO/ 2/ 6-P/ 20 NO 19/ VIC on the 'No Inscription' type ½d green plus ½d green KGV head (with the 2 stamp images printed at different levels) wrapper issued in 1918. It is addressed to Baroness A.N. de Koenneritz, "Saint Cloud, Collins Avenue, Rose Bay, Sydney (Figure 1).

CHARLES HENRY CHOMLEY, LAWYER, WRITER & NEWSPAPER EDITOR

This fine mourning cover was addressed to C.H. Chomley Esq., Trinity College, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria and it had a single blue 2d Emu stamp of New South Wales cancelled with rays ‘201' of Burwood, a Sydney suburb (Figure 1).

EDWARD WILLIAM TERRICK HAMILTON, COLLAROY, MERRIMA

FRANCIS HUMPHREY WILLIAM WOOLRYCH, ARTIST [USA]

This mourning cover postmarked Croydon/ 14 AP 08 10 30 AM/ N.S.W. on the blue-green ½d (Scott #109) and the blue 2d (Scott #111) stamps and was addressed to F. Humphrey Woolrych Esqre/ Artist/ 3855 Hartford St./ St. Louis Mo/ U.S.A. (Figure 1)

GEORGE ARTHUR CHARLES FANE De SALIS (1851 - 1931)

Over the past five years I have seen at least 5 covers addressed to one of the De Salis family members, but I have not felt that I could do justice to the Australian family members until now. This was not because of insufficient information, of which there is an abundance, but because much of it is difficult to access by way of the internet. However with 2 covers addressed to George or his wife, I felt that I should make an attempt to chronicle some aspects of their lives.

JAMES "PHILOSOPHER" SMITH (1827 - 1897) MOURNING COVER

I was intrigued by a mourning cover addressed to the Hon. James Smith M.L.C., "Westwood", Hamilton-on-Forth which has a copy of the green 2d 'side-face' stamp, postmarked with a HOBART/ 3S/ FE 23/ 88 duplex. The Forth arrival back stamp was just barely legible (Figures 1 & 2).

KING EDWARD VII MOURNING COVER & A. R. FOWLER (1847-1911)

This somewhat ordinary mourning cover reveals a story of considerable importance to the entire British Empire, particularly the State of Tasmania. The 1d Mount Wellington pictorial (with a 'T' perfin) is postmarked with a roller Hobart cancel dated 18.5.10 7-0 P/ Tasmania and it was addressed to A.R. Fowler Esq. 50 Charles Street Launceston. The vertical manuscript writing gives a clue as to its purpose: "Funeral Service Death of King Ed. VII May 20/10 (Figure 1).

MOURNING COVER from SYDNEY N.S.W. to LUSHINGTON GARDENS, SYDAPETT, MADRAS

This fine mourning cover has been made of very thin almost translucent paper, and it is addressed to J. Price Esq., Lushingtons (sic) Gardens, Sydapett, Madras, India. It has a pair of the pale lilac 6d (perf 13) N.S.W. stamps, postmarked with 2 duplex B/ OC 5/ 78/ SYDNEY postmarks associated with the N.S.W vertically placed obliterator, within an oval of 4 rings (Figure 1).

MOURNING COVER to ANGUS & ROBERTSON from N.S.W. GOVERNOR, 1899

Well not quite, for there is some doubt about the Governor as well as the actual date, but there is no doubt about the important company of Sydney booksellers. The front of the stampless mourning cover is addressed to Angus & Robertson, 89 Castlereagh St, Sydney. There is a very fine blue GOVERNOR/ [CREST]/ FRANK STAMP/ NEW SOUTH WALES (Figure 1).

MOURNING COVER to ARTHUR A. BARTLETT, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND [CANADA]

A mourning cover from Australia led to an exciting story of Nova Scotia stamps remainders. It was addressed to A.A. Bartlett Esq, "The Hill", Charlottetown, P.E. I. (Prince Edward Island), Canada and it had a manuscript Per SS "Moama" . The red 1d and green ½d Victorian stamps were postmarked MELBOURNE/ PM/ 2 30/ 13 3 00 (Figure 1).

MOURNING COVER to JAMES HARRISON, SQUATTERS EXCHANGE, SYDNEY

This mourning cover was of a fairly common design for use in colonial Australia, being small in size (12 x 6.5 cms) and the design of the black border on the front and the black cross on the reverse. It was addressed to James Harrison Esq, Squatters Exchange, George Street, Sydney, and the red-brown 3d QV sideface stamp of Tasmania has been canceled by a HOBART TOWN/ 2 L/ FE 2/ 72 duplex TASMANIA postmark. There was a manuscript: pr. "City of Hobart"notation (Figure 1).

MOURNING COVER to LORD TENNYSON [ENGLAND]

If ever a cover speaks to you, then this one surely should. The highly experienced UK seller gave a simple description: Australia, 1913 Roo on Cover to UK. This turned out to be a considerable understatement. The mourning cover was addressed to Lord Tennyson, Farringford, Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England and the red 1d kangaroo on a map of Australia stamp was postmarked MT BARKER/ 4 30P 17 DE 13/STH AUSTRALIA. In script an underlined 'P & O mail' was added by the sender. There was no sender's name nor receiving postmark (Figure 1).

REVEREND GEORGE KING & BISHOP WILLIAM GRANT BROUGHTON

The mourning cover (with no insert) has a manuscript ‘On Service” and a rectangular boxed ‘FREE’ and is addressed to the Rev^d Geo: King, Liverpool Street West, Sydney. The sender signed his name as ‘W: G: Sydney’. There is no date (but the vendor listed the cover as circa 1840's) and there are no markings on the reverse (Figures 1 & 2).

REVEREND GEORGE NAPOLEON WOODD, DENHAM COURT, N.S.W. 1867

REVEREND THOMAS COOPER SEARLE (1820-1876) MOURNING COVER

The small mourning cover that initiated this search to find out more about Cooper Searle was addressed to Mrs. Cooper Searle, and it has a copy of the 2d double lined outer oval dull violet-mauve perf. 13 (Bell design, Type II) Victorian stamp of 1878. The postmark is the barred numeral 21, Type A2 which shows that it originated from Broadmeadows, 20 km north of Melbourne's G.P.O. (Figure 1).

WASHINGTON H. SOUL & CO. and ALFRED KING, PADDINGTON NSW, CHEMIST

Several letters posted to Arthur King, Chemist have been used as an introduction to the important firm of Washington H. Soul and Company. The first was a mourning cover sent to Arthur King, Chemist, 2 Gurner St., Paddington, Sydney in October 1907 with a pair of 1d red N.S.W. ‘Shield’ stamps, postmarked with an Unanderra N.S.W. and the ‘Rays 292' (Figure 1).

WILLIAM HUMBLE WARD, 2ND EARL of DUDLEY & 4TH GOVERNOR GENERAL of AUSTRALIA

This fairly unique mourning cover was sent by William Humble Ward, the 2nd Earl of Dudley when he was Australia's fourth Governor General from 1908-1911. It was postmarked with a duplex ENGLISH MAIL T.P.O./ JY 3/ 10/ +, with the double ring GOVERNOR GENERAL/ FRANK STAMP/ AUSTRALIA in blue, as well as the oval VICTORIA/ crown/ OFFICIAL PAID in black. It is addressed to a long-standing English Company, Messrs Coutts & Co, 59 Strand, London, W.C., England (Figure 1).