Governors

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 &

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WILLIAM H. GREGORY, KCMG from GEORGE FERGUSON BOWEN, KCMG

Two covers at the same auction site unite the above 2 men who both became Knight Commanders of St. Michael and St. George, members of the second highest rank of the British order of knighthood. The first long blue cover is On Her Majesty’s Service stampless cover with a red GOVERNOR OF VICTORIA frank stamping, and a MELBOURNE/ 1 S/ JN 11/ 77 duplex and is addressed to The Rt.

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WALTER GUDGEON, ADMINISTRATOR, SOLDIER, JUDGE, & HISTORIAN, COOK ISLANDS

The registered cover had a lilac ‘TWO PENCE’, an orange ‘THREE PENCE’ as well as a block of four green bantam stamps of Victoria cancelled with GEELONG/ 1 A/ AP 24/ 02/ VICTORIA, and there was an orange crayon cross hatching plus a large R in a circle. The cover was addressed to Colonel Gudgeon, British Resident, Raratonga, Cook Islands Federation (Figure 1). On the reverse there was an incomplete double circle

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THROSBY PARK, MOSS VALE , COUNTESS BELMORE & THE GOVERNOR N.S.W.

The cover is addressed “To the Right Honourable The Countess of Belmore, Throsby Park, Moss Vale, Bong Bong (New South Wales). The blue ‘TWO PENCE’ stamp of New South Wales is cancelled with the Rays numeral ‘48′ and there is a confirming unframed TARCUTTA/ JA 11/ 1870/ N.S.W. alongside (Figure 1). The reverse has four postmarks, all unframed, and three of them are entirely or partly legible.  The first transit was ADELONG

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SIR WM. DENISON, GOVERNOR of TASMANIA, N.S.W. & GOV- GENERAL INDIA

The cover was sent per Northam to Miss Denison, (one of the daughters of Sir William Denison), Government House, Madras, and the ‘SIX PENCE’ imperforate stamp of New South Wales was cut into a hexagon shape. It was canceled with a D/ SYDNEY/JY 20/ 61 postmark and there was a reception postmark of MADRAS/ 1861/ AU 22. The reverse was not seen but was redirected to Ootacamund the next day (Figure1). Sir

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SIR WILLIAM CLEAVER FRANCIS ROBINSON, GOVERNOR OF THREE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES (1834-1897)

Two covers came up for auction relating specifically to the man who had a total of five periods of governorship in three Australian Colonies. The first O.H.M.S. cover was addressed to His Excellency Sir William J. C. (Sic) Robinson K.C.M.G., Government House, Perth, Western Australia and it had a red GOVERNOR OF VICTORIA/[Lion, shield & unicorn]/ FRANK STAMP on a ‘Melbourne Club’ envelope and the vendor stated it was apparently

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SIR J. MACARTHUR, MADRAS GOVERNOR to W.E. GLADSTONE, BRITISH M.P.

This cover was listed on eBay auctions and the addressee is a most important person. The sender has not been found in spite of an extensive search, even though there are clues as to his identity. It is addressed to “The Right Honble W.E. Gladstone Esq MP., London” and the sender is named as J. Macarthur. In red, there is a manuscript ‘2/6′ (2 shillings and 6 pence), as well

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SIR HENRY BARKLY (1815 – 1898), 2nd GOVERNOR OF VICTORIA

This ‘On Her Majesty’s Service’ cover was addressed to His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly KCB, Government House, Mauritius and it has a small black MELBOURNE/ 6V/ OC 23/ 65, VICTORIA duplex postmark, as well as the faint blue GOVERNOR OF VICTORIA frank stamp. There is also a manuscript ‘Sir Charles Darling’ (Figure 1). A second cover with manuscript ‘On Her Majesty’s Service’ sent ‘pr Elizabeth’ was sent to His Excellency

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SIR GEORGE GIPPS, GOVERNOR OF NEW SOUTH WALES (1790-1847)

The undated and stampless cover is addressed to His Excellency Sir George Gipps K.C.M.G, Governor of N.S. Wales and there is also a black manuscript ‘Free’ and an indecipherable name at lower left (Figure 1). The reverse is postmarked SHIP LETTER/ [CROWN]/ MA* 20/ 1845/ SYDNEY in black (Type SL 5, J.S. White 1988, used 26.9.1841 to 18.3.1847), as well as a blue PARRAMATTA/ [CROWN]/ MA* 21/ 1845/ NEW. S.

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SIR ARTHUR ELIBANK HAVELOCK, GOVERNOR of TASMANIA

The cover has two marks, a larger blue GOVERNOR [Crown] TASMANIA/ 10 JL O2, with a superimposed smaller black HOBART/ H/ JL 10/1902/ TASMANIA addressed to Miss Maude Waller, Post Office, Sandy Bay, Hobart. There is a pencilled manuscript at bottom left hand corner ‘Private Letter, with A.E.H., Governor’s Frank.  The Governor’s Frank is unusual as it has a changeable date incorporated in it   (Figure 1). The reverse has no

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