Gambia: Early Missionary Mail: 1833 entire sent by William Fox at St. Mary's addressed "To/The Secretaries of the/Wesleyan Missionary Society/77 Hatton Garden/London" endorsed "Single" and rated "1/4" with Jersey transit and red London "G/22JY22/1833" arrival, with receiving endorsement noting "Safe arrival at/his station". Together with photocopy of original enclosed letter dated May 8. The Rev. William Fox, later author of "A brief history of the Wesleyan missions on the west coast of Africa" (1851), had departed Gravesend on the brig "Jack" on Apr. 1 1833 and had arrived at Bathurst on Apr. 23. Fix was to lose both his wife and two children to disease during their life in West Africa. The plain rectangular Methodist Church, at Janjanbureh is claimed to be the denomination's oldest church in sub-Saharan Africa, having been inaugurated by Fox in 1835. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: Early Missionary Mail: 1842 entire sent by William Fox addressed to the General Secretaries of the Wesleyan Missions in London, rated "1/4" and showing scarce framed "KINGSBRIDGE/SHIP LETTER" with red London "I/2 AU 2/1842" arrival on reverse, receiving endorsement noting date of sending as June 23. Together with photocopy of original enclosed letter. On Dec. 20 1841 missionaries Symons, Roston and Annear had arrived at St. Mary's but only Symons had remained at the Gambian Mission, prompting Fox to remind the Committee of the Society of the importance of the missionary position at "one of the most important, direct and safe entrances into the interior of this vast and as yet comparitively unknown continent". Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 4d. brown proof, slight faults, affixed to piece (25 x 40mm) ex De La Rue Day Book, dated ""Mch 10" (1870) in ms. above, originally accompanying record of sheets produced. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1869-72 No watermark 4d. brown unused, 4d. pale brown (2, one mint, the other unused with slight thin at foot), 6d. deep blue part original gum, 6d. blue unused (2), each with margins, fair to fine. (6) S.G. 1-3, a, cat. £3,350. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1869-72 No watermark 4d. pale brown, 6d. deep blue, good to large margins, cancelled in red, fine. Ex Weldhen. S.G. 2, 3, cat. £400. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1869-72 No watermark 6d. deep blue, corner marginal mint [R. 1/1] showing early stage of sloping label, hinged in margin only, fine. S.G. 3, cat. £550. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1874 Watermark Crown CC 4d. brown mint horizontal pair from the top of the sheet, hinged (and with horizontal crease) in margin only, faint stain otherwise fine. S.G. 5, cat. £800+. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1874 Watermark Crown CC 4d. brown (2), 6d. deep blue (2, one corner marginal), 6d. blue (4), mint or unused, each with margins, poor to fine. S.G. 5, 7, 8, cat. £2,900. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1874 Watermark Crown CC 6d. deep blue, mint horizontal pair, marginal from the left of the sheet, fine. S.G. 7, cat. £700. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1874 Watermark Crown CC 6d. deep blue, horizontal pair with part original gum, fine. S.G. 7, cat. £700. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1874 Watermark Crown CC 6d. deep blue, two corner marginal examples [R. 3/5] with large part original gum, showing watermark upright and watermark inverted respectively. S.G. 7, w, cat. £1,050. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright, 1d., 2d. and 1886-93 Watermark Crown CA Sideways 21/2d., 4d. and 1s. each handstamped "SPECIMEN" (Samuel type GA1), also 1886-93 1/2d. to 4d. (2) set overprinted "SPECIMEN" type D12 and 6d., 1s. with bogus serifed "SPECIMEN" handstamp, numerous faults, mainly good to fine appearance. (12) (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright 1/2d. orange (pale) and dull orange shades, third printing comb perf., both in a mint sheet of fifteen hinged in selvedge only, odd minor imperfection, mainly fine. S.G. 10B, 11B. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright 1/2d. orange, scarce second printing line perf., mint sheet of fifteen, slight thins mainly in selvedge. S.G. 10B. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright 1/2d., 1d., 2d. and 3d., third printing comb perf., each in a mint sheet of fifteen hinged in selvedge only, one 3d. slightly thinned, odd other minor imperfections. S.G. 11B, 12B, 13B, 14cB. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright 1/2d. dull orange with watermark inverted, third printing comb perf., in a mint sheet of fifteen, hinged on two and in selvedge only, some bends but mainly good to fine. S.G. 11Bw. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright 1/2d. dull orange with watermark inverted, third printing comb perf., in a mint sheet of fifteen, hinged on four and in selvedge only, one slightly thinned on reverse otherwise mainly good to fine. S.G. 11Bw. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright 1d. maroon, scarce second printing line perf., mint sheet of fifteen, hinged in selvedge only. S.G. 12B. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright 1d. maroon (deep shade) scarce second printing line perf., 1d. maroon third printing comb perf., both in a mint sheet of fifteen, the former hinged in selvedge only (selvedge slightly trimmed at left and right), the latter slightly gum toned, hinged on three and in selvedge. S.G. 12B. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright 2d. rose, third printing comb perf., mint sheet of fifteen, barely hinged on one and in selvedge only, mainly fine. S.G. 13B. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright 3d. pale dull ultramarine, third printing comb perf., mint sheet of fifteen, hinged on one and in selvedge only, mainly good to fine. S.G. 14cB. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright, 6d. blue, mint corner marginal block of four [R. 1/1-2/2] showing sloping label and misplaced perforations, trivial gum thins. S.G. 18B, c, var. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1880-81 Watermark Crown CC Upright, mainly mint or unused selection with shades and flaws, comprising 1/2d. (14, incl. two blocks of four), 1d. (29, incl. blocks of four and eight and full sheet of fifteen missing selvedge at left), 2d., 3d. (4), 4d. (7, incl. marginal pair), 6d. (6, three showing sloping label), 1s., poor to fine. (62) (Image1)

Gambia: 1886-93 Watermark Crown CA Sideways, Proofs, 3d. colour trial in yellowish olive-green on gummed, watermarked paper, line perf. 12 with typical perforation faults. Photo. (Image1)

Gambia: 1886-93 Watermark Crown CA Sideways, 1/2d. to 6d. set of four overprinted "SPECIMEN" (Samuel type D12) with gum. some imperfections. S.G. 21s-24s, 32cs, cat. £400. (Image1)