RARE 14th CENTURY VELLUM DEED WITH TWO COMPLETE ORIGINAL RED WAX SEALS; Small 16 Apr. 1399 vellum deed (27x16 cms; neatly fits an album page) - with complete transcription and typed translation of the Latin text - concerning monies owed by three named "soldiers" (of Derbys., Leics. & Notts.) to John Cockayn and his wife referring to "merchandises bought in the Westminster staple". Most unusually for such an early deed the two red wax seals ar still in place on their tabs at the foot, depicting a cockerel and a dragon. Some 200 years older than any letter yet recorded from Derbyshire. Exhibition Item. Cross Reference: EARLY LETTERS, EARLY LETTERS, LEICESTERSHIRE, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE (Image)

DERBYSHIRE HISTORIAN, THOMAS BLORE (1764-1818) - AUTOGRAPH SIGNED LETTER & PRINTED CIRCULAR; 1 Jan. 1793 EL (with entirely printed contents - v. early date for printed matter though sent by post as an ordinary letter) to Chilwell charged "3" with v. fine "WIRKS/WORTH" on the front being a detailed application for subscriptions to Blore's new book - the "History and Antiquities of the County of Derby" (3 guineas each). Plus a 20 Dec. 1794 EL from "Hopton" to Derby charged 2d with a mainly fine "WIRKSWORTH" on the front, written and signed by the author, "Tho. Blore" seeking historical details of the sale of "the Manor of Brailsford... for the use of the History of Derbyshire...". Sadly the book was never printed. Marvellous pair. (2 covers)Cross Reference: PRINTED MATTER (Image)

DERBY P.O. PRESTAMP BUNDLE-LABEL + MATCHING ACCOUNT QUERYING M. HARBOROUGH P.O. RECORDS; Very rare 7 Oct. 1807 small partly printed official P.O. Bundle-label noting that 6 "unpaid" letters had been sent that day to "[Market] Harb[o]ro[ugh]" P.O. and initialled "JG" [Jonathon Gilbert] by the Derby Postmaster personally. These labels accompanied each group of inter-P.O. letters in the prestamp period, but only a handful have survived. Plus the official Post Office Accountant's tally-sheet querying the lack of resulting payment from the Harbro Postmaster for the unpaid (i.e. collected in Harbro) postage of these 6 letters (as well as several other such bundles between Oct. 1807 and Jan. 1808. Fascinating and rare insight into the daily P.O. system for ensuring that postage cash was fully accounted for. (2 items)Cross Reference: LEICESTERSHIRE (Image)

DERBY/ASHBOURNE/S. MIDDLETON - MISSENT/OVERSEAS MAILS + UNIFORM 4d-POST COVER; Remarkable Jan./Aug. 1817 pair of ELs from London (the first with crowned FREE cds) to Walton/Hathersage but with mainly fine red or blue (rare) "DERBY/126" mileages each endorsed "Mifsent to" in red; plus 1827/30 ELs pair prepaid from Ashbourne to Venice/Cologne with Mileage/UDC marks (latter with lengthy typed translation of German contents), and a fine 19 Dec. 1839 EL (a child's first letter - to his grandmother - he died of scarlet fever 2 weeks later) to Bath charged "4" (Uniform 4d-Post) with v. fine late usage "STONEY MIDDLETON" Horseshoe nicely placed on the top flap. Rare group - prestamp letters from Derbyshire to overseas addresses are very seldom seen. (5 covers)Cross Reference: MISSENT MAIL, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, UNIFORM 4d POSTAGE PERIOD, ITALIAN STATES (Image)

BAKEWELL - DEED OF APPOINTMENT OF POSTMASTER WITH £2 REVENUE & SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS; Superb mainly printed 8 Dec. 1831 Appointment deed for "William Greaves Junr." as Postmaster of Bakewell signed by the PMG ("[the Duke of] Richmond") and by Freeling with very fine albino embossed "TWO/POUNDS" Tax stamp at left and having a large fancy "GENERAL POST OFFICE" wafer seal at the top. Plus related mainly printed 28 Nov. 1831 letter of appointment for the same man, and a contemporary manuscript copy of the relevant "Postmaster General's Minute" on the subject. Greaves's mother had been Postmistress and had recently passed away. The finest of only three such Postmaster appointment deeds that we have recorded (the others being for Uttoxeter in 1835, and Huddersfield in 1813. [The latter was sold by Cavendish on 5 Dec. 2013 for £600 + BP]. Exhibition Items; all neatly folded to fit on album pages. (3 items) Cross Reference: REVENUES (Image)

ASHBOURNE - RARE LAST DAY "PRE-REFORMS" PREPAID COVER + 8d-RATE 4d-POST UNPAID COVER; Remarkable matched pair each with mainly very fine "ASHBOURN" cds nicely placed on their flaps; 4 Dec. 1839 E prepaid to Skipton on the Last Day of Mileage-based Postal Rates (the next day this letter would have cost only 4d, and the PS notes that "Any letter to me, undercover to Lord Shrewsbury here, will duly come to me"!). Prepaid letters sent on this day are understandably very rare - most people waited a day to save a lot of postage! Plus rare 7 Dec. 1839 EL to Baslow charged "8" during the Uniform 4d-Postage Period due to its having weighed above the ½oz & up to 1oz. Possibly a unique pair from a single Post Office; both very rare. (2 covers)Cross Reference: UNIFORM 4d POSTAGE PERIOD, POSTAL REFORMS, FREE MAIL (Image)

DERBY - EARLY MAY DATE 1d BLACK USAGE - 12 MAY 1840 COVER TO LONDON; 12 May 1840 E from Derby to London with a Plate 1a 1d Black (DC; 4 close to wide margins except almost imperceptibly touched at one point at foot; also slight pre-usage wrinkle) tied by a red Derby Maltese Cross with matching fair "DERBY" cds on top flap with some red ink smudging alongside (the offset from the MX of the next cover in the pile at the Derby P.O.) showing that there were still problems getting the ink-mix right in Derby. Only two earlier Derbyshire usages of 1d Blacks have been recorded. Exhibition Item and a fine 1d Black First Week Usage cover. [SG £3,250]Cross Reference: 1840 1d BLACKS (Image)

MATLOCK BATH - 1840 2d BLUE USAGE WITH BLACK MALTESE CROSS; 27 Mar. 1841 front + small flap to Wirksworth (over-writing on address neatly removed) with 1840 2d Blue (SC; good margins all round) tied by two black Matlock Bath MXs with matching 'inverted-date' cds alongside. This is believed to be the only recorded usage of the 1840 2d Blue from Matlock. Cross Reference: 1840 2d BLUES (Image)

RARE ITALIC "Sudbury.D" IN BLACK OR GREEN + HAND-PICKED UDCs INC. SHARDLOW ENDORSED "NOT FOR"; 1843-55 group of fine covers inc. two with mainly fine rare "Sudbury.D" in black (1843 with MX) or in rare Green (1855 on 1d Pink with v. fine matching "829" Sudbury Numeral); plus very fine UDCs of BASLOW (with 4m 1d Red tied by v. fine matching "42" Numeral), fine green 1852 HATHERSAGE, and v. fine blue SHARDLOW endorsed "Not for" in red (with 1d Red from Glasgow to Derby!). Very scarce and attractive lot. (5 covers)Cross Reference: MISSENT MAIL, SCOTLAND (Image)

BAKEWELL - MAIL TO U.S. INC. TRANSIT LIVERPOOL "TOO LATE" SCARCE CHICAGO PKT & UNDERPAID; 1846 cash-paid "1/-" rate E to NY with fine red BAKEWELL cds on the front endorsed "P Hibernia Steamer" but with both v. fine "SHIP LETTER/LIVERPOOL/Crown" cds on the flap and matching v. fine scarce boxed Liverpool "TOO LATE." on the front (rare thus); plus 1870 env. with 3d Rose-Red tied by v. fine Duplex to Illinois with fine scarce red "CHICAGO AM. PKT./PAID" cds ion the front, and underpaid 1883 env. with only a 1d Lilac and so with Bakewell "T" mark and NY semi-circular unframed "U.S. CHARGE/TO/COLLECT" beside "6 Cents" on the front. Attractive trio. (3 covers)Cross Reference: TRANSATLANTIC MAIL, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, POSTAGE DUE MARKS, LATE FEE/TOO LATE MAIL (Image)

ASHBOURNE - 3d-RATE COVER TO THE CRIMEAN WAR (SCUTARI BARRACKS) WITH 1d REDS; 24 June 1855 env. (some dusting etc.) from "ASHBOURNE" (fine blue cds on side-flap) to "Sergeant John Warner No.1727 of the 4th King's Own Ridgment [sic], Scutria [sic] Barracks, Turkey" endorsed "Via Marseilles" and "stampd" and so with 1d Red Stars Strip of Three (RH stamp rough at right where slightly over edge) tied by fair Ashbourne "28" Numerals with red London transit backstamp. Rare cover from Derbyshire to the Crimea at this 3d Concession Rate.Cross Reference: MILITARY - CRIMEAN WAR, OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, 1854-65 1d REDS, TURKEY (Image)

BELPER - CUT SQUARE 4-MARGIN 6d EMBOSSED ON COVER TO CANADA TIED BY H.S. "2½" MARK; 10 July 1856 env. (slight toning in places) from "BELPER" (fair blue cds on reverse) to Montreal via Liverpool (11 July backstamps) with cut-square 6d Embossed (unusually with all four margins clear) cancelled by a light Belper "64" Numeral but additionally tied by the fine Handstruck "2½" Montreal delivery charge-mark; there is also a black Liverpool h.s. "d1" alongside (1d credit to Canada). The additional 2½c charge was die to the Liverpool PO sending the letter on the next available ship - the SS Persia to NY - rather than waiting for an opportunity by the cheaper route to Halifax. Rare single usage of this 6d from Derbyshire. [Ex Malcolm Montgomery, 2015.]Cross Reference: EMBOSSED ISSUES, TRANSATLANTIC MAIL, CANADA, ACCOUNTANCY MARKS (Image)

DERBY + SPONDON - DIFFERENT QV POSTAL STATIONERY PC USAGES - TO INDIA (2) OR TO FRANCE; Fine 1878 usage of the 1¼d PC (written from Fritchley) to Dunkirk with fine DERBY/242 Duplex; plus 1890/92 pair of PCs (scarce 2d Brown + 1d Red) to Bombay/Meerut cancelled by DERBY/242 Duplex or by superb scarce early "SPONDON" Squared Circle (each with different fine Aden-Bombay "SEA POST OFFICE" cds's). Difficult set to assemble sent from the same Post Office. (3 cards)Cross Reference: INDIA, POSTAL STATIONERY, QV, SQUARED CIRCLES, ADEN (Image)

ASHBOURNE/BUXTON/CHESTERFIELD - QV/KEVII UNUSUAL POSTAGE DUE ITEMS + 'RESEALED' LABEL; 1884/95 pair of 1d Lilac envs. ex Ashbourne - with fine rare boxed "CHARGED FOR REDIRECTION" and matching h.s. "1d" or sealed with PO "OFFICIALLY SEALED" label tied by "ASHBOURNE" Squared Circle; tiny 1908 PPC sent from Buxton with only two "TINY TOWN/POST" toy stamps - tied by a fine BUXTON cds! - and so with h.s. "1d" mark, plus fine "Buxton Mail" pillar-box shaped card (concertina of photos inside) with attached label and KEVII ½d but also h.s. "1d" mark; and fine 1894 Chesterfield local usage of the QV 2d regd. env. with 1d Lilac tied by oval Regd d.s. but also with v. fine rare "6D/186" mark endorsed "Posted out of course". Rare, attractive and intriguing group. (5 items)Cross Reference: POSTAGE DUE MARKS (Image)

DERBY - COMPLETE PARCEL POST WRAPPER OR PARCEL-TAG WITH RUBBER "DERBY" CANCELS (INC. LITTLEOVER PPL); Rare complete addressed parcel-tag to London with 3 1d Lilacs tied by rubber "DERBY" target cancels on one side and a "LITTLEOVER" Parcel Post label with cds on the other side; plus remarkable 16 Nov. 1900 parcel wrapping addressed to Burton on Trent with Jubilee 6d tied by v. fine "DERBY" target cancel with partly legible purple runner Derby "PARCEL POST" label-datestamp on the front. Complete QV parcel items are rare. (2 items)Cross Reference: PARCEL POST COVERS/LABELS (Image)

DERBYSHIRE KEVII CAMPS - CASTLETON & HINDLOW - RARE COLOUR-PRINTED ENV., SKELETONS, ETC.; 13 Aug. 1903 env. to Bradwell with KEVII 1d tied by Castleton cds and having a fine coloured flags design printed at top left of the Sherwood Foresters inc. "CASTLETON CAMP, DERBYSHIRE" imprint (rare), 1904 PPC of the Camp with "YMCA Volunteer Tent" imprint, Aug. 1903 piece with KEVII "ARMY OFFICIAL" 1d pair tied by the Castleton cds's, and 10/12 Aug. 1910 pair of PPCs (one a rare real photo of soldiers at the Camp - corner crease) each with KEVII ½d tied by mainly very fine rare "HINDLOW CAMP/BUXTON" Skeleton cds's. Scarce lot. (5 items).Cross Reference: PICTORIALS, PRINTED, MILITARY (Image)