Barbados: THE EARLIEST KNOWN LETTER FROM BARBADOS, 1656 entire from merchant Edward Jacob headed “Spights Bay ye 18th 9ber 1656” addressed “To Mr Thomas/Pengelly mrcht.//in/London” and endorsed “p Capt. Crawford Q.D.C.”. The earliest known letter from the island and one of the very earliest from any island of the West Indies, sent before first mention of ship letters in the Post Office Act of 1657. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: The Earliest Known Mail to Barbados, 1684 entire from the Newton correspondence sent on Apr. 29 by Robert Marriott in London addressed “For Coll: Samuell Newton/in Barbados” endorsed “pr Capt Hudson”, the letter concerning a damaged cargo. One of the two earliest known letters addressed to Barbados, both being from April 1684. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: The First Post Office, “The London Gazette”, Thurs. Nov. 17-Mon. Nov. 21 1687, announcing on the second page the establishment of the first post office on the island, “All Masters of Ships and others that carry Letters to the Islands of Barbados and Antigua, are to take Notice that His Majesty will Establish a Post Office in each of the said Islands, of which Captain George Saintlo is Post-Master, unto whom, or his under Officers, they are to deliver their Letters, when they arrive in the said Islands.” A single sheet publication with slight damage at left well clear of announcement. A historic moment, captured in the world's oldest continually published English language newspaper, having begun in 1665 and still printed in London to this day. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Early Ship Mail, 1699 ship letter headed “Barbados January 20th 99” sent by John Lucie Blackman addressed “To/Mr Van de Bemde/at his house in ye Pell/Mell/in London”, endorsed “p Capt Lonton”, showing “MR/29” Bishop mark and rated “3”(d.) for inland delivery. A very early item handled by the Post Office in England. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: The Earliest Known Mail to North America, 1729 letter from Abraham Sandford, carried by private ship and delivered privately, headed “Barbados Janry. 22/1729” and addressed “To/Mr David Wolf/Marcht./in/New York” and endorsed “pr Capt/Hutts”, some ageing, faults and repairs but important. The earliest known letter addressed to any destination other than Great Britain. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: The “BARBA/DOES” Double Line Marking (type A2), 1758 ship letter with a fine strike and “24/IY” Bishop mark on reverse, addressed “To/The Reverend Doctor Bearcroft/Master of the Charter House/London”, endorsed “p Capt. Skinner” and charged “5”(d.) paying 4d. rate (1711-1764) + 1d. master’s gratuity. This the third earliest known example of any postal marking from Barbados. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Privately Carried Mail, 1764 letter to Newport, Rhode Island, headed from “Barbados January 5th/1764” and privately carried, the sender, Michael Ryan, “Having this opportunity by the way of New York, I thought to acquaint you of my safe arrival after a passage of nineteen days.”. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Introduction of Post Office Packets to Barbados, 1764, “The London Chronicle, or, Universal Evening Post”, Tues. Jan. 10-Thurs. Jan. 12 1764, containing the announcement by the General Post Office of the introduction of “Three Packet-Boats, at Falmouth, of 140 Tons and 18 Hands each, for the Conveyance of Mails, Expresses and Passengers, to Barbados, Grenada, St. Christopher’s, Jamaica, Pensacola, St. Augustine, Savanna, Charles-Town, and back to Falmouth.” with details of dates of sailing and postage rates. This broad interest, thrice weekly newspaper, typically eight pages in quarto size, first appeared in 1756. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: The “BARBADOES” Single Straight Line Marking (type A1), 1770 ship letter headed “Barbadoes Sept. 20th 1770” with fine strike on reverse, addressed to “Mr. John Wollin at No. 10/in Nevils Court Fetter Lane/London” with “PORTSMOUTH/SHIPLRE” and “17/NO” Bishop mark, charged “4”(d.) paying 3d. rate (1765-1783) + 1d. master’s gratuity. A rare marking, this one of the latest known examples. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Missent Mail, 1772 ship letter written June 23 and sent from London to Madeira, endorsed “p the Rebecca/Captn Birch” and with “DEAL/SHIP LRE” but missent to Barbados with two strikes of double line “BARBA/DOES” (type A2) on reverse, one overstruck by London “14/DE” Bishop mark, receiving note of Jan. 7 1773 reveals journey time of over six months. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Early Incoming Mail, 1774 paid packet letter, sent Mar. 24 from Ireland to Barbados showing straight line “ATHLONE”, Dublin “MR/28” and London “4/AP” Bishop marks and red “POST/PAID” in circle, endorsed “Post Paid 1/10d” summarising charge of 4d. Athone-Dublin + 6d. Dublin-London + the 1s. packet rate (1765-1797). Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Houses of Parliament Free Mail, 1775 uncharged ship letter to London, addressed to Sir James Lowther, later 1st Earl of Lonsdale, entitled to free postage, both sending and receiving, as a member of the House of Commons, headed “Barbados April 25/1775” and showing red “FREE” in circle, “7/IY” bishop mark, two line “BARNARD/CASTLE” and red wax seal. Sir James (1736-1802) known as ‘Wicked Jimmy’, was the eldest surviving son of controversial Governor Robert Lowther, the ‘Tyrant of Barbados’ and raised to the Peerage in 1784. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Early Mail to Madeira, 1778 packet letter ordering “3 hogsheads of your best Madeira wine”, adddressed to Messrs. Newton & Gordon, headed “Barbados June 9th 1778”, charged “1N”, the 1s. packet rate, and with London “7/OC” Bishop mark. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Forwarding Agents, 1785 ship letter to Scotland, sent from Tobago on Aug. 18 and with ms. forwarding agent endorsement “Barbados 25th Augt 1785 Recd. &/forwarded by Will Thomson Jr.”, noted “p Polly & Charlotte/Capt Gilbard” with “DOVER/SHIP LRE” and “14/OC” marks, first charged “5”(d.), “7”(d.) added and total altered to “1N” (1s.) comprising 1d. master’s gratuity + 4d. Dover-London + 7d. London-Kelso. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Early Mail to the U.S.A., 1794 ship letter to New York, written from Barbados Feb. 20 as “there is a ship to sail for New York this afternoon”, with straight line “BOSTON” and “2/AP” Bishop mark, charged “24”(cents) incl. 4c. ship rate (1792-99), slightly soiled filing folds. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: The Dated Double Line Marking (type A3), 1800 ship letter from Baltimore to Demerara via Barbados with ms. forwarding agent’s endorsement “Barbados 22d Decr. 1800/Forwarded by /yr friends and hbl. Servs/Seed & McClare” and “BARBADOES/DEC 15 1800” (the day date enhanced in ms. as the importance of dating had been recognised in order to discourage fraudulent insurance claims), the entire carried privately to Barbados where handed to the Packet Office and charged “4”(d.) for inter-island/British Guiana rate (1711-1891). Ex Urwick. The rarest Barbados postal marking. Only four examples are known, this the latest recorded date. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: The “BARBADOES” Small Straight Line Marking (type A4), 1801 (Apr. 13) packet letter to Bath showing good strike, charged “1/9” paying 1s. packet rate + inland postage from Falmouth with handstruck “BATH/109”, the entire redirected to Louth, Lincolnshire charged 7d., amended to 10d. The earliest recorded date of this final undated marking. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: The Red Star Mark, 1803 (Dec. 31) packet letter sent by John Ince to Newton, Gordon & Co. in Madeira with red star struck over “2/2” rating in black and “2/2” added in red to indicate postage paid, the entire endorsed “Favor of/Mr Donaldson/via London” with additional order for madeira added to letter by Donaldson in London, showing double circle “FOREIGN OFFICE/45/1804” and further endorsed “Via Lisbon” with 260r. charge. In 1803 John Ince (1769-1830) was serving as President of Barbados and earlier in the month had notified the Colonial Office that he had assumed the government of the island following the departure on leave of Governor Francis Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: British Packet Letter Markings, 1806 (Nov. 17) entire from Dr. Charles Ker to Scotland with straight line “PACKET-LETTER” applied on board the vessel, rated 2s. amended to “2/4” comprising 1s.1d. packet rate to Falmouth (1805-1813) + 1s.3d. overland to Edinburgh via Bristol. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Mail via Post Offices of Other Islands, 1808 packet letter from John Gay Goding to London, headed “Barbados Octor. 27th 1808”, carried privately and posted on Antigua with “p Packet” endorsement and “ANTIGUA/NOV4/1808” large fleuron, rated “4/-” double packet rate. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: The Barbados Fleuron (type A5), 1812 entire to London with “BARBADOES/14FE14/1812” large fleuron, the letter written on Feb. 7 by Anthony Bacon Richardson en route to Dominica and ready to “go on to Martinique” the next day, charged “4/-” double packet rate and with interesting mention of a close encounter with “a French squadron of three frigates off Madeira which mistook the frigate for a 74 and stood off”. This is the earliest recorded date of the Barbados Fleuron. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Houses of Parliament Free Mail, 1812 ship letter headed “Barbados 8 Sept 12” and endorsed “p Ship Bootle/via Liverpool” with faint Liverpool Ship Letter mark, addressed to Sir Thomas Dyke Acland in London, charged “1/3” (4d. ship letter rate 1796-1814 + 11d. Liverpool-London) and subsequently redirected to Exeter with ms. endorsement “Foreign Postage Paid” and crowned double circle “FREE/23OC23/1812” in red. Sir Thomas Dyke Acland (1787-1871), 10th Bt., had only very shortly before this been elected to the House of Commons as member for Devon in the General Election of 1812, Parliament having been dissolved on Sept. 29. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Transit Mail, 1813 entire letter from Wm. Coupland & Co., written in French and indicating prices for sugar, coffee, cotton and rum sent from Liverpool to Soufrière, St Lucia during period of War with America, the letter dated May 24 and endorsed “Per Packet” (deleted) with contrary endorsement on front “Per Bootle”, a private ship (ten packets having been lost to the Americans in the eight months up to June 1813), backstamped by light “BARBADOES/10AU10/1813” fleuron, rated “1/6” paying rate to port of departure + 6d. ship rate and “4”(d.) for inter-island rate from Barbados to St Lucia, some indication of slight staining from sprinkling of vinegar for disinfection. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: The “LEEWARD ISLAND/F” Falmouth Marking, 1814 packet letter to Stirling, Scotland written “On board H.M.S. Bedford/Barbados 9th Nov/1814” by George Mackay, Quartmaster for the 93rd Regiment, with “LEEWARD ISLAND/JA 3/1815/F” receiving mark in faded green, Jan. 8 1815 Edinburgh red octagonal datestamp, charged “2/5” comprising 1s.2d. packet rate (1813-1840) + 1s.3d. Falmouth-Stirling, and with boxed “Addl/ 1/2” for cross-border toll. Carried by the “Grace”, a U.S. vessel taken in prize earlier in the year which had arrived in Barbados on Oct. 27 having repulsed an attack by the American brig “Scourge” in which three men had been killed. Photo. (Image1)

Barbados: Ounce Letters, 1818 extraordinary quintuple rate packet letter wrapper to Scotland “p the Packet” and backstamped light “BARBADOES/17OC/1818” fleuron, endorsed “1 1/4oz.” charged “12/1” (12s.1d.) representing 5 x 1s.3d. packet rate + 5 x 1s.2d. Falmouth-Edinburgh and with boxed “Addl/ 1/2” for cross-border toll, Edinburgh Dec. 5 receiver in red, soiled filing fold. Ex Benwell. Photo. (Image1)