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The "Dubois" Collection of Canada & BNA Postal His New Brunswick
Sale No: 56
Lot No: 7
Symbol: Cvr
1832 (July 20), London to St. Andrews, New Brunswick, via forwarding agent, with commercial contents datelinedQueenhithe, London, rated 7-1/8, reverse with faint St. John fleuron, with clear manuscript notation on reverse "Forwarded by your obedient. serv. James T. Hanford / 8 Sept", some staining at left, else fine, and a scarce forwarding agent's letter. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 150
Opening C$ 100.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 8
Symbol: Cvr
Cat No: Collection
Aroostook War, 1839 (August 9), St. John, New Brunswick to Haddenham, England, stampless folded letter datelined St. John, struck with light St. John circular datestamp, rated "1" in red manuscript at the soldier's concessionary rate, endorsed "Benjamin Howlett No. 1124 Pt. Soldier 69th Reg." along top and signed by Major Booker at lower left, addressed to Haddenham, England, very fine; ex Richardson, Steinhart.
ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED BRITISH SOLDIERS' LETTERS FROM THE AROOSTOOK WAR, AND OF EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY - A RARITY.
Written by Benjamin Howlett, a soldier of a six-hundred-strong regiment, this letter provides a vivid firsthand account of the Aroostook boundary dispute of 1838–39. Howlett describes sailing from Cork on 13th January, landing at Halifax on 29th February, and proceeding to Saint John before marching two hundred miles into the interior to Woodstock, travelling on sleighs across a frozen river with "snow 20 and 30 feet deep." At Woodstock the regiment expected to go into action daily, but the rebels thought the force too great to attack; Howlett records that "we fired the guns into the woods," driving them off. He describes the eventual settlement as an agreement between Sir John Harvey and "the Yankee General," with Harvey coming down the hill "with flying colours." The letter also references a devastating fire that burned the principal part of the city and seventeen houses, killing young children. A rare letter from the front line of one of the most tense Anglo-American confrontations of the nineteenth century.
The Aroostook War of 1838–39 was a bloodless boundary dispute between the American state of Maine and the British colony of New Brunswick over the timber-rich lands of the Aroostook Valley. Tensions escalated when Maine's Governor Fairfield sent militia to the border, prompting New Brunswick to call out its own forces in response; the U.S. Congress authorised a substantial military deployment and President Van Buren dispatched General Winfield Scott to manage the crisis. The affair was ultimately settled by negotiation - Howlett's "Yankee General" - and the boundary question was formally resolved by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842, which established the permanent border between Maine and New Brunswick that stands to this day. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 3,000
Opening C$ 1,800.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 9
Symbol: Cvr
1840 (September 3), London to Chatham, New Brunswick, via Halifax, with commercial contents datelined London, rated "1/2" sterling collect in manuscript, endorsed "per Halifax Steamer", struck with circular "1s/4d cy" in black denoting the collect postage in currency, postmarked with Halifax / Nova Scotia double split-ring (17 Sep), reverse with crisp despatch c.d.s., very fine and scarce.
A Treasury Minute dated July 6, 1840, standardized British North America inland postage at 2d sterling - or 2½ currency - for all transatlantic packet mail via Halifax, and produced a uniform rate for total postage at 1/2 sterling, or 1N4 currency. The Post Office took the opportunity to introduce handstamps for Collect letters, expressing this amount due in currency.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 250
Opening C$ 150.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 1
Symbol: Cvr
1780 (March 24), the earliest recorded ship letter from New Brunswick, folded cover addressed to the Reverend Dr. Hind at the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, redirected from St. Ann's to Westminster, struck with PORTSMOUTH / SHIP LRE handstamp, Bishop Mark '17/IV' on reverse, rated 4d sterling comprising 1d to the Ship Master and 3d internal postage, the earliest recorded ship letter from New Brunswick, some light staining, yet a rarity. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 750
Opening C$ 450.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 10
Symbol: Cvr
Cat No: Collection
1840 (November 5), Greenock to Miramichi, folded letter endorsed 'p. Great Western from Bristol,' rated 2N5½ collect with '8' in red manuscript denoting the ship letter fee in sterling, struck with framed GREENOCK / NO 5 A / 1840 datestamp, with Woodstock double-circle c.d.s. (28 Nov) and Fredericton c.d.s. (30 Nov) further struck on front, the letter reporting the dishonour under protest of a bill for £356.7.6 drawn on W.B. Winter Esq. of Bristol, unusually fresh, a very fine transatlantic letter. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 200
Opening C$ 120.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 11
Symbol: Cvr
1841 (May 15), folded letter from Halifax to Mirimachi via Richibucto, with commercial contents, struck with Halifax / Nova Scotia double split-ring despatch at upper right, manuscript "forwarded 2N" in manuscript alongside, choice strike of Richibucto Star cancel at lower left, a lovely example of this uncommon postmark. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 120
Opening C$ 80.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 12
Symbol: Cvr
1843 (August 2), Colchester to Chatham, New Brunswick,via Halifax, with commercial contents, struck on reverse with Colchester double split-ring despatch, rated 1/2 in sterling collect, struck with red converted "1S/4D Cy" circular handstamp, filing folds and some light aging, but a fine strike of this elusive marking. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 250
Opening C$ 150.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 13
Symbol: Cvr
1845 (October 9), money letter from Madawaska to Fredericton, folded cover, rated 9d in manuscript, endorsed "Money Letter" in manuscript, struck with red MADAWASKA / NEW BRUNSWICK double split-ring, with date in manuscript, next-day Fredericton c.d.s. receiver below, scarce and unusually fresh, very fine. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 250
Opening C$ 120.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 14
Symbol: Cvr
Cat No: Collection
1854 (October 14), Woodstock to Folkingham, Lincolnshire, England, cover struck with Woodstock despatch c.d.s. overstruck with LIVERPOOL / PAID tombstone and additional transit c.d.s., red BRITISH / 5d / CLAIM handstamp alongside, being the 5d packet postage to the United Kingdom, backstamped Woodstock (14 Oct), St. John New Brunswick (16 Oct) and Folkingham (7 Nov), fine-very fine. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 200
Opening C$ 100.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 15
Symbol: Cvr
1855 (October 29), St. Stephens / Paid 6d, double rate cover to Fredericton, with manuscript "paid" at upper left and clear ST. STEPHENS / N.B./ PAID double split-ring with circular PAID 6D struck at centre, reverse with St. Stephen (without the final 's') (29 Oct), St. Andrew (30 Oct) in blue, St. John New Brunswick (31 Oct), and Fredericton (31 Oct) backstamps, small opening tears to back fold, usual filing folds, a desirable example of this scarce paid marking. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 300
Opening C$ 180.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 16
Symbol: Cvr
1857 (May 25), steamboat letter from St. John to Boston, with commercial contents, handstamped "10" (due) in black, with a fair straight-line STEAMBOAT alongside, fine.
The contents consist of a letter from the master of a timber ship, John Martin, reporting to his owners Messrs. Wainwright & Tapper that he is ready for sea after finishing loading, the ship drawing 19 feet 8 inches aft with 264 standard of timber aboard, too deep to risk a deck load and requiring pumping twice daily. He notes that the first mate satisfactory but the second will be discharged in Liverpool.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 150
Opening C$ 90.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 17
Symbol: Cvr
1857 (November 27), St. John to Moncton, via the "Maid of Erin", small mourning cover, with contents, endorsed in manuscript "per Steamer Maid of Erin with one parcel" along top, very fine; ex "Martimus."
There are several references to journeys of the "Maid of Erin" made during the late 1840s and throughout the 1850s, including a 1849 General Post Office notice from St. John announcing: "On and after Thursday the 21st instant, a Ship Letter Mail will be made up for the United States, and forwarded by the Steamer Maid of Erin. The Postage on the Letter by this Mail not exceeding half an ounce in weight will be 4½d, which must be paid in advance. So long as the Steamer continues her present arrangement of leaving at 7am, this office will be open for the receipt of Letters from 6am till 6:30am: after which, late Letters will be received for 15 minutes."(Image1)
Estimate C$ 250
Opening C$ 150.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 2
Symbol: Cvr
1793 (July 31), St. John to Halifax, Nova Scotia, folded letter from Jonathan Bliss to Sampson Salter Blowers, with choice strike of the rare ST. JOHN N:B / JUL 31 93 two-line datestamp (Jephcott 12) on the bottom flap, manuscript rate 'N9/(+)1/10' in red, slight discolored filing fold, else very fine, an exceptional Revolutionary War period letter; ex "Maritimus".
The letter from Jonathan Bliss to Nova Scotia Attorney General Sampson Salter Blowers, is a fascinating wartime manuscript letter discussing the exposed military condition of Nova Scotia and neighbouring territories during the American Revolutionary War, with Bliss candidly stating “here we are in no condition to repel an attack,” noting weakness along “the whole sea coast,” reporting that “the whole N.B. Regt does not at present contain above 150 or 160 men,” warning settlements might be left “pillaged or burned,” and remarking that “the little ports in the Gulf of St Lawrence are not very safe.” He further offers important commentary on insecurity, inadequate troop strength, and fear of coastal attack in British North America.
Jonathan Bliss (1742–1822) was a Massachusetts-born Loyalist lawyer who left New England during the Revolution and later became the first Chief Justice of New Brunswick, playing a leading role in the legal and political formation of the province. Sampson Salter Blowers (1741–1842) was likewise Massachusetts-born, a prominent Loyalist barrister who served as Attorney General of Nova Scotia at the time of this letter and later became Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, remaining one of the colony’s most influential public figures for decades.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 1,200
Opening C$ 600.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 3
Symbol: Cvr
1810 (February 16), Shotleyfield, Gateshead to General Hunter in Fredericton, folded letter and estate accounts datelined Shotleyfield Feb. 16, 1810, handstamped DURHAM / 263 mileage mark, rated 11d currency collect and 2/2 in red, endorsed 'single sheet', backstamped with faint Halifax (13 May) straight-line, the letter detailing repairs to farm buildings on the Hunter estates, plantation growth, and outstanding conveyances, vertical file fold and some wear to folds, a scarce letter to a prominent military figure.
General Sir Martin Hunter (1757–1846), a native of Medomsley, County Durham, arrived in New Brunswick in 1803 as colonel of the New Brunswick Fencibles, the regiment that would later become the 104th Foot. As the senior military officer in the province he effectively governed New Brunswick from 1808. This letter, written from his native county and concerning the management of estates in the Durham countryside, reached him in Fredericton via Halifax in the spring of 1810, by which time Hunter was firmly established as the province's de facto governor.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 350
Opening C$ 200.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 4
Symbol: Cvr
1810 (September 2), folded letter from Fredericton to St. John, with commercial contents touching on debts, lawsuits, and timber,rated 7d in manuscript, reverse with clear FRED,N N.B. / 2 SEPTBxR 1810 datestamp, small tear at top and stain from previous adhesive repair, else a fine example of this scarce early marking. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 300
Opening C$ 200.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 5
Symbol: Cvr
1813 (December 7), Fredericton to Windsor, folded commercial letter, with manuscript Paid / 11d at upper right, overstruck with red circular PAID handstamp, endorsed "via Digby / Paid", reverse with fair FREDE,N, N.B. / 7 DEC, R; 1813 datestamp, quite fresh and very fine; ex deVolpi. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 300
Opening C$ 200.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 6
Symbol: Cvr
Cat No: Collection
1814 (October 11), Stockbridge, United States, to New Brunswick, folded letter datelined Lebanon Sep. 24, 1814 and continued at Stockbridge Oct. 11, 1814, rated N7 in manuscript, with faint ST. JOHN N.B. handstamp at upper left, contemporary manuscript note on reverse directing the letter via Eastport to the care of Mr. Tabor, money "to be forwarded to the States," the letter with extensive personal contents, recounting four months of illness and travel to the Ballston and Lebanon waters in search of restored health, and contemplating a visit to New Brunswick, fine-very fine and quite fresh. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 150
Opening C$ 90.00
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Nova Scotia
Sale No: 56
Lot No: 18
Symbol: Cvr
Cat No: Collection
1750 (August 25), Halifax to Newport, Rhode Island, via Boston, folded letter datelined "Halifax 25th Aug. 1750," carried privately to Boston, with received and forwarded notation on reverse datelined "Boston Sept. 10, 1750," manuscript "Bo 2/6" postmark, the 2sh/6p rate reflecting the 7.5-times inflation factor applied to convert British postage to Massachusetts Old Tenor currency, very fine and rare; ex Dr. Robertson.
ONE OF THE EARLIEST PRIVATELY OWNED LETTERS ORIGINATING IN HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA.
Halifax itself had been established only a year before this letter was written, with the arrival of Edward Cornwallis on June 21, 1749, and the consequent relocation of the colonial capital from Annapolis Royal. A 1752 folded letter from the Steinhart collection was previously considered as the earliest recorded privately-held example, and was offered as such in the 2005 auction of his collection. A further letter from Halifax from late 1749 is also known.
Samuel Vernon (1711–1792) was one of the most prominent merchants in colonial Newport, Rhode Island, operating alongside his brother William in one of the most successful mercantile dynasties in New England. He was among the most vocal opponents of the Stamp Act of 1765, and was a committed Patriot throughout the Revolutionary War period. His Newport home became one of the most historically significant private residences in Revolutionary America; when French forces arrived to support the American cause, it served as the headquarters of the Comte de Rochambeau.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 3,500
Opening C$ 1,800.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 19
Symbol: Cvr
1795 (March 14), folded letter Halifax to Quebec City, with contents of military interest, rated 1/8 in manuscript, struck on reverse with segmented double-circle HALIFAX / N. SCOTIA c.d.s. (15 Mar), small adhesive repair to reverse, else a fine-very fine early letter.
The letter includes interesting military and postal contents, the writer referring to packet arrivals from New England, the garrison and an officer of the 39th Regiment, together with remarks on fleet strength, shipping movements, and local prices.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 300
Opening C$ 180.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 20
Symbol: Cvr
1802 (April 7), Guernsey to Annapolis Royal, folded letter rated "1/10" plus "2d" Captain's gratuity and 9d inland postage, for a total of 11d at foot, noted "to pay 2" at upper left, struck with curved GUERNSEY handstamp, endorsed "via Halifax", with bold two-line HALIFAX / JUN 3 1801 backstamp, the year incorrect, some light edge toning, a scarce origin for incoming mail.
The contents consist of a long family letter, reporting the death of an elderly relation, conveying sympathies from an aunt in reduced circumstances owing to heavy taxes, enclosing a draft for Twenty Pounds Sterling for the sister's use and that of her children, the writer having sold out of the Army to become Barrack Master.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 500
Opening C$ 250.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 21
Symbol: Cvr
1815 (November 29), St. John to Aberdeen, with DIGBY / DEC straight-line, folded letter datelined St. John, New Brunswick, various manuscript rate markings totaling 2/5 for the journey from Halifax to Aberdeen via Falmouth, struck with framed "ADD 1/2" for the Scottish Wheel Tax, struck at upper left with DIGBY handstamp with manuscript '9 DEC', manuscript 'After Closing' deleted presumably after payment of 1d late fee, Halifax fleuron in transit (3 Feb), manuscript docket noting receipt 27 March, the letter detailing the estate of the late Mr. Arthur Dingwall of St. John, his real and personal property, the validity of his Will and codicil, and the competing claims of creditors, file fold, else quite fresh and fine; an elusive marking. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 300
Opening C$ 180.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 22
Symbol: Cvr
1821 (August 21), military letter from Halifax to Fredericton, addressed to a Sergeant, "Late of 107th Foot", endorsed "On H.M. Service", rated 11 in red manuscript and signed by the Deputy Adjutant General, struck with rimless HALIFAX N.S. / PAID datestamp, light trivial toning, else very fine.
The letter acknowledges the petition of a former sergeant in the King's New Brunswick Regiment (104th), the Deputy Adjutant General informing him that his memorial and original discharge papers had been transmitted to Head Quarters through Major General Smyth, with directions that Lieutenant General Sir James Kempt should, if he found sufficient grounds, recommend the memorialist's case to the favourable consideration of the Lords Commissioners of Chelsea Hospital, the document signed by H.B. Harris, Lt. Col., Deputy Adjutant General's Office, Halifax, 20 August 1821.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 200
Opening C$ 100.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 23
Symbol: Cvr
1825 (October 25), Post Office Pictou / Paid, folded letter to Halifax, folded letter, with contents including reference to charitable relief for the Mirimachi Fire, datelined Bailey's Brook, rated 7/Paid in manuscript and "Post Paid" at top, very fine strike of the POST OFFICE PICTOU / PAID handstamp, light filing folds, a choice example of this scarce marking.
The letter refers to charitable efforts made to aid "the sufferers of Mirimachie, in consequence of the late conflagration with which they were visited...", describing the "benevolent response" of the people of Halifax, listing aid collected including bushes of biscuits, together with clothing and other necessities. An exceptional contemporary witness to a devastating natural disaster. The Great Miramichi Fire, one of North America's largest wildfires, occurred on October 7, 1825. It began on October 6 and swept through northeastern New Brunswick, Canada, on the 7th, burning nearly 16,000 square kilometers, roughly one fifth of the province and destroying communities.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 500
Opening C$ 300.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 24
Symbol: Cvr
1826 (August 28), Post Office Annapolis, folded cover to Halifax, rated 9+1 / 10 in manuscript, denoting the postage plus local delivery, handstamped with POST OFFICE / ANNAPOLIS double-circle (Type 42), with date in manuscript, file fold, with some light separation at top, else a fine-very fine example of this difficult postmark; ex Dr. Sandy Clark. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 200
Opening C$ 100.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 25
Symbol: Cvr
1832 (September 8), Post Office Sydney double-circle, on folded commercial letter datelined St. John's, to Monmouth, New Brunswick, manuscript rates '1N6' and '1N6' totalling '3N', struck with the double circle POST OFFICE / SYDNEY handstamp (Type 53) with manuscript date (8 Oct 1832) filled in, faint Halifax fleuron in transit, usual filing folds, else fine-very fine and scarce; ex Dr. Sandy Clark. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 350
Opening C$ 200.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 26
Symbol: Cvr
Cat No: Collection
1842 (June 24), Hillsburgh to Halifax, folded letter from Israel Rice, addressed to Charles Wallace, Provincial Treasurer in Halifax, datelined Hillsburgh June 24, 1842, with bold strike of the BRIDGETOWN N.S. Crown double circle handstamp (Jephcott 64, MacDonald 71), light file folds clear of marking, otherwise very fine and rare, with only a small number of other examples thought to exist, this cover having graced several prominent collections of the past; ex John H.M. Young (Sissons, 1964), J. Grant Glassco (Robson Lowe, November, 1969) and Dr. Sandy Clark (Eastern Auctions, March 2011).
The sender, Israel Rice (c. 1802–1866) was a United Empire Loyalist and a founder of the Bear River Baptist Church near Hillsburg (now Bear River), Digby County, Nova Scotia.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 1,500
Opening C$ 900.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 27
Symbol: Cvr
1843 (January 6), "FREE" rated letter from Liverpool, Nova Scotia, to Halifax, with contents sent by Samuel Fairbanks to the Provincial Secretary's Office, concerning the impact of heavy snowfall on a road survey between Mills Village and La Have Bridge, endorsed "H.M.S." in manuscript, with small octagonal FREE handstamp (Type 273) at upper right, reverse with Liverpool (6 Jan) and Halifax (9 Jan) double split-ring backstamps, vertical filing folds, else fresh and very fine; a rare Free handstamp, with MacDonald recording only one further strike, ex "Halifax" (Christie's Robson Lowe, 1984) and Sandy Clark. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 500
Opening C$ 250.00
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Pre-Confederation Ontario
Sale No: 56
Lot No: 28
Symbol: Cvr
1818 (August 6), "Overcharge" letter, Kingston to Montreal, with contents datelined August 6, rated "2N" in manuscript with "Overchange 1/-" notation alongside, reverse with faint Kingston two-line despatch strike, a most unusual entire, and a deliberate overcharge, the appropriate rate to Montreal being 9d, the additional likely pocketed by a post office official, typical filing folds, else very fine and most unusual; ex Lussey, with his handstamp, Sanderson.
Such overcharging was a common grievance of the time, centered on the arbitrary inflation of postal rates, with clerks frequently "rounding up" charges or misclassifying single-sheet letters as doubles to extract unauthorized fees. These surplus funds were widely believed to be pocketed by local postmasters rather than remitted to the General Post Office.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 250
Opening C$ 150.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 29
Symbol: Cvr
1820 (March 28), Brockville straight-line on folded letter to Joel Stone, founder of Gananoque, with administrative & legal contents written by the High Sheriff of the Johnstown District, John Stuart, rated "4" in manuscript, with bold BROCKVILLE straight-line alongside, light filing folds, a very fine letter between two prominent figures in Upper Canada; ex Sanderson, J. Grant Glassco.
Joel Stone (1749–1833) was a Connecticut-born Loyalist. After losing his property and being imprisoned during the American Revolution, he fled to Upper Canada to start over, eventually founding the town of Gananoque on a strategic 700-acre land grant where the Gananoque River meets the St. Lawrence. Among other roles, he served as Colonel of the 2nd Leeds Militia, a role that became legendary during the War of 1812 when he unsuccessfully tried to defend his home and the local stores from an American raid led by Benjamin Forsyth.
John Stuart (1777–1835) was the influential High Sheriff of the Johnstown District based in Brockville, where he served as a key judicial official and a pillar of the region's Tory establishment. He was the son of the Reverend John Stuart, the pioneering Anglican missionary known as the "Spiritual Father of Upper Canada." (Image1)
Estimate C$ 250
Opening C$ 150.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 30
Symbol: Cvr
1828 (October 5), Perth straight-line on folded letter to Hamnett Pinhey in March, from Henry LeLievre, written at Elm Grove, near the March/Richmond area of the Ottawa Valley, to Hamnett Pinhey at Horace Ville, March, rated 4½ in manuscript, sent care of Daniel McMartin, reverse with bold strike of Perth straight-line, typical file folds, yet a select example of this scarce marking, and a fascinating letter touching four locally prominent figures of the period, including the sender, who was implicated in the last fatal duel in Upper Canada.
In the enclosed letter, LeLievre writes of his tense departure from "Britannia", as his host did "nothing but curse and swear at me." This is a likely reference to the present-day neighbourhood in Ottawa that was, at the time, owned by Captain John LeBreton, the unpleasant departure supported by the Dictionary of Canadian Biography's reference to LeBreton as "in an almost constant state of grievance."
The letter's recipient, Hamnett Kirkes Pinhey (1784–1857), was a wealthy London merchant who retired to the Ottawa Valley in 1820. He was the ultimate "Gentleman Settler," bringing a massive library, fine silver, and a desire to recreate British aristocratic life in the wilderness. His colourful past included reputed service as spy for the British Crown, allegedly carrying secret dispatches to the King of Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars. His impressive estate named "Horaceville" is today the Pinhey's Point National Historic Site. The letter's apparent intermediary, Daniel McMartin, was a significant legal figure in Perth, whose home - McMartin House - is also a National Historic Site.
LeLievre's greatest notariety came from his involvement in the Last Fatal Duel in Upper Canada, where he served a "Second" for his friend Robert Lyon. After the two combatants, Lyon and John Wilson, both fired and missed their first shots, an outcome that legally and socially should have ended the dispute, LeLievre infamously intervened. Refusing to allow a reconciliation, he insisted the duel continue to a second round, which resulted in Lyon being shot through the heart. Facing public outrage and a charge of aiding and abetting murder, LeLievre fled to self-imposed exile in Australia.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 500
Opening C$ 300.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 31
Symbol: Cvr
1828 (November 28) Brockville straight-line on folded letter to Grimsby, addressed to Abraham Nelles of the prominent Niagara-area family, rated 1/2 in red manuscript, struck on reverse with choice BROCKVILLE / NOV.28 straight-line, small faults at left, else fine-very fine; ex Sanderson. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 120
Opening C$ 60.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 32
Symbol: Cvr
Cat No: Collection
1829 (May 24), Brockville straight-line on folded letter from Elizabethtown, with contents signed by John Kilborn, addressed to Messrs. Millar Parlane & Co., Merchants, Montreal, struck with straight-line BROCKVILLE despatch, rated "10d" in manuscript, the contents a debt letter explaining the writer's inability to settle a balance owing, noting he is "making ashes" again and expects to pay in July or early August, a very fine letter from a prominent local merchant.
John Kilborn served as Justice of the Peace, and member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada, and was leading figure in the commercial life of the Elizabethtown and Brockville district. He established a successful lumber business there to supply the construction of the Rideau Canal.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 150
Opening C$ 80.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 33
Symbol: Cvr
1832 (October 15), missionary letter from St. Catharines to New York, addressedto Rev. Absalom Peters, Corresponding Secretary of the Home Missionary Society, rated "BP 6½" in red, faintly struck PAID alongside, crossed-out and re-rated "23" below, postmarked with clear St. Catharines double split-ring, 1829 Type with date in manuscript, with fine Lewiston exchange office transit datestamp below, fresh and very fine.
The address of the Home Missionary Society was 144 Nassau Street, noted at the lower left of this cover, at the same location as the American Tract Society, and later the Anti-Slavery Society. A hub for publishing and journalism in the nineteenth century, and home to dozens of printing houses, magazines, and bookstores, Nassau Street later become the epicenter of the U.S. stamp trade.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 180
Opening C$ 90.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 34
Symbol: Cvr
1836, "Too Late" folded letter from St. Catharines to Sackets Harbour, with extensive religious contents, endorsed "single" and with multiple manuscript rate markings denoting the various charges between the Canadian and United States portions, handstamped PAID twice alongside, postmarked with crisp St. Catharines double split-ring, with date in manuscript, handstamped TOO LATE, indicating that the letter was held over after arriving after the bags to the United States were closed, filing folds, very fine strikes; ex Sanderson.
In the enclosed letter, St. Catharines businessman A. K. Boomer appeals to the American revivalist Rev. Jedediah Burchard to cross the border and revitalize the "cold, formal" religious landscape of Upper Canada, recounting a surreal dream in which his own "preaching candles" repeatedly go out, only to be relit and held by Burchard, a controversial and charismatic American Presbyterian evangelist of the "Second Great Awakening."(Image1)
Estimate C$ 120
Opening C$ 60.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 35
Symbol: Cvr
1840 (February 20) folded letter from the Postmaster of Erieus, to Montreal, struck with small red "FREE" above Postmaster's manuscript "JWL / P.M." endorsement, select strike of ERIEUS U.C. double split-ring with date in manuscript, a charming and scarce Kent County cover. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 150
Opening C$ 90.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 36
Symbol: Cvr
1840 (July 23), steamboat letter from Picton to Kingston, entire letter from the Reverend William Macaulay to his mother in Kingston, boldly endorsed "Pr. Str. Albion" at top, manuscript "4½" (pence) charge, struck with fair early example of the small red STEAM BOAT handstamp (Kingston type), introduced in 1839, particularly desirable on a cover denoting a clearly named vessel, very fine; ex Sanderson.
William Macaulay (1794–1874), born into a powerful Kingston Loyalist family and a member of the Family Compact that governed Upper Canada, was the primary architect of Picton's civic identity, famously surveying his inherited landholdings into a town plot which he named "Picton" in honour of a British general. The Albion was built at Brockville in 1840, and ran between Belleville and Kingston.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 400
Opening C$ 200.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 37
Symbol: Cvr
1841 (February 8), Matilda manuscript cancel on folded letter to Toronto, rated "Paid 11" at upper right, with manuscript "Matilda, 8th Feby 1841" postmark, with legal contents regarding a power of attorney, a bold example of this scarce cancellation, very fine; ex Sanderson.
The Matilda post office opened in 1828 but no handstamp is recorded before 1851.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 150
Opening C$ 90.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 38
Symbol: Cvr
1843 (July 22), Money Letter from Amherstburg to Montreal, rated 8N4 in manuscript with bold PAID strike and "1/4 oz" endorsement, the contents note a £100 enclosure, reinforced by a manuscript "Money" notation and a crisp MONEY-LETTER handstamp alongside a choice Amherstburg UC double split-ring despatch, reverse with notation "Please let us know what time you shipd our goods as they have not yet arrived," an attractive cover illustrating an unusually high rate, very fine. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 100
Opening C$ 60.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 39
Symbol: Cvr
1861 (August 7), St. Thomas to Niagara, with crown mailbag seal, buff cover, rated with red "Paid 5" handstamp on face, obliterated by multiple strikes of the "23" 4-ring target cancel on arrival, postmarked with St. Thomas double split-ring despatch, with crown intaglio "NIAGARA" mailbag seal at lower left and "Unpaid 7" handstamp, reverse with Clifton, London, and partial RPO transit backstamps, with clear Niagara (9 Aug) receiver, a very fine and desirable cover of exceptional visual appeal, the intaglio Niagara mailbag seal rarely found on cover; ex Sanderson. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 750
Opening C$ 500.00
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Pre-Confederation Quebec
Sale No: 56
Lot No: 40
Symbol: Cvr
1768 (January 20), folded letter from St. Paul's Bay to Quebec City, datelined "St. Pauls Bay Jan.ry 20th 1768," addressed to Jacob Row Esq. at Quebec, written by Jacob Belles concerning the seizure of land belonging to Jacques Perron at the request of Mr John Bernard, seeking the transfer of the seizure to the account of Moore and Finlay to recover a debt; a very fine example of early inland commercial correspondence from the Province of Quebec under British rule, written just five years after the Treaty of Paris of 1763 transferred New France to Great Britain.
The account of “Moore and Finlay” referenced in the letter is almost certainly that of Thomas Moore and James Finlay, one of the most prominent early British mercantile partnerships in post-Conquest Quebec, with extensive interests in the fur trade.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 500
Opening C$ 250.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 41
Symbol: Cvr
1773 (October 13), Quebec, bill of exchange for three thousand livres drawn by François Levesque, endorsed and protested for non-payment, incorporating a formal notarial protest dated at Nantes, 24 November 1773, recording the refusal to accept the bill, with two notarial signatures, "BRETAGNE / UN SOL" fee handstamp on reverse, very fine and most attractive.
François Lévesque (1732–1787) was a prominent French-born merchant and political figure in Quebec, associated with the firm of Havy et Lefebvre, who bridged the transition from the French regime to British rule. He remained in Canada after the British victory, becoming a member of the Legislative and Executive Councils.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 400
Opening C$ 250.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 42
Symbol: Cvr
1780s (February 16), Quebec to Montreal, stampless folded cover, an elusive fully prepaid example bearing clear "QUEBEC" framed straight-line handstamp with matching boxed "PAID" marking and manuscript "9" rate for the 101–200 miles distance, choice "16/FE" Bishop mark on reverse, very fine and rare, with exceptional quality strikes; ex Sanderson. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 750
Opening C$ 450.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 43
Symbol: Cvr
1787 (March 27), stampless folded letter from Yamachiche to Montreal, datelined 27 March 1787, written in French by Pierre Du Chesne (Seigneur of Grosbois-Est), addressed to "Mr. Walker, Avocat" in "Montre alle" (Montreal), rated "7" in manuscript, the rate for single letters carried 61–100 miles, the letter handed to the Quebec–Montreal courier for carriage, paper fragile, with some separation in places along folds, otherwise, very fine.
A postal route between Quebec City and Montreal was operating by the 1760s, but service extended only along the main corridor. Yamachiche, situated on the north shore of the St. Lawrence between the two cities, had no post office until 1831, obliging residents to entrust their correspondence to the Quebec–Montreal courier or otherwise arrange from private carriage of letters. Pierre LeSieur dit Duchesne (1705–1790) was the Seigneur of Grosbois-Est (Yamachiche). He is best known for his 1767 grant of land to nearly 200 Acadian exiles following the Great Upheaval, establishing the region as a primary Acadian sanctuary. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 450
Opening C$ 250.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 44
Symbol: Cvr
1788 (October 27), Berthier straight-line on folded letter to Montreal, with contents datelined "Deschambault" 27th October 1788, carried "per favour of Christopher Fornyea, Bricklayer", rated "4½" in manuscript with "BERTHIER" straight-line backstamp, the Berthier post office having opened in 1771 with its first recorded handstamp dating from 1781, archival adhesive repairs to folds in places and some light stains, else fine and scarce.
The letter is written by Garret Miller, concerning a debt he is unable to repay immediately, noting that his large family obliges him to send some of his children out to work. He further remarks that the United Empire Loyalists expected their losses to be compensated the following spring, reflecting the broader frustration of United Empire Loyalists in British North America, many of whom had been pursuing claims for losses suffered as a result of their loyalty to the Crown since the end of the American Revolutionary War.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 250
Opening C$ 150.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 45
Symbol: Cvr
1794 (August 21), folded cover to Major General Holland, Surveyor General, Quebec, endorsed "H.M.S.", with manuscript free frank of "E.B. Littlehales" in manuscript, with receipt docketing on reverse "from Major Littlehales / 21 August 1794 / Came to Hand / Sept 5th," the franking privilege in Canada being permitted to Postmasters, Surveyors General, and for letters and packets to and from the King, intact wax seal on reverse, light filing folds, fine.
Major Samuel Holland (1728–1801) was Surveyor General of Quebec and one of the most significant figures in the mapping of British North America, responsible for surveys of extraordinary scope including the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Prince Edward Island, and much of the eastern seaboard. His correspondent, Major Edward Baker Littlehales, served as Military Secretary to Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe of Upper Canada.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 200
Opening C$ 120.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 46
Symbol: Cvr
1797 (January 13), folded cover with BERTHIER straight-line, to Quebec City, rated "9" in red manuscript alongside handstruck PAID in black, reverse with very fine strike of BERTHIER straight-line, tear to upper left of front, an ideal example of this cancellation. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 100
Opening C$ 60.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 47
Symbol: Cvr
1800 (circa), Montreal straight-line on folded cover to Francois Baby, rated "8" (8d sterling) and "9" (9d currency) in red manuscript, struck with clear Montreal straight-line despatch at top, largely intact wax seal on reverse, a desirable cover to a prominent figure in Lower Canada.
François Baby (1773-1820) was a French-Canadian fur-trader and businessman, militia officer and politician, who served as one of the most prominent executive councillors of Lower Canada. He fought for the French during the Seven Years War, but took the Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown following the fall of Quebec. Due in large part to Baby’s engaged resistance to the American invasion of 1775-76, Governor Haldimand appointed him to the legislative council for the Province of Quebec in 1778.(Image1)
Estimate C$ 120
Opening C$ 60.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 48
Symbol: Cvr
1800 (September 1), THREE RIVER straight-line on quadruple rate cover, fromJoseph Badeaux to the Secretary for the Commission for the Administration of Jesuit Property in Quebec City, noted "1 oz" at upper left and rated "2N4" in manuscript at upper right, struck with clear "THREE ● RIVER" straight-line in black, a desirable example of this elusive marking. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 750
Opening C$ 450.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 49
Symbol: Cvr
1801 (October 19), Post Office Montreal wax seal, on folded cover to W.J. Neilson, to the care of W. Boutillier, Post Office, Quebec, with fine MONTREAL / 19 OCT 1801 despatch backstamp, lovely POST OFFICE MONTREAL red wax seal on reverse, some overall creasing, an attractive seal. (Image1)
Estimate C$ 200
Opening C$ 100.00
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Sale No: 56
Lot No: 50
Symbol: Cvr
1821 (November 14), La Prairie straight-line, on folded cover to Lewis Foy in Quebec, rated 10 in manuscript and struck PAID in red alongside, reverse with red "LA PRAIRIE" straight-line, manuscript "Nov 14th 1821" below, a fresh cover and scarce marking, recorded only between 1820-1829. (Image1)
