British Parliamentary Post and Early Colonial Period continued...

THE FIRST AND ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS BOYD'S HOLE POSTMARK ON A COVER ADDRESSED TO CONRAD WEISER, A MAJOR FIGURE IN BUILDING THE COLONIAL FRONTIER THROUGH TREATIES HE NEGOTIATED WITH THE NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES.

The role of Conrad Weiser in American Colonial history is summed up in a website dedicated to his life: "Conrad Weiser's historical contributions to Pennsylvania simply cannot be overlooked. Weiser was predominantly responsible for negotiating every major treaty between the colonial settlers in Pennsylvania and the Iroquois Nations from 1731 until 1758. In addition to serving as one of the most knowledgeable and successful liaisons between the Indian and the colonists, Weiser was chiefly responsible for both the settlement of the town of Reading and the establishment of Berks County. Finally, in 1755, Weiser organized a local militia to quell Indian uprisings during the American phase of the Seven Years' War, and was appointed Colonel of the First Battalion of the Pennsylvania Regiment a year later." (www.conradweiserhomestead.org/history.htm). This cover reached Weiser shortly after he negotiated the Treaty of Lancaster in mid-1744.

Boyd's Hole is located on the Potomac River in King George County, Virginia. We were unable to locate any information about John Short or this postal marking, which is unrecorded in the ASCC and other sources. (Image)