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PICKFORD & BLACK
ALPHA & BETA
Cunard gave up its long established service between Halifax, Bermuda and Kingston in
1886. Pickford and Black purchased “Alpha” and “Beta” and continued them on the same route. In
addition, from 1891 they established a line between St John, New Brunswick, Bermuda and the
Lesser Antilles to British Guiana with the “Duart Castle” and the “Taymouth Castle”. This line
was subsidised by the Canadian Government and from 1900 was prevented by the terms of the
contract from calling at any United States port.
A cover addressed to Halifax, Nova Scotia franked with 2 x Id and '/2 d from the 1883,
Crown CA set paying the U.P.U. Vi oz. rate. These were cancelled by a Hamilton “1” duplex on 3ri1
April 189j . The cover was nominated to go on “A lpha” and was back stamped on arrival in Halifax
on the 7th, a 4-day transit.