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WEST INDIES MARITIME MAIL - PRE 1842
SHIP LETTERS

An entire from Morant Bay, Jamaica addressed to London endorsed to go on the Friendship,
Capt. Thomson Q.D.C. It was written on 27th April 1774 and was landed at Dartmouth where it
was struck with Tabeart SI. Dartmouth was one of the earliest ports to receive a Ship Letter hand
stamp. The cover was back stamped by a Bishop Mark on 27th June and charged 9d as a double
letter - Id Ship letter and. 2 x 4d for over 80 miles.

An entire concerned with shipments of sugar from Grenada written on 31st July 1784 which
arrived after the Act that implemented changes to the inland rates on 31st August of that year. It was
sent on the “Mary”, Capt. Boyd, and on arrival was struck with a plain “SHIP” mark in Greenock
(Tabeart SI). It was charged 5d to Glasgow which was a single rate under the new Act - Id ship
and 4d for two post stages.