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THE PROVISIONALS
In the space of 15 months in 1907 and 8 the Commissioner, who was the de facto Post
Master, found it necessary to issue five provisional adhesives, and on two separate occasions had
to resort to manuscript provisionals. This was termed the “Great Scandal” in the philatelic
community of the time, as it was believed that it was done to benefit the Commissioner, or other
Caymanians, especially as shortly afterwards a consignment of low value mint stamps was placed
in the London market. The Commissioner, George Hirst, was found not guilty of any wrong doing
by an enquiry in Jamaica and philatelists have traditionally blamed the inexperienced, 20 year
old Postmistress Miss Parsons, as she appeared shortly afterwards to have been demoted to
Assistant.
Recent investigation in the Cayman archives by the exhibitor has proved that this was not
the case. She was actually promoted to be Clerk to the Commissioner and only styled herself
“Assistant” because the Commissioner wanted the Post Office to stay open during the new Post
Master’s lunch time. The real villain was the Commissioner himself, who withdrew the low value
Edwardian and Victorian issues shortly after his arrival on the island in early 1907 because he
thought they were obsolete, and then refused to re-issue them when supplies of subsequent
requisitions were exhausted. Subsequently he persisted in ordering very small quantities of new
supplies. There is some evidence to suggest that he also benefited personally from the issue of the
2 'Ad on 4d which was unnecessary, most of which ended up in the hands of Adutt, the Cayman
collector, who was a family friend.
A manuscript provisional in blue pencil with no initial, dated 8th October 1908. It paid 'Ad, the
newly introduced postcard rate rather than the local letter rate of 'Ad for which it was under
franked. However it may have contained a card like the October provisionals and been sent at a
printed paper rate. One of only five known. Ex Meredith
