Names and addresses on covers
Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 6:00 pm
Dear All,
I have started to sort out my KEVIII covers and find several familiar names and addresses that became old friends when I collected early KGVI covers. With the 1937 Coronation FDC, I had so many covers that I was able in many cases to figure out a probable quantity produced by a particular source, and sometimes which cylinder the stamps were from, and so on. One day I’ll formalize it all into charts and graphs and publish the results.... (I hope!).
During that exercise, there were names that cropped up time and again, like Capt. T Smye, Mr J Stephen, The Pearson sisters – golly, were they two spinsters who had a hyperactive nephew serving in North Africa, spending all his spare time sending them letters with combinations of over-printed stamps? Was Capt. Smye a naval officer who was obsessed with sending mail by sea, unable to stop until he had cachets from every sailing ship on the high seas? Mr Stephens must have had shares in the West Coast Air Services - and pilot Higgins was his brother-in-law! And many more.
The appearance of these names on a cover immediately signals, “Philatelic use”! And yet many are as normal-looking and non-philatelic in appearance as can be. And I often wonder whether the term ‘Philatelic use” is derogatory, simply indicative, or – like beauty – whatever the beholder wants it to be.
Which brings me to the main point of the message… are these names of interest, or relevance to anybody? Is there any source of information about who they were? Letters inside covers can be valuable additions to postal history knowledge, and can be treasured along with the covers. It seems to me that the names of the recipients can also tell stories, and put items into a different perspective. So if anybody knows of any sources, or has any anecdotes about the many familiar names, I for one would be more than happy to hear of them
Cheers from a newcomer to postal history,
Robin Restall
I have started to sort out my KEVIII covers and find several familiar names and addresses that became old friends when I collected early KGVI covers. With the 1937 Coronation FDC, I had so many covers that I was able in many cases to figure out a probable quantity produced by a particular source, and sometimes which cylinder the stamps were from, and so on. One day I’ll formalize it all into charts and graphs and publish the results.... (I hope!).
During that exercise, there were names that cropped up time and again, like Capt. T Smye, Mr J Stephen, The Pearson sisters – golly, were they two spinsters who had a hyperactive nephew serving in North Africa, spending all his spare time sending them letters with combinations of over-printed stamps? Was Capt. Smye a naval officer who was obsessed with sending mail by sea, unable to stop until he had cachets from every sailing ship on the high seas? Mr Stephens must have had shares in the West Coast Air Services - and pilot Higgins was his brother-in-law! And many more.
The appearance of these names on a cover immediately signals, “Philatelic use”! And yet many are as normal-looking and non-philatelic in appearance as can be. And I often wonder whether the term ‘Philatelic use” is derogatory, simply indicative, or – like beauty – whatever the beholder wants it to be.
Which brings me to the main point of the message… are these names of interest, or relevance to anybody? Is there any source of information about who they were? Letters inside covers can be valuable additions to postal history knowledge, and can be treasured along with the covers. It seems to me that the names of the recipients can also tell stories, and put items into a different perspective. So if anybody knows of any sources, or has any anecdotes about the many familiar names, I for one would be more than happy to hear of them
Cheers from a newcomer to postal history,
Robin Restall