T.P. Walworth Postmark

[mcornes]

I have a nice 1d imperf mourning cover with a Maltese cross 7 cancel dated May 13 1843 on back. I am confused by the T.P. Walworth postmark on front. I have seen that type on stampless covers, but this is the first time I have come across this on a stamped cover.

In going through an old version of Whitney, (I need to get a new version one day) and I thought T.P meant two pence , but I must be wrong, so I am confused, and why would it be on a stamped cover

[mcornes]

Here is the postmark on back with an R on top of the date. Does that denote the receiving post office?

[Mike Jackson]

'T.P' does mean twopence; the handstamp was originally used in the London Twopenny Post, which became the London District Post. After the reforms of 1839/40, many old Penny Post and Twopenny Post handstamps were kept in use as namestamps, as in this case. Your letter was posted at the Walworth receiving office where the T.P handstamp was applied, then, because it was going out of London, it was passed to the Inland Office which obliterated the stamp and applied the 'R/13 MY 13/1843' backstamp. This is a morning duty c.d.s.; the evening duty ones had three letters per day on a strict cycle, but I'm not sure if the same applies to the morning duty.

[mcornes]

So was the use of these old pre-1840 hand stamps an authorized cancellation or was it just used by the office.

Your explanation of Morning vs Evening. do you have a reference for this that I could obtain or read as I am really interested in these details.

[Mike Jackson]

AFAIK these old pre-1840 handstamps were issued to the receiving offices by the Post Office but were never intended to be used as cancellations (although a few offices did so use them). Many are recorded in the official Impression Books.

Stitt Dibden's London Date Stamp Codes is the main source for the code letters, although it's a bit confusing!
https://www.gbps.org.uk/information/dow ... ations.php

Alcock & Holland, The Postmarks of Great Britain and Ireland (1940), gives a very useful account of the different types of marks.

Hugh Feldman's excellent Letter Receivers of London 1652–1857 (two vols, 1998) illustrates most London receiver's marks (I believe this book is still available from the Rossiter Trust).

[mcornes]

Thank you, I will try and get a copy of Feldman's books