"Our Hon. Secretary has asked me to contribute a few notes on this Colony. Let me confess at once that whilst I have a fairly straightforward collection of adhesives it is the Postal History and Postmark sides that interest me most. My collection begins with a letter written on the 1st August 1790 at Saint Georges Key which was then the headquarters of the Woodcutters and the scene of the battle of 1798 when the Spaniards, though upwards of 2,000 strong, were defeated by the "Bay-men" and the crew of the British sloop "Merlin." The letter went via Jamaica where it was stamped with the "IAMAICA" straight-line hand-stamp which was used as a transit mark. About 1800 Belize had a straight-line handstamp sent out (this is missing from my collection) which was then followed in the early 1840 Is by 2 type with the town name at top - date in two lines and double circle segments; the example in my possession is dated June 15th 1849; this was in use until the "A06" obliterator was introduced. British adhesives were supplied in 1857 in which year the first regular post office was opened. About 1872 an oval of bars with the "O" in the centre came into use and I have this on the issues of 1872, 1882 and the surcharges of 1888. Was this obliterator only used at Belize or was it for Corozal opened in 1862? About 1888 similar cancellations appeared but with "C" and "K65" in the centre. I have not got "C" but have the other on the 5c.Q.V. Key Plate.
In 1879 post offices were opened in Orange Walk, Punta Garda and Stann Creek and in 1888 in All Pivies, Monkey River and San ' Estevan. Has any one information whether the two last-named were used at one or the other of these offices? After these the ordinary circular types came into use but I have no information as to the earliest dates.
In 1935 the number of offices had increased to 30 whilst in April, 1953, a list kindly supplied by the Postmaster at Belize gives 34 offices under six districts, viz. - Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek and Toledo. Several of the offices in the 1935 list no longer appear. Cancellations from offices other than Belize are difficult to find and at the time of writing I only have Cayo, Corozal, Monkey River, Punta Garda and Stann Creek.
Air mail services were somewhat late coming into use and the first Internal Air Mail was that from Belize to El Cayo and back on the 17th August 1937, followed by that to Punta Garda on 15th March 1939. The Pan-American air line had been in the field for External Air Mail since 1929, the first acceptance of mail to Belize being 21st May and from Belize to Miami on 22nd May for which a special oval cachet was supplied. Presumably this became a regular service and I have a commercial cover addressed to the "Norwich Union" dated September 1940. Field's "Air Mail Digest" does not give any information after 1939 except for one short-lived service in 1950."