at Central Hall, Westminster, S.W.1, 15th-22nd March.
As announced in our January issue our Circle was invited to provide an exhibit for which two frames (60 & 61) were allocated. For the benefit of those who were unable to attend the following is a brief account of the material shown. The names of our members who kindly loaned pages from their respective collections are given in brackets.
BAHAMAS: Ship Letter to Nassau per Sloop 'Mary' about 1850. S.G.2. used, S.G.3. used and S.G.4. unused, 1d. S.G.4 and 7 unused also De La Rue no watermark issue including 1d. unused and 4d. and 6d. used with compound perforation. (Dr. N. Garrard. F.R.P.S.L.).
BARBADOS: Early postmarks and cancellations. 1st Type 1852-63. Examples of parish numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10 and 11. 2nd Type of postmark in use from 1863 until 1878 at the G.P.O. and until 1887 in the parish offices. 3rd Type of postmark in use at G.P.O. from 1876 to 1902, the cancelling mark being the 'Boot-heel' without the numeral; the letters 'A' to ' D ' indicating the time of posting. Fine example on entire of the duplex mark dated May 14th 1888 and marked 'LATE FEE'. Examples of 3rd Type parish postmarks 1887-1907. (Mr. F. R. Fordham)
BRITISH GUIANA: Entire dated 7th June 1810 with date shown as '1801' in error. R. L. Type P.2 forming two thirds of a circle with the word DEMERARA'. Entire dated 20th June 1821 with 2 line postmark 'DEMERARY' in 6mm caps and the date on second line. Only example so far known and unrecorded by Robson Lowe. Entire single line postmark from BERBICE dated August 4th 1840 with BERBICE in caps. R.L. Type P1a. Another example dated March 24th 1841 with the word 'MAR' in caps. Not recorded by Robson Lowe. Complete used pane (12 stamps) of the 1882 issue printed locally by Baldwin & Co., Georgetown showing odd setting for 2 and 3 masts also the variety of figure '1' of 1 cent with a foot to it. (Mr. E. Shields Forshaw.)
GRENADA: Selection of pre-adhesives and a Postage Due cover. (Mrs. M. W. Taylor.) JAMAICA: Selection of temporary rubber datestamps, some of which are the only known examples. (Mr. A. A. Hershman.)
ST.VINCENT: Examples of S.G. 10, 11, 13, 14, 20 and 54 mint. Strip of 3 of S.G.3a mint, strip of 5 of S.G.6. mint, S.G. 6, 8, 17c, 28, 38 and 53, all mint. Pair of S.G. 29a and mint and used copies of 1d. on 6d. S.G.31. (Mr. J. J. Turner).
Among the individual displays we were pleased to see some BERMUDA material loaned by Mr. G. A. Osborn and Lt. Col. F. S. J. Norris.
on 21st January, 1958
Owing to the indisposition of our Hon. Secretary our Committee member - Mr. G. W. Groves - acted as leader and was accompanied by Mr. A. E. Beach and Cdr. G. Bridgmore Brown. Selected pages were shown as follows: Antigua (Mr. G. W. Groves), Bahamas (Miss Rose Titford), Bermuda (Cdr. G. Bridgmore Brown), Cayman Islands (Mr. P. T. Saunders), Jamaica (Mr. A. A. Hershman) and Tobago (Mr. A. E. Beach).
on 10th March. 1958
Our Hon. Secretary, accompanied by Miss Rose Titford, gave a display of varied material to a most attentive audience. An exhibit of Jamaica loaned by Mr. K. J, Robertson, who was unable to attend, included a most interesting study of U.S.A. stamps used in Jamaica during World War II. U.S. post offices were established there in 1941 for the exclusive use of U.S. Forces and U.S. civilians employed at the bases. A selection of covers were shown, including an example of the first type "First Day Cancel" between bars (Jul. 18 1941.) Other items included the bisected 1d. Pine. of 1861 used on large piece; fiscals used postally including a very fine cover, also the Red Cross labels used during 1915 and 1916. A selection of "Paquebot" marks concluded his display. Miss R. Titford showed a selection of Bahamas and St. Christopher early issues, prefaced by plate proofs of the first colony and with pre-adhesives in St. Kitts. Mr. P. T. Saunders contributed pages from his collection of Cayman Islands with examples of Jamaica stamps used in Caymans, the surcharged provisionals of 1907, "Specimen" stamps and a range of the later issues.
As most members will be aware this is being held at the Grand Hotel, Folkestone, Kent, from the 27th - 30th May under the auspices of The Cinque Ports Philatelic Society. All being well, our Hon. Secretary hopes to attend and Miss Rose Titford and Mr. G. W. Groves have been appointed the Circle's Delegates. The customary meeting of our Circle will take place on the Thursday evening - May 29th - and the time and location can be ascertained on enquiry at the Congress Office. It is hoped that our President will take the chair and as there will be no special display by our Circle on this occasion each member who attends is requested to bring along a dozen or so of his (or her) favourite pages to pass round and a note of any queries to be raised.
This took place in the meeting room of the Royal Philatelic Society, London and was attended by twenty-four members and three visitors. Our Hon. Secretary opened the proceedings by welcoming those present and read a letter from Mr. G. W. Collett, the President, apologising for his absence owing to ill health coupled with his good wishes for a successful meeting. It was the unanimous wish of all that the Hon. Secretary write to Mr. Collett expressing their regret at his inability to take his accustomed place in the chair and their hopes for his speedy recovery. The Hon. Secretary stated that, with the concurrence of the President, Cdr. G. Bridgmore Brown had been nominated as Chairman of the Circle. This on the proposition of the President and seconded by the Hon. Secretary was put to the meeting and carried unanimously. Cdr. G. Bridgmore Brown then took the chair. Following a brief report of the events of the past year our Hon. Secretary presented the accounts (see p.26) which were formerly adopted. As intimated in Bulletin No. 14, p.35, a Publications Sub-Committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Cdr. G. Bridgmore Brown who reported that two meetings had been held during the year. Some half dozen books for annotating notes, articles and queries on some of the colonies comprising the B.W.I. group were in circulation. Some of these books had been returned and, by and large, the response had been most encouraging, although some colonies had received better support than others. The books which covered Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Grenada, St. Vincent and Tobago were taking some time to go round but if members who receive them have something useful to add this was all to the good. Nevertheless members who were on the postal list were asked to circulate them without unnecessary delay. Most of the postal lists comprised twelve names or less and if there are any other members who possess some worthwhile information about a particular colony who were not receiving these books they should advise Cdr. Bridgmore Brown at 22, Park Hill Rise, Croydon, Surrey, who will arrange for their names to be placed on the register for their particular colony. There are some thirty members resident in the U.S.A. and whilst it is not practicable for the books to be sent to them it is suggested that one member in the U.S.A. might be appointed as a sort of "clearing house" for research by members in that country. Discussion had taken place as to how the material which had been collected so far and in the future should be put to the best use and whilst brief notes on specific queries can be disseminated in the Bulletin - which will always be welcome by the Editor - the Committee considered the Bulletin could hardly be regarded as a suitable medium for publishing the fuller information which it was the long term aim to attempt. It was also considered that it could not be too soon to establish a Publications Fund in order to finance the publication of more voluminous information which cannot be included in the restricted space available in the Bulletin. It was felt that it would be useful if a sum could he set aside from income each year and donations invited over and above subscriptions. Mr G. W. Groves proposed that an initial sum of £25 be transferred from the balance of £126 standing to the credit of the Circle's account as at 31st December, 1957, to a Publications Fund. Mr B. E. Johnson seconded the motion which was carried nem con. It was further suggested from the chair that it should be left to the discretion of the Hon. Treasurer how best to invest this sum. As on former occasions a number of pages were passed round which led to many interesting discussions and the following items taken at random will afford some idea of the material exhibited:
Mr. B. B. Benwell: Postal history of Barbados: a most interesting selection of early pre-adhesives included one dated 31st December 1795 addressed to Demerara, British Guiana: the straight line 'BARBADOES Dec. 1. 1800.' in two lines. The single line 'BARBADOES' dated 1804 and examples of the Crowned Circle marking.
Mr. L. E. Britnor: A fine selection of St. Kitts pre-adhesives commencing with the ST' KITTS (large caps) of 1790. (NOTE: These are the subject of an article on page 20 of this issue of the Bulletin.)
Cdr. G. Bridgmore Brown: Bermuda; the 'ST. G.' cancellation on a letter to Scotland bearing 6d. rate.
Mr. E. S. Forshaw: British Guiana; a used lc. black on magenta of 1852, S.G.9, and examples of other rarer lc. values. Two examples of the scarce 20mm. double circle of postmark with the three very fine lines at each side of the work 'GEORGETOWN' eliminated. T.P.O.'s via the Demerara railway; The Demerara railway has the distinction of being the first railway to be built on the continent of South America - opened on 3rd November 1848.
Mr. W. Jones: Barbados; a representation by diagrams of the peculiar wheel adopted by Perkins, Bacon & Co. for producing their pin-perforations for the stamps of Barbados and Trinidad together with a selection of Barbados first issues.
Mr. J. B. Marriott: Trinidad; S.G.56, mint, an example showing the top perfs. virtually clean-cut and black marks especially where pins did not punch through illustrating where greased paper had passed through the pins. Also the second recorded copy of the 6d. perf. 11½-12 compound with 11 with perf. 11at both sides, S.G.63b.
Lt. Col. F. S. J. Norris: a study of the Bermuda 1d. Q.V. suggesting a 'repair' in the area of the Queen's eye occurring on the lower left pane of the sheet of 240, stamp No. 58. Mr. G. A. Osborn: Bermuda combination covers. There was no air mail in Bermuda before June 1937 so that letters were posted bearing two stamps, one being the Bermuda stamp to prepay normal postage and the other being the U.S.A. air mail stamp carrying the onward journey from New York by air. Each stamp was cancelled by its parent country.
Mr. M. Steward: Leeward Islands; K.G. VI plate flaws. Several interesting features occurring on the lower values particularly on the ½d.
The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman who in turn expressed the appreciation of all to the Hon. Secretary of the Royal Philatelic Society for kindly placing the meeting room at our disposal. Close on fifty members and guests attended the Dinner which followed at Lord's Tavern, St. John's Wood Road, N.W.1. Mr. J. B. Marriott, Vice-President, was in the chair and after an excellent meal Mr K. F. Chapman, Editor of "Stamp Collecting" eloquently proposed the toast to our Circle and wished it continued success in the future to which Mr. Marriott responded in appreciative terms. The toast to the guests was proposed by Miss Rose Titford in her inimitable style. Mr E. W. Stokes (President of the Association of Essex Philatelic Societies) in his reply stressed how philately results in the making of many friends and he knew he was voicing the thoughts of all the guests when he said that it was a most enjoyable evening.