Page 313 - Sierra Leone to 1961 - The Collection

Royal Navy Packet

1849 Consignee Letter

1 May 1849 - Sierra Leone to London. Charge 2s. Carried as a consignee letter on HM Steamer Grappler.

Consignees letters were letters that referred to goods being carried on the ship, and London backstamp
were exempt from ship letter charges if destined for the port of arrival; if destined
elsewhere, inland postage only was payable. This concession did not apply to packets,
as specified by the legislation (3/4 Vic c 96) where it states that “all letters by packets
shall pay packet postage”.

HMS Grappler was an iron paddler steamer launched on 30 December 1845. It worked
along the West Coast of Africa to enforce the anti-slavery regime, under the command
of Lieutenant Commander Thomas Henry Lysaught. It was sold in 1850.

This letter was carried by HMS Grappler when it left Freetown on 3 May 1849. It
arrived at Portsmouth on 12 May.