Andrew Cowie, Leather Manufacturer and Assemblyman, Liverpool
This small envelope carries a 5¢ blue Queen Victoria stamp and was posted at Halifax on 27 January 1866, addressed to “Andrew Cowie Esq. M.P.P., Liverpool, N.S.” Its recipient was a sitting member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and the letter reached him less than three months before the House voted on the resolution that took the province into Confederation. Cowie, or a clerk, filed it with a note written up the left side: “Letter from James King relative to the Steam
7 minutes ago14 min read
James Cadegan, Storekeeper, Little Glace Bay
Nova Scotia # 10 on a folded letter mailed February 11, 1867 from Halifax to Little Glace Bay, Cape Breton. Addressed to Mr James Cadegan, Little Glace Bay, Cape Breton. Endorsed “per mail” at lower left. Stamp tied with barred oval cancellation. Backstamps HALIFAX FE 11 67, LITTLE GLACE BAY FE 13 67. The Cover The letter is written on a folded sheet of pale blue ribbed paper, the horizontal “repp” texture visible right across the scan. It is addressed in a confident commerci
3 hours ago9 min read
Joseph Sparrow Thompson, Clerk, Halifax
This cover left Halifax in January 1866, franked with a single 10-cent vermilion Queen Victoria and endorsed by the sender “Per Steamer Asia via Boston”. It is addressed to Mr Joseph Thomson, Care of Mr W. C. Williams, 179 West Street, New York U.S. On its own it is a tidy example of the cross-border rate to the United States. Following the addressee, however, leads to a Halifax family with an unusually close connection to the Nova Scotia Post Office, and to a younger brother
17 hours ago8 min read
Richard Jones Croxon, solicitor
Halifax to Shropshire by the Cunard steamer Arabia, July 1862 Some covers arrive with a family story attached. This one arrived with almost nothing: no sender, no enclosure, no docketing, just an address, a stamp and three postmarks. But postmarks are evidence, and in this case they were enough to identify the ship that carried the letter across the Atlantic, and that ship turns out to have a story of her own, one that keeps returning to Nova Scotian waters. The Cover The env
1 day ago12 min read
Captain John Broderick and a Letter to Five Islands
Nova Scotia # 10 on January 6, 1866 cover from Halifax to Five Islands, Nova Scotia. Addressed to Captain John Broderick, Five Islands, Cumberland Co, N.S. Stamp tied with barred oval cancellation and manuscript cancellation. Backstamps H(alifax) JA 6 1866, HORTON LANDING JA __ 1866, ? LONDONDERRY JA 7, 1866. Nova Scotia # 10 on a cover mailed at Halifax on January 6, 1866, addressed to Captain John Broderick, Five Islands, Cumberland Co., N.S. Stamp tied by a barred oval, wi
2 days ago10 min read
Miss Dolina Macdonald, Student Teacher
Nova Scotia # 10, lower marginal stamp, on "lady's" cover mailed September 10, 1867 from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia to Truro, Nova Scotia. Addressed to Miss Dolina MacDonald, Normal School, Care of Rev. Alexr Forrester, D.D., Truro, Nova Scotia. Stamp tied with barred oval cancellation. Backstamps NEW GLASGOW, SE 10, 1867, TRURO SE 10, 1867. The envelope is addressed: Miss Dolina Macdonald Normal School Care of Rev. Alexr Forrester, D.D.Truro, Nova Scotia It was mailed
6 days ago5 min read
A Halifax Merchant Writes to Baltimore
Nova Scotia # 12 on September 21, 1864 cover from Halifax to Baltimore. Addressed to Messrs James Corner & Sons, Baltimore. Manuscript "pr str 'Commerce' via Boston" on front. Stamp tied with barred oval cancellation. Backstamp HALIFAX SP 21 1864. Manuscript D. H. Pitts, Sept 21/27 1864 inside back flap. The envelope was addressed to: Messrs. James Corner & Sons Baltimore Across the top is the routing instruction “pr Str ‘Commerce,’ via Boston.” A 10¢ Nova Scotia Queen Victor
7 days ago8 min read
