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Auction: 7044 - GB Stamps & Postal History
Lot: 1096

Great Britain Other Illustrated Envelopes 1841 (18 Jan.) an entire letter from Belfast to the Reverend Dobbin at Ballymena, bearing 1840 1d. plate V, KE (margins all round, just touched at bottom-left) tied by light strike of the red Maltese Cross, the interior being a printed anti-Catholic propaganda poster - a pictorial ´cartoon´ scene of the Rev. Henry Cooke, D.D., offering up a bottle labelled "Cookes Anti-Bilious Pill" to a barrister who is vomiting into a large bowl whilst attended by two characters personifying the Catholic church (he wears a mitre emblazoned by the Papal ´crossed-keys´ motif) and Satan (he has cloven hooves and a forked tail) and a dog with human head (his collar reads "Charles McAlister Esq." saying "Bow. Bow. I am Dan´s wee dog, whose dog are you?" - the speech captions relating to Protestant opposition to the proposed "Catholic Emancipation" Act being considered by Parliament and which mentions "Dan" (Daniel O´Connell) who had recently visited Belfast in support of the Act. The Rev. Henry Cooke was the champion of Protestant dissent against emancipation - his image still appears on banners of the Orange Order who regard him as a hero. A very rare and most attractive item. See also the previous lot. Photo Estimate £ 1,700-2,000

Sold for
£1,600