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Auction: 8029 - Soldiers' Rates of the BE - Gerald Sattin Collection
Lot: 38

Mauritius 1814 (1 Mar.) entire letter "from George Middlemiss Solldier Captain Lawrence Company 72 Regiment Islle of france" (annotated on reverse) to London, showing a superb strike of the oval-framed "port.louis/post. free" h.s. in red (the sole recorded example) alongside oval-framed "Ship Letter/Crown/deal" h.s. and manuscript "2/-". A remarkable cover written just before the island was ceded to Great Britain. Photo Estimate £ 2,500-3,000 Note: In 1810 H.M. 72nd. Regiment formed part of an expedition from the Cape of Good Hope to join the troops from India in the capture of the island from the French. The Cape force arrived too late for any action, though on its arrival the French Governor surrendered the colony on 3rd. December. The regiment landed on the 7th. December, remaining on garrison duty until June 1814. The island was ceded to Great Britain on 30th. May 1814 A Post Office was established at Port Louis in 1811, but as no British Packet service to the island existed, and although free of Mauritius Inland Postage as a soldiers letter, the recipient was charged a full 2/- postage for transporting the letter to Deal by private ship plus the British inland Postage from Deal to London

Sold for
£4,500