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Auction: 8029 - Soldiers' Rates of the BE - Gerald Sattin Collection
Lot: 91

Transvaal 1877 (18 May) pale green envelope (fancy cut flap on reverse) "From No. 1851 Jas. Butler Pte. in 1/13" at Pretoria to England, countersigned by the Commanding Officer and bearing 1877 (June) narrow setting "v. r./transvaal" (S.G. Type 4) on imperforate 1d. bright red lightly cancelled with target "1" and showing Pretoria (18.5) and Cape Town (4.6) c.d.s., the latter with trace of a London Paid c.d.s. in red below; the envelope a little soiled and with fault at foot though believed to be one of only two soldier´s covers bearing this First British Occupation overprint. R.P.S. Certificate (2003). Photo Estimate £ 1,200-1,500 Note: On 3rd. December 1874, the 1st. Battalion H.M. 13th. Light Infantry Regiment left Malta for service in the Cape of Good Hope and Natal aboard H.M.S. "Himalaya", arriving at Table Bay on 5th. January 1875. The engines of H.M.S. "Himalaya" having broken down, the battalion was ordered to continue its journey to Natal by 1/2-battalions. The right half reached Durban and then marched for Pietermaritzburg arriving on the 30th. The two halves of the battalion re-joined on 10th. January. In December 1876 Sir Theophilus Shepstone, Secretary for Native Affairs was sent to Pretoria as Her Majesty´´s Special Commissioner to negotiate matters concerning internal policy of the country, and under certain powers to annex the Transvaal to the British Crown. Troops, including H.M. 13th. Light Infantry, were placed at his disposal. The regiment was ordered to proceed to Newcastle. On 11th. April requested that the troops should be sent across the border without delay. They reached Pretoria on 4th. May. The Queen´´s birthday on 24th. May was selected as the day for annexation but due to bad weather this postponed to the following day

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£850