Letter from London to Bergheim 1791

wvw1952

Hello,

Enclosed a scan of a letter, dated 1791, January 18th send to Bergheim. On the back there is the British rate of 1 shilling according the British tariff of 1711, June 1th for a single letter from Great-Britain to Germany via Antwerp or Amsterdam.
Can somebody help me with the explanation of the 14 written in the right upper corner (German rate ?) and where this rate was written?
The same question for the notice “de Londres”, was this written in Germany ?

Many thanks for your help.

Wvw1952

bayern klassisch

Hello wvw1952,

my opinion on that lovely letter is: Cologne wrote "de Londres" and the tax was 14 Albus, becuse who else could have known the German tax rate?

wvw1952

Hello,

Many thanks for your quick reply. I had two more questions : was 14 Albus the standard rate for letters from England? was there a difference for letters send via Antwerp or via Amsterdam (since when this tariff was applied ?) and did Koln always use the French expression "de Londres" and not the German one (for example Aus London ?)

Wvw1952

bayern klassisch

Hello wvw1852,

good questions. As this is not my favourite region and time, I can´t answer them, sorry. May be others will be able to answer them.

nils

Hallo wvw1952

An interesting letter

I think that the letter went through Ostende and that Thur & Taxis had brought the letter the hole way to Köln. So it is then possible that "de Cologne" and the taxation is done in Ostende. Normaly the english letter was sent with postmarks, but here it is maybe forgotten.

What also make this letter interesting is the mark down left "Foreign Post Paid". With 1 shilling the letter is only paid to the coast.

Thanks for showing us this letter.

Best regards
Nils

wvw1952

Hallo Nils,

Thanks for your answer but I have the following remarks on it.
Letters from England to abroad have no English postmarks, that only started at 1797 with the FOREIGN OFFICE hand stamps, so it is normal there is no hand stamp on the letter.
At that time, letters from England to Germany must be paid until Antwerp or Amsterdam (not to Ostend, even the letters was send via Ostend with the Dover-Ostend packet boat) so the 1 shilling is the rate until Antwerp or Amsterdam.
The mark “Foreign Post Paid” confirms the English rate is paid; it is not usual to write this on the letter coming from London, but it is very usual on letters from beyond London as there was also an inland rate from the sender until London.
Bayern klassisch answered that the 14 Albus would be the German rate.
Does there exist tables with the tariffs in Köln for letters from England? Is it possible the 14 Albus is the sum of the rate between Antwerp (or Amsterdam) to Köln plus the rate from Köln to Bergheim?

Best regards,
wvw1952

nils

Hallo wvw1952

I must give you right when it comes to the postmark. Foreign Office used a Bishop-Mark before 1797, but I can only find it used on letter through London. And not from letters from London. So it is when it comes to the covers with the "Paid" Marks.
When it comes to the directions the letter used to take from England, I think that both ways were possible, Ostende and Antwerpen. But I should not swear on it, cause I can not find any direct information on it just now. But any way, the taxes was the same if over Holland or Flanders as Tabeart mentions it.

When it comes to the Taxation I must say sorry, I have no idea. But Bergheim also had an "Kaiserliche Postanstalt" and I think there should not be a big difference between Köln and Bergheim.

A small comment also to the written Remark "de Londres". The earlier Postmarks from Köln also had a french spelling "Cologne".

I thin that the postal history to the crossing of the channel is very interesting. Just like the crossing of the Alps it gives a wide aspect of how the post was handled, with a wide range of possibilities and changes. So I hope to learn a bit more.

Best regards
Nils