- This event has passed.
7 May 26 – The British West Indies Packet Service
The President’s Display – The British West Indies Packet Service
by Simon Richards RDP, FRPSL
May 7 @ 16:00 – 17:00
The members of the Royal Philatelic Society London were captivated by The President’s Display on 7 May when Simon Richards RDP, FRPSL gave not only a display but also a visual presentation on ‘The British Packet Service from the West Indies’. The display opened with a letter sent on 18 May 1663 by a merchant on Nevis carried, as usual at the time, on the first available ship. Simon’s display continued with the coming of the steam packet and the highly successful Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (RMSP), up to the introduction of postage stamps, the formation of the Universal Postal Union, ending in 1906 when the RMSP lost the contract to carry the mail.
The display covered not only trans-Atlantic mail, but also letters sent between islands. Over the years the cost of sending a letter gradually decreased as a result of increased usage and technological advances: as is well known, the coming of the stamp saw letter-writing become more accessible and affordable for all.
Giving the Vote of Thanks, Simon Martin-Redman FRPSL, Vice President of the Society, said it had been a ‘masterclass in postal history’, commending the ‘quality of material and clarity of thought’ Simon Richards had demonstrated in analysing the routes and markings, and tackling the complexity of how the rates were determined. Simon Richards was presented with the Society’s plaquette and certificate by Simon Martin-Redman.
