Edwin Cradock Nowell: An Extraordinary Tasmanian Clerk

Edwin Cradock Nowell

A series of 7 covers addressed to Edwin Nowell in Hobart from January 1850 to February 1860, from South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania appeared in a Tasmanian stamp auction in April 2005. The covers were well described and many were of more than passing notice, but no details were given concerning the addressee, who was an early Tasmanian of considerable importance. The covers are presented here in chronological order, with descriptions largely following those provided by the vendor. All were addressed to Nowell, except for the first which was sent to his wife.

A stampless envelope was addressed to Church Street, Hobart Town, V.D. (Van Diemen’s) Land rated ‘6’ in red manuscript (plus a black manuscript, unidentified) had an unframed G.P.O./ Crown/ JA

[fleuron] 9/ 1850/ SOUTH AUSTRALIA postmark, with a clear impression (not shown) of HOBART SHIP LETTER dated JA 25 in black, on the reverse (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Click to Enlarge

Envelope was sent ‘per Tasmania’ to Commissariat, Hobart Town franked with a single imperf 3d yellow-green QV NSW Laureate (SG 87), tied by Sydney barred obliterator plus a red boxed SHIPS LETTER INWARDS FREE/ 25 AU 25/ 1855 date stamp. The next five covers all showed this same boxed postmark, which has been abbreviated to ‘S.L.I.F.’ (Figure 2).

[Click to Enlarge] Figure 2: Click to Enlarge

Envelope was sent to Commissariat, Hobart Town franked with a vertical pair imperf 3d dull green QV SG 117, tied by a Sydney barred obliterator. The same S.L.I.F./ 2 SP 2/ 1857 was applied in red (Figure 3).

[Click to Enlarge] Figure 3: Click to Enlarge

Envelope was sent to Government House, Hobart Town franked with a single imperf grey brown 6d QV N.S.W. Diadem SG 96 tied by a Sydney unframed duplex showing 2 upper arcs, the time code ‘C’/ MY 19/ 1859/ SYDNEY plus a small part of the S.L.I.F. in red at the lower right corner (Figure 4).

[Click to Enlarge] Figure 4: Click to Enlarge

Envelope was sent to Government House, Hobart Town ‘per Steamer Tasmania’ with a single grey ‘wing copy’ imperf 6d QV N.S.W. Diadem SG 94 tied by the same Sydney duplex code ‘O’/ JU 8/ 1859/ SYDNEY and the red S.L.I.F./ 13 JU (1)3/ 1859 (Figure 5).

[Click to Enlarge] Figure 5: Click to Enlarge

Envelope was sent to Government House, Hobart Town franked with the single imperf 6d fawn QV N.S.W. Diadem SG 93 with a manuscript ‘per Tasmania’ tied by a different type of Sydney duplex (where the previous 2 separated arcs are now joined to produce a half circle). The ‘plugs’ are in an inverted order of year (18)59, month/day SP 24 and time code ‘B’. A black S.L.I.F./ 29 SP 29/ 1859 was also applied. The reverse (not shown) had ‘R.E. & F. Tooth Brewery’ embossed on the flap, which may seem incongruous in view of later research (Figure 6).

[Click to Enlarge] Figure 6: Click to Enlarge

Envelope was sent to Trinity Hill (Hobart), franked with the imperf 1d pale red-brown Van Diemen’s Land Chalon postmarked with BN 74 (a first obliterator which came into late use in 1859 in Hobart). There is a full strike of the scarce boxed PRE-PAID/ 1 O-CLOCK/ 24 FE 24/ 1860, in red (Figure 7).