The Pre-Post Office Era: Nisbet Letters II
Some Nisbet Letters

Pre 1895 Era







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1840/41: A letter from Glasgow, Scotland carried privately to the Reverend Nisbet, "Missionary S Sea Islands". Our present knowledge: this is possibly the first letter to the New Hebrides.
Dated Glasgow 13 October 1840 - it could have arrived in the New Hebrides end of March 1841.

1840/41
(unknown coll.)

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1841: Our present knowledge: this is possibly the first postally carried letter to the New Hebrides.
Written on 12 November 1840 - dated Glasgow 22 December 1840 - paid ship letter London 24 December 1840 - ship letter Sydney 19 May 1841 - it could have arrived in the New Hebrides end of May 1841.

1841
(ex Millet coll.)

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Letter to Reverend Henry Nisbet in Tanna from his father in Glasgow written in November/December 1841. Cancelled GLASGOW PAID N DEC 27 1841 in black, PAID SHIP LETTER LONDON 29 DE 29 1841 and PAID 29 DE 29 1841 in red.
Rated on front in manuscript 8 (pence for London to Sydney) and 3 (pence in Sydney for inward mail). Backstamped in black SHIP LETTER SYDNEY / CROWN / MY * 13 1842 on arrival.
Carried on the BENCOOLEN ex London 8 January 1841. Arrived Sydney 13 May.


1841/42
("SeSi" coll.)




1841: Another letter to Reverend Nisbet in the New Hebrides. Too late for the ship mentioned above - arrived more than two weeks later in Sydney.
Cancelled London 11 JA 1841 and Sydney MY 31 1841.

"On Monday, the 10th of August, 1840, I received commission from the Directors of the London Missionary Society, and on the following day sailed from Gravesend. The instructions of the REV. H. NISBET and myself were to proceed to Sydney, there to join the missionary brig 'Camden', and to make all practicable haste to commence a mission on the island of Tanna, in the New Hebrides."
Page 1, lines 1-8 'Nineteen years in Polynesia' by Rev George Turner, LL.D., published 1861 by John Snow, London.
Nisbet and Turner were forced, by native aggression, to leave Tanna in January 1843.


1841
("JGI" coll.)




1841: Carried privately to Sydney and then supposedly with the Missionary schooner.
Dated Glasgow, 26 April 1841 - possibly arrived end of September.
(Address part darkened with computer to improve readability)

1841
("SeSi" coll.)


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1842: entire from Glasgow to "Revd Henry Nisbet/Missionary/Tanna" without postal markings and apparently carried per favor. Ex Stanley Jersey coll.

1842
(March 2005 Prestige auction, 850 AUD)


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