The ‘On Public Service only’ cover was addressed to The Revd P.E. Raynor, Christ’s College, Hobart had a black duplex HOBART/ NO ( )/ 89/ TASMANIA postmark, overlying a red EDUCATION DEPARTMENT/ [Lion, Crown & Unicorn]/TASMANIA/ FRANK STAMP. On the flap there was a printed red GOVERNMENT OF TASMANIA seal, similar to that of the Frank Stamp. The remainder of the reverse was not seen (Figure 1).
To-date, very limited personal data has been found on Rev. Raynor who was born in England in 1857 and probably died there in 1930. He was connected to Australia as the Warden/ Schoolteacher in both Tasmania and South Australia from 1886-1894, and on his return to England he became Headmaster of Ipswich School. My first finding of information on him was in The Mercury, Hobart December 25, 1886, in a paragraph headed Christ’s College, and the following was found:
“Information has been received by the last mail that Dr.Welldon , headmaster of Harrow School, and Bishop Mitchinson, formerly headmaster of the King’s School, Canterbury [superior schools, both in England] , acting on behalf of the Council, have selected as Warden of Christ’s College, the Rev. Philip Edwin Raynor, M.A., Oxon. Mr. Raynor was at the time of his appointment assistant master in Wellington College, and had previously been a master for 3 years in Marlborough College under Dr. Bell. He highly distinguished himself at the University, having been a scholar of New College, Oxford, 1st Class moderations, 1876, and 1st Class Lit. Hum. 1879. He also obtained the Gainsford University prize for Greek prose, 1878, and a first class in the Preliminary Theological Examination, 1882. Mr. Raynor who is married, is already on his way out, and is expected to arrive in the colony about the middle of January [1887]”.
The Mercury (Hobart)on 25 November 1887 commented on Christ College prize presentation for sports. Lady Hamiltonpresented the prizesto the winners and The Warden (Rev. P.E. Raynor thanked the donors of the prizes for Throwing the Cricket Ball, Drop Kick, Football, Vaulting with a Pole, etc. As an aside, Raynor played in the College cricket team. The Mercury (Hobart) 31 December 1887 in a review of scholastic progress in 1887 stated that Rev. Raynor had succeeded the Rev. T. Thistle as Warden. As the new Warden, Raynor had selected Mr. A.A. Gosnell B.A. as head assistant master, and under their management, the work of Christ’s College had been very satisfactorily conducted during the year.
The Mercury (Hobart) 13 December 1889 described a Conversazione to Rev. P.E. Raynor: “Last evening held in Trinity schoolroom, to take leave of Rev. P.E. Raynor who is leaving to take up his appointment at St. Peter’s College, Adelaide. Music and readings were given by friends and the Rev. G.W. Shoobridge, on behalf of the parishioners, presented Mr. Raynor with a portfolio of photographs chiefly of the southern portion of Tasmania. In his short stay at Christ’s College, Mrs Raynor had given birth to a daughter in April 1887 and a son in June 1888. The Mercury (Hobart) on 18 August 1894 had a short paragraph that the former Warden Raynor of Christ’s College and latterly head master of St. Peter’s College, Adelaide had “accepted a lucrative post as head master of Ipswich College, England and was to start his duties the next month”.
Raynor was a member of the Society of Hellenic Studies (Ancient Greece) and the British Philatelic Trust records his name in their list of prominent Philatelists, as follows: “Collected Australia when Schoolmaster In Hobart and Adelaide 1886-94. President South Australia Philatelic Society. Later headmaster of Ipswich school. Discovered Great Britain 2/- blue, plate 3. Compiled “A Reference List of British Army Postmarks Used in the Great War 1914-19 [1920]”. Wrote”The British PAID Stamps” in The Stamp Collector, 1906-09″.
Addendum June 2010: A Letter Card was addressed to to The Revd P.E. Raynor, Coll. School of S. Peter, Adelaide and the orange ‘ONE PENNY Reading’ printed stamp was postmarked with the Type 19A numeral ‘1925’ of a large type (rated 4R) as well as the unframed WANDIN/ FE 4/ 93/ VICTORIA. There was an almost illegible postmark of Lilydale, Victoria which was a transit postmark within Victoria (Figure 2).
The reverse had 5-lines of instruction, for the 7-lines of instruction was not released until December 1893. Their was a transit MELBOURNE/ 14 V/ FE4/ 93 and an unframed G.P. O. ADELAIDE/ P2/ FE 7/ 93/ S-A arrival postmark. There was an addtional S.A. Squared Circle postmark for ST. PETERS/ 2/ FE 7/ 93, which was the arrival postmark (Figure 3).