Royal Reels: Gambling

Missionaries and Religion

REVEREND WILLIAM BRANWHITE CLARKE, GEOLOGIST (1798-1878)

This N.S.W. 1854 2d ‘Sydney View’ warn plate stamp was cancelled with barred numeral ‘39′ (Cooma, N.S.W.) And was addressed to Revd. W.B. Clarke, St. Leonards, Sydney, and it had a manuscript ‘Answered’ at the top (Figure 1). The reverse had a distorted SYDNEY/ [crown]/ JU * 1/ (18)54/ NEW SOUTH WALES postmark, another illegible postmark and red sealing wax on the flap (Figure 2). William B. Clarke was born

Read More »

REVEREND THOMAS COOPER SEARLE (1820-1876) MOURNING COVER

The small mourning cover that initiated this search to find out more about Cooper Searle was addressed to Mrs. Cooper Searle, and it has a copy of the 2d double lined outer oval dull violet-mauve perf. 13 (Bell design, Type II) Victorian stamp of 1878. The postmark is the barred numeral 21, Type A2 which shows that it originated from Broadmeadows, 20 km north of Melbourne’s G.P.O. (Figure 1). The

Read More »

REVEREND HERMANN HERLITZ, LUTHERAN PASTOR in MELBOURNE

This New South Wales postcard has the 1d ‘Shield’ impression cancelled with a faint barred numeral ‘1529′ of Pleasant Hills and an even fainter reception postmark of Melbourne. It is addressed to Rev. H. Herlitz, Gisborne Str, East Melbourne, Vic (Figure 1). The manuscript is written in German, it is dated Pleasant Hills, 12 Nov 05 and the greeting commences as Dear H Herlitz. The writer is identified as E.

Read More »

REVEREND HASKETT SMITH M.A., SANDHURST CLUB, BENDIGO

The 1d orange brown ‘Reading’ postcard of Victoria is postmarked with the fifth duplex PRAHRAN/ B/ JA 29/ 06/ VICTORIA with the barred numeral ‘69′ as obliterator, and it is addressed to the Rev. Haskett Smith M.A., Sandhurst Club, Bendigo (Figure 1). The reverse has no postal markings and the message is difficult to read other than it implies that Haskett Smith has accepted to lecture locally, perhaps at the

Read More »

REVEREND GEORGE NAPOLEON WOODD, DENHAM COURT, N.S.W. 1867

This mourning cover was sent from England to Mrs. Earl, Care of Revd  G.N. Woodd, Denham Court, New South Wales with a 6d lilac Great Britain stamp (S.G. 97, Scott 45) cancelled with a duplex C/ PENRITH/ JU 18/ 67 with the numeral ‘606′ (Figure 1). The reverse shows a red transit F.C./ LONDON/ JU 18/ 67 postmark, an unframed transit SYDNEY/ AU 13/ 1867/ A/ NEW SOUTH WALES and

Read More »