Page 101 - Postal History of Edinburgh & Leith

THE POSTAL HISTORY OF SCOTLAND
LEITH

MARITIME MAIL

The carrying of the mail was principally by mail coach until the railways began to be widely used.

Coastal Steamers carried goods around the British Isles with the East Coast service between Aberdeen and
London being frequent and regular.

This resulted in people using the steamers to send mail, which usually made a saving on postage.

By 1835 the loss ofrevenue forced the Post Office to agree to despatch letters by "Private Ships" between any
port in the British Isles for the current Sea Postage rate of 8d for a single sheet.

Letters were required to be endorsed "By Steamer" or "By Private Ship" with any inland postage being paid.

The use of Coastal Steamers to carry mail ceased in 1840 with the introduction of Uniform Penny Post.

</-' ~~"'"':_ /~~--
.1~,
,I 1'

\

1849 Entire from Hamburg to Edinburgh the front showing the oval
"SHIP LETTER LEITH"

type (ED392b) struck in black.
The front, endorsed "Per Leith Steamer" also shows an oval company cachet in blue,

a faint Hamburg despatch circular datestamp together with a red
"LEITH"

double arc receiving datestamp for NO 14 1849.