One of the first clues a postal historian has that something different than usual might have occurred is a date span that is longer than usual between the entry of the item in the mails and its reported delivery. This item took 23 days to arrive at the destination post office. Or, at least, it took that long before it was processed by that location. This is as much as one week longer than usual, but easily 3-4 days late.
Last Updated: 11/4/19
General Description
This item was mailed in Boston Mass. and exhibits a Boston exchange office transit mark dated September 17. The receiver marking on the reverse indicates that it was received at the Rome office on Oct 10, 1867. The envelope has an 1861 design 24 cents stamp and a 3 cent stamp affixed to the envelope apparently paying the 27 cent rate per 1/4 ounce via the French Mails to Rome. The Boston mark is a dark reddish-brown color that could be mistaken as black. The Boston marking clearly says that the postage is "paid" but the color to indicate an item as paid is red, whereas black is supposed to indicate an item is not paid. The item must have been treated as unpaid as there are two due amounts on the front. The "27" was apparently recognized as an error and smudged, then crossed out. The 23 remains for collection at delivery to Mr. Langdon Williams in Rome.
Route
Boston Sep 17
New York (Sep 18)
Cunard Line Persia
Queenstown (Sep 27)
London, Calais, Paris, Marseilles, Civitavecchia *
Roma Oct 10 67 (verso)
* assumed route given no additional markings
The slower route for this item in 1867 would potentially have been via Marseilles and via ship to Civitavecchia. By late 1867, most mail to Italy would have gone via rail with entry at Modane. However, with tension between Rome and the Kingdom of Italy and the favorable connections between the Papacy and France, using the sea route may have been preferred here.
Rate Breakdown
from Boston/US perspective - 27 cents for letter <= 1/4 ounce
24 cents credit to France which includes
6 cents to Britain for the British Packet carriage on the Cunard Line
from Rome's perspective - 23 bajachocci due - single rate from Rome to the U.S. for <= 1/4 ounce via France
potentially they felt it was a double weight letter and required another rate. However, the French convention stated that underpaid mail should be treated as unpaid mail. This may not have always been the case in all locations as there are documented instances in the German States where the deficit rate only was charged. Perhaps this applies here as well?
Effective Postal Treaties
At this time, there was no treaty for mail to be directly exchanged between the United States and the Kingdom of Italy or the Papal States. Instead, mail to Italy was serviced under postal agreements through other countries. The French Mails were by far the most common service utilized to get U.S. mails to Italy at a rate of 27 cents per 1/4 ounce (7.5 grams). While there are no markings that can be specifically attributed to the French Mails on this cover, it is unlikely other options, such as the Prussian Closed Mail or Hamburg/Bremen mails were used here.
Prior to the Franco-Papal Convention of 1853
Letters from the Roman States to the United States could be paid only to the point mail was transferred between the British and American postal systems. In other words, if the Atlantic sailing had an American contract, the point the item boarded the ship is when the American postal system began charging for the due amount. Thus, 21 cents would be due on delivery in that case. On the other hand, if it was a British Packet to cross the Atlantic, the recipient would owe 5 cents for the US Surface mail. In any case, the cost to get a letter from the Roman States to that point would be 27 bajocchi for each 6 denari (7.1 grams or about 1/4 ounce).
Letters from the US to the Papal states would have to have the US portion prepaid (5 or 21 cents). The rest was paid for at delivery using the Roman distances. 1st distance was 42 baj, 2nd distance an additional 41 baj and 3rd distance another 40 baj. (at least this seems to be how it was done by my reading)
The Franco-Papal Convention of 1853
38 baj per 7.5 grams to entry into US postal system from the Papal system. Also 38 baj per 7.5 grams on delivery in Roman States for items prepaid to departure from US System as above. The US postage amounts followed the British scale (1/2 ounce, 1 ounce, 2 ounce, and each ounce from there). 5 cents for British Packet and 21 cents for American Packet.
An alternative could be mail sent to Rome form the US via the British Open Mail. In that case, the rate for unpaid mail from Britain would be charged on delivery.
The Franco-American Convention of 1857
Effective April 1, 1857 until Dec 31, 1869, it established the 27 cent per 1/4 ounce rate for prepaid letters to the Papal States via France.
The Franco-Papal Convention Addendum of 1858
Rate is now 32 baj per 7.5 grams. These are now paid to destination now that the US/France Convention was in place. Partial paid letters were treated as unpaid. Rate is same to prepay a letter to US as it is to pay for unpaid letter from the US.
Amendment 1866 (Sep 1, 1866-Dec 31, 1869)
The rate was reduced to 1.15 lire for each 7.5 grams of weight. 23 baj = 1.15 lire. this is the amount for both prepaid letter to the US and unpaid letter from the US.
Historical Connections
During this period in time, Italy was in the process of unification. The Papal territory of Rome and the surrounding area, with the support of France, were resisting joining the Kingdom of Italy. It is possible delays in this mailing had something to do with Garibaldi's forces engaging Papal forces near Rome.
Langdon Williams
Langdon Williams was born June 24, 1830 and died in Rome, Italy on May 9, 1872 at a relatively young age and just 24 days after the birth of his third son. That child died later that month. His wife, Anna, and two children (ages 8 and 10) were still living in 1883 according to "The Provisional Councillors of Pennsylvania Who Held Office between 1733 and 1776...and their Descendants" by Charles P Keith.
Questions
- Clearly the item was considered to have postage due by the recipient. Was there a correct and valid postal reason for this due amount, or was it clerk error that cost the recipient money for the privilege of receiving the item?
- Did this item travel via the French mails, as is mostly likely the case? Or is there an alternative route that might explain either the due amounts or the extended delivery period.
- This item took much more time to arrive than most items to Rome in the 1860's. It is not unreasonable to state that this item arrived a week later than normally expected for a mailing on the 17th of September. What might the reasons be for the delay? Could it be that it was delayed due to the military activity around Rome?
- Has the ink of the Boston exchange mark oxidized from an original red color, or is this coloration representative of what the Rome office might have seen in 1867? If so, could the dark coloration make them believe it was short paid and should thus have postage due?
- Is it possible this item merely shows one (or more) clerk blunders and there is no other logical explanation for why it was given the markings and treatment it seemed to receive?
Item treated as paid from the United States to Rome via French Mail 1862
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| 1862 cover, Boston to Rome via French Mail at 27 cent per 1/4 ounce rate |
Item treated as paid from United States to Rome via French Mail in 1865
This item shows a Philadelphia exchange office marking, again in red. The "18/1" in red also indicates that the item was paid with the item indicating how much of the 27 cents postage went to France from the U.S. The "1" in the "18/1" indicates that the item was weighed a single rate letter (1/4 ounce or less). Again, this item shows French mail markings, a PD in box AND the diagonal Roman marking indicating the item as having no postage due.
Item treated as paid from United States to Rome via French Mail in late 1867
The pattern remains the same even after the cover in question. This essentially begs the question - what was different about the first item that caused it to be treated differently OR what was different in the world at the time that item was going through the postal systems.
Garibaldi and the Attack on Rome
The news of the process of the unification of Italy and, in particular, the exploits of Garibaldi caught the imaginations of people world-wide. Below are snippings from the Mercury, the Hobart, Tasmania newspaper of that time.
These attempts to cause an insurrection and take over Rome failed in large part because the Kingdom of Italy did not support the effort. The French also sent a garrison to support the Papal forces in Rome (largely European volunteers). The French forces were finally removed in 1870 with the event of the Franco-Prussian War.
Of interest here is that the timing of these events would coincide with the normal delivery period of the piece of mail in question.
A possible clue in a Britain to Italy item 1874
The reference to closed mail from Britain comments to Dick Winter by the Italian postal historian likely reference the services outlined by this item. While these items traveled via France under agreement, they traveled in "closed" mail bags through France, not being opened until arriving in Italy - in this case on the railroad "ambulante" post office on the Modane-Torino section of Italian rail. There are no French markings on this item or others like it.
Project Status
In Progress
- there are still details that I have uncovered over time that need to be added to this post
- could add more details to supplementary covers (like days to delivery) but do not want to distract from the original purpose of the post
- reference or relevant portions of the US French agreement currently effective could help.
This item has been discussed on Richard Frajola's PhilaMercury Discussion Board and I have had some discussion with other postal historians, including Dick Winter.
It is likely that there will be no definitive answer for some of the questions this postal history item raises without significant conjecture. It would be interesting to see if there are other items arriving in Rome during this time that were similarly delayed - if not necessarily found to be postage due.
