This postal history item is a folded letter sent by Carcenac & Roy in Mulhouse, France to an individual in Bordeaux, France. The letter was mailed on March 27, 1849 and arrived at its destination on March 31 after going through Lyon on the 28th.
What it cost to mail
This letter is similar to the item in this post that was mailed in 1850. Like that letter, the distance traveled in France was significant, somewhere in the range of 830km, which would have required 1 franc in postage just a few months earlier. The new rates reduced the cost to only 20 centimes.
This letter weighed no more than 7.5 grams and qualified for the 20 centime 1st Rate Level.
This rate was effective from January 1, 1849 to June 30, 1850 and followed this rate progression:
The rate boundaries were inclusive - meaning the first rate would apply to items that weighed 7.5 grams and less. For a broader look at the French Internal postage rates from 1849 until 1875, that post has been built and will be updated in the near future.
The
20 centime black on yellowish paper stamp portrays an image of Ceres,
the Greek goddess of agriculture and motherly love. This stamp was
issued in 1849 in conjunction with the new rates and the establishment
of the Second Republic after the 1848 revolution. This stamp issue and a 1 franc value were the first stamps released for use to prepay postage by the French post office. Other values would follow in 1850 including 10 c (Sep 12), 15 c (Jul 29), 25 c (Jul 1) and 40 c (Feb 3) values in 1850. The lower values would be used for local rates and non-letter mail. The 25 centime stamp's issuance coincided with a new letter rate that increased the first step for letters weighing up to 7.5 grams to 25 centimes.
How did it get there?
The
back of the folded letter includes a couple of transit markings that
help us understand how it got from Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin department) in the East by Basel, Switzerland to Bordeaux (Gironde department) on the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest.
If you look at the map above, you will see that some of the earliest rail developments occurred in Paris (of course), Mulhouse and St Etienne/Lyon. By the time we get to 1849, work to add rail to Bordeaux might have been planned, but were not in progress. Priorities at the time were to connect Paris to Marseille, Le Havre and Calais to promote access to shipping for the areas that had more commerce (thus more demand for the rail traffic). The agricultural focus of the West and South of France would have to wait a bit longer.
The markings for Lyon and Bordeaux are not the clearest I have seen, but they are sufficient for me to figure them and the appropriate dates. The existence of rail lines between Mulhouse and Lyon accounts for the quick (1 day) transit time. It took three more days to travel by a combination of a small section of rail followed by a longer period by coach to get to Bordeaux.
This portion of an 1856 map of Bordeaux created by Charles Cocks gives me a little bit of an idea, when combined with current maps of Bordeaux, as to where Mr. Pointet, the recipient of this letter, was located. The street address on the letter reads "4 rue devise St Pierre," which would place his location somewhere in the red circle, just to the left (South) of the Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux.
The Saint Pierre Catholic Church would easily be in view from the narrow Rue de la Devise and Mr. Pointet's office. The church is mentioned (but not the current building) as far back as the 1100s AD. The current structure was initially built in the 1300s and "restructured" in the 1880s.
The existence of a street address on this letter implies that a carrier delivered the letter to this address. No additional markings confirm that this is the case, but there were carriers in Bordeaux at this time.
What was in that letter?
According to Histoire documentaire de l'industrie de Mulhouse... Vol 2 by Société industrielle de Mulhouse (France), Carcenac & Roy were an active concern for yarns and fabrics from 1847 to 1862 (or so).
I did take a shot at translating this letter. However, there is just enough of an issue with handwriting, inside references and probably some colloquialisms that I am not entirely certain about much of it. However, the overall gist is that Mr. Pointet seems to be a person who sells on commission and he believes commission rates should increase and Carcenac and Roy aren't all that sure of it.
Of most interest is the reference to the 1848 revolution that led to the creation of the 2nd French Republic. It would soon fall to an internal coup when President Napoleon declares himself the emperor.
Monsieur Pointet in Bordeaux.
We are in possession of your two letters <dated etc>. We look forward to the communications they give us, observing that the prices established by Mr Deleros from Toulouse are extremely strong. You do not perceive that at this moment we could no longer afford the same prices as we obtained in the first years of our disastrous revolution.
<trouble reading the next section> ?? .... if the political horizon does not come to put something in the wheels.
We have noticed with pleasure your reconnection with Mr Guinon as we think that it is said to be a long time with you apart. <uncertain about this>
We will add for your guidance that the merchandise could not be more rare and that the little that there is on the spot is only growing, we could almost say that we are tearing it up, we therefore urge you to be firm. Commissions, for a new increase is no longer certain, take care therefore, my dear sir, your measures have consequences.
In the hope of receiving your next letter soon.
The letter includes some docketing by Mr. Pointet indicating the source of the letter and date as well as a record of his reply.
The reverse appears to provide a price list for Pointet's use. The short-hand references aren't going to be clear to us, but it must have been to them.
About the "Cover A Day - ish" Series: These posts are my attempt to keep track of research on individual items in my collection. They will show up when I have the time to make them show up and they are likely to come in 'batches' of similar items that reflect some of my recent efforts.
I am always interested in learning more and appreciate additions/corrections. Eventually, I may re-arrange Cover A Day-ish posts so similar material will reside in a particular order on this site. Until that time, enjoy as you see fit.
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