London, Chatham & Dover Railway (GB)

From Stamps of the World
1861 map of the Kent county showing the then current lines of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway (LCDR)
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The London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) was a railway company in south-eastern England created on 1 August 1859, when the East Kent Railway was given Parliamentary approval to change its name. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London commuter network. The company existed until 31 December 1922 when its assets were merged with those of other companies to form the Southern Railway as a result of the grouping determined by the Railways Act 1921. The railway was always in a difficult financial situation and went bankrupt in 1867, but was able to continue to operate. Many of the difficulties were caused by the severe competition and duplication of services with the South Eastern Railway (SER). However, in 1898 the LCDR agreed with the SER to share the operation of the two railways, work them as a single system (as the South Eastern and Chatham Railway) and pool receipts: but it was not a full amalgamation. The SER and LCDR remained separate companies with separate shareholders until both becoming constituents of the Southern Railway on 1 January 1923.

LCDR advertising card (showing the Bank of England) in black. Used London to Rotterdam, Oct 26 1898
LCDR advertising card (showing the Bank of England) in blue. Used London to Vienna, May 17 1899

Sometimes colloquially known as The Chatham

The Railway company used its own stamps to carry parcel and letters, which were in low print numbers and subsequently regarded as scarce.

LC&DR stamps and Postal History

Two stamps are recorded with commercial overprints for use on receipts. SG172 and SG488 are recorded thus by the Commercial Overprints Society:

London, Chatham & Dover Railway, overprint

Jackson recorded 21 printings of the stamps of this company, as well as an early cover with a manuscript paid mark. They were not numbered so assigning stamps to printings is a matter of perforation, shade (and date in the case of used copies). Jackson suggested 36 stamps came from the first printing, 500 from the second, 120 each from the third through sixth printings and 300 each from subsequent printings. L'Estrange-Ewen handled these differently identifying three types formed into a row and repeated four times to make the sheet. His division into three transfers with different arrangement of types needs further study.

London, Chatham & Dover Railway, provisional manuscript before the stamps were issued. Sittingbourne to Chatham, 2 Feb 1891


Identified printings shown below followed by (J) are believed ex Jackson. Printings 1-3 are imperf.

London, Chatham & Dover Railway, 18th printing of September 1897 on surfaced paper according to Jackson. Apparently only 25 sheets of 12 printed. (J)
Both stamps cancelled by a manuscript cross and a London EC hooded circle with clock code, OC 3 1894. The text under the London, Chatham & Dover stamp says "To be posted". Receiving cds on reverse of London SW the next day.
Maidstone to Tonbridge 30 Dec 1898 sent down to Ashford on the last train where it was put in the post to catch the first train up to Tonbridge. Stamp & Maidstone Station cancel from the London, Chatham, & Dover Railway.
Card used from Birchington to Holborn Viaduct, 23 Sept 1894, From Lieut. Claude W Bell to Cox & Co, the military bankers, asking for the return of his pass book. "To be sent to Thor, Birchington, Thanet. Thor was one of the bungalows along Spenser Road.