London SW (GB) article 1

This Article is a detailed look at the cover on the London SW (GB) page.

This 2d Registered cover has been uprated with a 1d Lilac to make it 3d total. The 1d Lilac is a perfin stamp, which increased the Insurance for the contents to £10 as per back envelope panel..

2d registered Front

2d registered Front

1d lilac perfin of W.W./U.P. The 1d Lilac is a perfin stamp with the perfin initials of W.W./U.P. So now we know the sender was William Whiteley, Universal Provider of Westbourne Grove, London W.

1d lilac perfin of W.W./U.P. inverted

William Whiteley [[1]] was a Victorian entrepreneur who owned the then largest department store in Great Britain self title 'The Universal Provider'. He was shot by his alleged illegitimate son in 1907.

There are a number of postmarks that must be followed in order to see the travels of this letter: The addressee (in pencil) is to a Mrs M Warren, St Leonard's Terrace, Streatham, in London.

Bishop's Rd Paddington W

Registered Paddington W

SWDO

Streatham map

The letter was posted from Westbourne Grove in the Western District Office area.

the Letter shows the actual office of posting was Bishop's Rd. Paddington W. 

The letter was passed onto the Western District Office at Old Cavendish Street
for delivery to The South Western District Office.

Streathm BO

Streatham

To then be sent to Streatham suburban District Office. Then delivered to its Branch Office 
From which an attempted delivery was made to the house at St. Leonard's Terrace
highlighted in red on the map. The Streatham office is also highlighted.

However the letter could not be delivered and signed for, and the house owner appears to have given an instruction for it to be re-directed to Mrs M. Warren at the Queens Hotel Waterlooville nr.Cosham, Hants. This was on the outbound mail route from the SW office so it was sent direct to the Southampton Head Post Office and onto the Portsmouth Post office for delivery to Waterlooville.

Queen's Hotel Waterlooville

Southampton H.P.O.

Registered Portsmouth

However it looks like Mrs M Warren was not there either but appears to have left a forwarding address for Granville House, Broadstairs, Kent. With Portsmouth and Southampton not having any direct mail route to Kent, the letter was returned to London and sent out to

Broadstairs Station Office BO

Kent where it was finally handstamped by the Broadstairs office the next day and delivered.

The covers travels 311 miles

In total the letter was posted on the 7th Nov and travelled 311 miles in 2 days passing through 11 Postal offices (at least) before being delivered. Nowadays it would take at least a week if you were lucky!!