South Eastern & Chatham Railway (GB)

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1861 map of the Kent county showing the then current lines of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway (SE&CR)
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The South Eastern and Chatham Railway Companies Joint Management Committee (SE&CRCJMC), known as the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR), was a working union of two neighbouring rival railways, the South Eastern Railway (SER) and London, Chatham & Dover Railway (LC&DR), which operated between London and south-east England. Between 1899 and 1923, the SE&CR had a monopoly of railway services in Kent and to the main Channel ports for ferries to France and Belgium.

The companies had competed extensively, with some of the bitterest conflicts between British railway companies. Competing routes to the same destinations were built, so several towns in Kent had been served with a similar frequency service by both companies. In places open, unfettered competition allowed two stations and services to multiple London termini.

By the end of the 19th century, the SER and LC&DR had fought over a small and not particularly lucrative territory for 40 years. Both were notorious for the poor punctuality of their services and the decrepitude of their rolling stock, and the struggles had driven both companies to the verge of bankruptcy. It became inevitable that they must combine or succumb.

The SE&CR was formed on 1 January 1899, when the SER and LC&DR formed a "management committee" comprising the directors of both companies. This merged the two companies' operations, although they remained legally separate, with receipts split 59% to SER and 41% LC&DR until the Grouping, to avoid the costs and risks of a formal merger.

One way to derive revenue from the cross-channel route was to run their own steamers.

The SECR turbine steamer Empress on a Kingsway real photo card, used 1925
G. Smith photocard of S.E. & C.R. 4 Coupled Bogie Express no 740.
Victoria Station Southern Railway (S.E. & C. Section) Continental and Main Line Departure Platform. Kingsway card S.11647.
Note the horse-drawn cart at left inscribed S.E. & C.R.
S.E. & C.R. Dover-boat Train on a G- Smith card.
Bexhill Station Departure Platform. South Eastern & Chatham Railway by McCorquodale & Co
Advertising card for the South Eastern and Chatham and Dover Railway. Used 30 Aug 1900.
S.E. & C.R. advertising card by the Picture Postcard Co on reverse of ½d stationery card uprated to Paris. The picture shows the Crystal Palace.
Reverse of previous illustration showing receipt on 25 Dec 1899

SE&CR Postal History

2d green, control 62248 from the seventh printing, used 24 Nov 1905 from Chartham to Ashford. Controls 60021 to 69020
Sep 1920 4d on 3d used 30 July 1923 from Southfleet to Victoria. (9.36 up train, 10.16 from Bickley which arrived Victoria 10:50. Posted 11:45). 7000 issued, with numbers between 3001 and 10000.
4d green, control 25020 from the 31st printing, used 24 Nov 1923 to Canterbury
Prepaid Parcel stamp used for a 3d railway letter from Queenborough to London SW. 12 April 1930, "Post at Victoria". Travelled on 14:17 train.
Second issue no. 16063 on a cover posted at Ashford 11.30AM to Newark (receiver 7pm of the same day on reverse.
A) 2d green, control 16678 from the second printing, used on undated cover from Cannon Street in London to Ashford. Carriage ticket still attached and shown adjacent. Inscribed "To be called for at Ashford station"
B) on reverse of previous item.
A) 2d railway parcels stamp from Broadstairs used 19 Dec 1917 to Wimbledon. Carried by first train to Victoria
B) front of previous item.
2d stamp from the 12th printing on Ewen cover to Norwood used 9 Feb 1910. Carried via Cannon Street-

SE&CR Stamps

Railway Letter Stamps

The First issue, made shortly after the South Eastern and London, Chatham & Dover combined was inscribed "S.E.&C.&D. Railway". Thereafter the term "South Eastern & Chatham" was used. Twenty-six printings of the 2d green were listed by Jackson. Summary:

printing date colour controls Comments
1 6 Jun 1899 green; olive green 1-10000 horiz in black
2 11 Jun 1900 green 10001-20000 small horiz figures below value
3 19 Aug 1901 dark green 20001-30000 large figures across centre
4 Sep 1902 green 30001-40000 large figures
5 Dec 1903 yellowish green; grey green 40001-50000 large figures
6 10 Oct 1904 dull green to green 50001-60020 small figures
7 Jul 1905 yellowish green to pale yellowish green 60021-69020 small figures
8 May 1906 dull bluish green 69021-70040 medium figures
9 end May 1906 pale green 70011-80000 small figures
10 Mar 1907 bright green 80001-86060 figures vertical on right
10A Mar 1907 pale grey-green 88761-90000 figures vertical on left
11 Jan 1908 greyish-green 90001-100000 medium horiz figures
12 Nov 1908 yellowish green 1-10000 sheet figures read right to left
13 Sep 1909 bright green 10001-20000 medium figures
14 May 1910 bright green 20001-30000 medium figures
15 Dec 1910 light green 30001-40000 medium figures
16 1911 light yellowish green 40001-50000 medium figures
17 1912 yellowish green 50001-60000
18 1914 light greenish yellow 60001-70000 medium figures
19 1914 light yellowish green 70001-80000 medium horiz figures
20 1914 light yellowish-green 80001-90000 medium horiz figures
21 1915 lemon-yellow 90001-100000 stamps worn
22 1916 bright yellow-green 1-10000 horiz
23 1918 yellowish green 10001-20000 horiz
24 191? yellowish green 20001-30000 horiz figures
25 1919 pale yellowish-green 30001-40000 horiz figures
26 1919 pale yellow-green 40001-50660 or more Only 50643 recorded

Jackson notes examples of printing 25 known without control overprint.

June 1899. First printing #s 1 - 10000. Here 1548
June 1900. Second printing #s 10001 - 20000. Here 14581
19 August 1901. Third printing #s 20001 - 30000. Here 21778
First issue #s 8288 - 8289. Double overprint, one albino
September 1902. Fourth printing #s 30001 - 40000. Here 38125
December 1903. Fifth printing #s 40001 -50000. Here 41746
10 Oct 1904. Sixth printing #s 50001-60000. Here 57873. Cancel is probably Gravesend Central.
Fifth issue sheet #42881 - 42940
Sixth issue #58408-58410 / 58418-58420
July 1905. Seventh printing #s 60021-69020. Here 60520.
May 1906. Ninth printing #s 70011-80000, Here 78646
March 1907. Tenth printing #s 80001-86060, Here 84923
Jan 1908. Tenth printing A #s 88761-90000. Here 89452 used Ashford 17 Apr 1908
January 1908. Eleventh printing. #s 90001 - 100000. Here 99661
November 1908. Twelfth printing. #s 00001 . 10000. Here 705 used at Cuxton. See postal history above
September 1909. Thirteenth printing. #s 10001 - 20000. Here 14063 used Gomshall
May 1910. Fourteenth printing. #s 20001 - 30000. Here 28163 cancelled Knockholt
1911. Sixteenth printing. #s 40001 - 50000. Here 49044
1912. Seventeenth printing. #s 50001 - 60000. Here 51935 cancelled Sittingbourne Sta, 23 June 1912
1914. Eighteenth printing. #s 60001-70000. Here 60728 cancelled Pluckley Station using the old SE cancel
1914. Nineteenth printing. #s 70001 - 80000. Here 74022
1914. Twentieth printing. #s 80001 - 90000. Here 88371 cancelled Sole Street. Left of stamp dented.
1916. Twenty-second printing. #s 1 - 10000. Here 2009 cancelled Greenhithe on piece. Stamps cancelled 11 Oct 1916
1919. Twenty-sixth printing. Probably #s 40001 - 50660 or more. Only known from this copy # 50643

Further values:

printing date details controls Comments
27 15 Jan 1920 3d on 2d printing 25 38104 - 39105 opt in blue
28 1920 3d bright & dull yellowish green 1 - 3000
29 1 Sep 1920 4d on 3d remainder of printing 28 3001-10000
30 1920 4d yellowish green 10001 - 20000
31 1923 4d yellowish green; grey green 20001 - 30000
32 1924 4d yellow green 30001 - 40000
1920. Twenty-eighth printing, #s 1 - 3000. Here 2995
Sep 1920. Twenty.ninth printing, #s 3001 - 10000. Here 5217
1920. Thirtieth printing. #s 10001 - 20000. Here 19356 cancelled Gravesend Central
1923. Thirty-first printing. #s 20001 - 30000. Here 28597
1924. Thirty-second printing. #s 30001 - 40000. Here 34647

Railway Parcel Stamps

1915 onwards

These were produced for, it would seem, every station the company ran. Shown here is only one of each value with a listing below of place & date (if discernable). The major terminals & junctions (Ashford, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Holborn Viaduct and Victoria) often had a letter (A-H) before the value.

1d Sandwich
2d Gravesend Central
3d Snodland

1d Sandwich 20 Dec 1918, Holborn Viaduct
2d Broadstairs 19 Dec 1917, Cannon Street, Faversham 27 Apr 1917, Gravesend Central 19 Jul? 1916, Holborn Viaduct, Sandwich
3d Ashford (A) 3 Nov 1916, Ashford (B) 1 May 1917 & 31 Aug 1917, Folkestone Junct. 22 Oct 1920, Holborn Viaduct, Queenborough 12 Apr 1930, Snodland 16 Oct 1915

4d Birchington-on-sea
5d Rye
6d Maidstone West

4d Birchington-on-sea 12 Nov 1917, Canterbury East 8 Jun 1918, Faversham 6 Mar 1928, Newington 20 Jun 1918, Northfleet
5d Cannon Street (B), Elephant & Castle 1 Dec 1919, Rye 23 Aug 1918, Victoria (A)
6d Ashford (A) 20 Nov 1919, Ashford (B) 22 Feb 1918, Canterbury East, Maidstone West 20 Sep 1917, Margate West

7d Chatham (Main Line)
8d Ashford (A)
9d Margate West

7d Chatham (Main Line), Holborn Viaduct
8d Ashford (A), Cannon Street (B), Cannon Street (E), Margate Sands, Victoria (B)
9d Cannon Street(A), Cannon Street (E), Holborn Viaduct (B), Holborn Viaduct (C), Margate West, Snodland

10d Cannon Street (E)
11d Holborn Viaduct (C)
1s Margate Sands

10d Cannon Street (E)
11d Cannon Street (E), Hlborn Viaduct (C), Holborn Viaduct (D)
1s Cannon Street (B), Charing Cross, Holborn Viaduct, Margate Sands, Sandwich, Tonbridge, Victoria (B)

1s3d Ladywell
2s Lewisham Junction
2s6d Hastings

1s3d Hastings, Holborn Viaduct (D), Ladywell, Victoria (B)
2s Charing Cross (D), Headcorn, Holborn Viaduct (A), Lewisham Junction, Snodland
2s6d Hastings

3s Cannon Street (H)
5s Well Hall - handstamped not printed
10s Holborn Viaduct (D)


3s Cannon Street (H)
5s Cannon Street (H), Faversham 28 Feb 1924, Folkestone Junction 22 Oct 1920, Holborn Viaduct (A), Victoria (B), Well Hall
10s Holborn Viaduct (D)


Usual method of use:

A) Waybill for two parcels Ashford to Brasted
B) Reverse of previous item showing Ashford (A) parcel stamp

Newspaper Stamps

Various values in blue with red controls.

0.5d #24140
1d #9340
1d #39568
1.5d #41
2d #11261
3d #35127
4d #3185
1d #9365,9366 / 9371,9372

Black control.

1d #22418
1d #32428
1.5d #2482
1.5d #2423,2424 / 2429,2430

L'Estrange Ewen recorded the 1d only with no control number.

1d no control

Value in red with black control

3d #53555

Value in red with black control overprinted on red control

2d #01501 on #36191?

Farm Products Stamps

A. Johnson, in Railway Philately (vol 3, no 2, March 1969, p48) records that these stamps were prepared in sheets of 20 (5x4) and each printing was of 10,000 stamps.

4d pink, no 10832, Johnson shows #48547 suggesting more than one printing.
5d pink, no 9184
Pair of 6d pink, no 15038 and 15039
7d pink, no 1511
8d pink, no 1441
9d pink, no 1441
10d pink, no 2952
11d pink, no 3007
1s pink, no 2842, 3355 also known
  • H. L'Estrange Ewen "No1. Priced Catalogue of the Newspaper and Parcel Stamps Issued by the Railway Companies of the United Kingdom, 1855-1906", Ewen's Colonial Stamp Market Ltd, London, 1906 (reprinted by Tim Clutterbuck & Co, Kington, 1983)