Skip to main content
| Scott Number | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date | October 31, 1848 |
| From City | New York |
| From State | NY |
| To City | New Rochelle |
| To State | NY |
| Addressee | Miss Maria M. Brown |
| Cert Author | |
| Cert # | |
| Fake | |
| Quantity 1 | 1 |
| Quantity 2 | 0 |
| Bisect | |
| Others |
Notes
Lot 823 #1a, 1847 5c Dark brown, 4 large margins, incredibly vivid impression, a deep rich shade from an early printing, tied by red square grid and New York cds to pretty mourning cover (thin black border), the cover has a tiny sealed tear at top not detracting from this scarce & Superb gem.
Wolffers sale 56 April 28, 1977 realized 960
From the Thomas J Alexander Papers in the APRL
Alexander listed as 10/31/xx
Wolffers sale 97 April 22 1981 lot 1105
Cover sent in care of Rev. Robert Bolton, Episcopalian rector of the Christ Church, Parish of Christ the Redeemer in Pelham, NY.
Cover is year dated to 1848, based on an article, "1847 Stamps on Mourning Covers" by Stephen B. Pacetti that appeared in The Chronicle of the US Classic Postal Issues, Aug 2026, Vol 78, No. 3, Whole Number 291, pp 266-269.
The Reverend Robert Bolton (1788-1847) and his wife, Anne Jay (1793-1859), the daughter of Rev. William Jay of Bath, England, established a female institute in New Rochelle, NY called the Pelham Priory. The school had extensive gardens and grounds surrounding a Greek revival building on the north shore of Long Island Sound, where privledged young women studied literature, mathematics, Latin, French, music, art, deportment, religion, and other subjects. Robert and Anne Bolton moved to England in 1850, leaving their eldest daughter Nanette (1815-1884) in charge of the school. [Bluestockings and Blue Bloods: The Pelham Priory School for Young Ladies, by Margaret Highland, Oct 5, 2016, mansion musings]
Maria M. Brown was most likely a student in the school. From the postmark, her family lived in New York City.
The recipient may have been Maria Miller Brown (1833-1854), daughter of James Brown (1791-1877), a prominent NY banker (Brown Brothers & Co.) and Eliza Maria (Coe) Brown (1803-1890). Maria, and several members of her family, died when the SS Arctic, an American paddleboat of the Collins line, collided with the SS Vesta, an iron hulled French fishing vessel, off Cape Race, Newfoundland on Sept 27, 1854. The Arctic, traveling from Liverpool to New York City, was hit by the Vesta after entering a fog bank around noon. The collision was slight but the ship was holed below the waterline and sank about 4 hours later. The ship had insufficient lifeboats for the crew and passengers and only three of the 6 lifeboats safely made it to St John’s, about 50 miles from the site of the collision. The Vesta, although damaged, safely returned to St. John’s. The Vesta had watertight bulkheads but the Arctic did not. This story is sadly reminiscent of a similar incident in April 1912.
In researching her other family members on Find A Grave, there was no immediate family member who died in late 1848 to explain the mourning covers, although she did lose an older half-brother in July 1847.
Wolffers sale 56 April 28, 1977 realized 960
From the Thomas J Alexander Papers in the APRL
Alexander listed as 10/31/xx
Wolffers sale 97 April 22 1981 lot 1105
Cover sent in care of Rev. Robert Bolton, Episcopalian rector of the Christ Church, Parish of Christ the Redeemer in Pelham, NY.
Cover is year dated to 1848, based on an article, "1847 Stamps on Mourning Covers" by Stephen B. Pacetti that appeared in The Chronicle of the US Classic Postal Issues, Aug 2026, Vol 78, No. 3, Whole Number 291, pp 266-269.
The Reverend Robert Bolton (1788-1847) and his wife, Anne Jay (1793-1859), the daughter of Rev. William Jay of Bath, England, established a female institute in New Rochelle, NY called the Pelham Priory. The school had extensive gardens and grounds surrounding a Greek revival building on the north shore of Long Island Sound, where privledged young women studied literature, mathematics, Latin, French, music, art, deportment, religion, and other subjects. Robert and Anne Bolton moved to England in 1850, leaving their eldest daughter Nanette (1815-1884) in charge of the school. [Bluestockings and Blue Bloods: The Pelham Priory School for Young Ladies, by Margaret Highland, Oct 5, 2016, mansion musings]
Maria M. Brown was most likely a student in the school. From the postmark, her family lived in New York City.
The recipient may have been Maria Miller Brown (1833-1854), daughter of James Brown (1791-1877), a prominent NY banker (Brown Brothers & Co.) and Eliza Maria (Coe) Brown (1803-1890). Maria, and several members of her family, died when the SS Arctic, an American paddleboat of the Collins line, collided with the SS Vesta, an iron hulled French fishing vessel, off Cape Race, Newfoundland on Sept 27, 1854. The Arctic, traveling from Liverpool to New York City, was hit by the Vesta after entering a fog bank around noon. The collision was slight but the ship was holed below the waterline and sank about 4 hours later. The ship had insufficient lifeboats for the crew and passengers and only three of the 6 lifeboats safely made it to St John’s, about 50 miles from the site of the collision. The Vesta, although damaged, safely returned to St. John’s. The Vesta had watertight bulkheads but the Arctic did not. This story is sadly reminiscent of a similar incident in April 1912.
In researching her other family members on Find A Grave, there was no immediate family member who died in late 1848 to explain the mourning covers, although she did lose an older half-brother in July 1847.
