Details For Cover ID# 29395

Only letter recorded paid to go from the UK to the USA via the French Hérout & de Handel Line steam packet service.

Entire letter originated London October 9, 1847, put in the post quite late (evening duty double ring), then via Calais (red Angl Calais CDS) October 10 (a Sunday). The next Cunard sailing was October 19, so the sender had paid 2/1d, as marked in red, the half ounce rate [above ¼oz to ½oz] to go by French steam packet service. Thus the writer intended the letter go by the next transatlantic sailing via France, that of the Philadelphie (Hérout & de Handel Line). That steam packet left Cherbourg on October 10, date as scheduled, although the port was scheduled to be Havre, which ship arrived at New York on November 3. However the letter missed the French packet steamer (it carried advices from London to 7 October).

So what happened then? The letter was sent back to England and went on the next Cunard sailing (the Caledonia) that arrived at Boston on November 5.

At Boston, the sealed bag was sent to New York without sorting and marking, thus reaching New York merchants as much as a day sooner. That ties in with what I take to be the recipient receipt arrival date of “Nov 6th 1847” written on the reverse. 26mm red "7" hand stamp (2c ship + 5c inland) applied at New York.