BWISC Bulletin No 9 - April 1956


JAMAICA

"As a keen collector of Jamaican postmarks I have been much interested in the articles by Mr. Harvey O'Connor in the last two issues of the Bulletin. There are certainly a variety of types in use of late fortunately supplanting the blotching Birmingham type, and in writing this letter my object is to try to arrive at a new and standard designation for these types. At present they are variously referred to as `New Birmingham' `single ring' or by arbitrary letters (e.g. N; Na and Nb), and I for one would like to see a type designation which is suggestive of each variety. First, there is the type with the office above and JAMAICA below enclosed within two concentric circles, date in two lines, with or without star above. I suggest that this be referred to as `DC' (i.e. double circle), and in, the case of a star being present, `DCs.' Secondly, there is the similar type, but with the office and JAMAICA separated by a curved line, which is also portion of a concentric circle (i.e. there are three circles). For this I suggest `TC' (triple circle) with 's' or not as required; although to date all seem to have the star included. Then there is the single circle only. Call this `SC' (single circle) (e.g. ROBINS BAY SC and READING SCs.). The oval 'registered' type I also label plain `R' or `Ru' (unobliterated).

In addition to those noted by Mr. O'Connor, I have in his type `N' (my type `TC') FLINT RIVER and PLOWDEN, whereas my FAIRY RIVER has not the line replacing the slug and is therefore my type `DCs' My copy of REFUGE has the date correctly placed, as also have my copies of TOWER ISLE, TRANQUILLITY and WHITHORN in the R type. Incidentally, in my collection of New South Wales postmarks, I have found the misplacements and inversions so frequent and ephemeral that I have ceased to pay any attention to them, being due only to the human factor and carelessness; I have seen an 'error' appearing in the morning and corrected that same afternoon! I am informed that on 10th October, 1954, the following offices were issued with `single ring' marks:

ABOVE ROCKS HALFWAY TREE PARCELS POST GPO
BETHSALEM HALLS DELIGHT PARROTTEE
BEVERLEY KELLY PORT ANTONIO
CARRON HALL KINGSTON PORT MARIA
CATADUPA KINLOSS SCOTTS PASS
CRAIGHEAD LEMON HALL SHOOTERS HILL
CRAIGMILL LUCKY HILL SPALDINGS
DEAN PEN MANDEVILLE SPUR TREE
FALMOUTH MAY PEN TOLL GATE
FONT HILL MILK RIVER TROJAN
FRANKFIELD MOUNT SALUS VINEYARD TOWN
FROME MUNRO COLLEGE WINDWARD ROAD
GEN. POST OFFICE OCHO RIOS YARMOUTH

Whether all these are all my TC or if some are DC I, myself, do not know. To date the only ones of which I possess copies are my type 'TCs' namely:- KINGSTON, OCHO RIOS and PARCELS POST."

(Contributed by Dr. H. B. BRUCE)

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