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Rhode Island Stampless
Covers & Letters |
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This
Stampless Folded Letter
with enclosures was sent from Philadelphia to Joseph L.
Tillinghast in Providence, Rhode Island at
twice
the War Time Rate
established by the Postal Act
of December 23, 1814, (effective
February 1, 1815) which
increased
the regular rates of 1799
by 50 percent.
The rate was 17 cents
plus the
50% surcharge for a total
of 25.5 cents
for mail traveling a distance of 150 to
300
miles, (Philadelphia to
Providence) and with an
enclosure (2 sheet rate)
was 2 x
the standard rate
or 51 cents
as indicated on the cover above.
The red-brown
Philadelphia CDS
(Circle Date Stamp)
was used from
1798
to 1816.
There are several different varieties of this marking. |
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| The letter is from an attorney in Philadelphia, (I couldn't make out the name) and is a reply to the request by Joseph L. Tillinghast acting on behalf of the ordinary seaman Joseph Emerick for compensation at the rate of 3/4 of a share for prize money earned by said sailor while serving on board the 1st voyage of the Privateer, "Young Wasp." The complete text of the letter and other documents is linked at the bottom of the page. | ||
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The
second document is a
Power of Attorney
giving Joseph L. Tillinghast
the power to act as the legal
representative of
Joseph Emerick
in the collection of prize money earned while serving as an
ordinary seaman on the
Privateer Young Wasp.
The
Prize Agent,
a Mr. Currier produced another power of attorney he had given to
his wife showing three
receipts on the reverse;
the last of which was a "paid
in full." Personally, I
tend to believe that the seaman was cheated out of his due. It
was a common practice
of the times to short-change
the crews
of privateers. At any rate, the Philadelphia lawyer returned the
power of attorney and receipt that Tillinghast had prepared and
sent for collection inside of this letter and the sailor,
(as far as is known)
received nothing. |
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| The third document is a receipt drawn up and signed by Joseph Tillinghast with the name of the cashier/prize agent and the amount to be paid left blank. It was interesting to note, especially in the case of the Power of Attorney, that the "legalese" was just as complicated, incomprehensible and obtuse in 1815 as it is today. | ||
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Joseph Leonard
Tillinghast was born in Taunton, Massachusetts
in 1791. He was a fifth
generation descendant of Pardon Tillinghast,
one of the original proprietors of Providence,
Rhode Island. Joseph Tillinghast was a
United States Representative from 1837 to
1843. Most of my maritime historical data deals with Rhode Island shipping and I could not locate any direct history on the Philadelphia Privateer, "Young Wasp." There were, however several references to the ship, to whit: The British Full-Rigged Ship, "Clarendon" was captured by the privateer Young Wasp, off the Cape of Good Hope in January of 1815, while bound from Batavia to London. The ship was taken to Baltimore and there condemned as a prize of war. Another reference has the Young Wasp cruising with the Prince de Neuchatel in the Irish Channel and making life miserable for British merchant shipping during a six month period. The third reference is to the British Brig "Penguin" commanded by Captain James Dickenson. The report states that she received 12 additional marines from the "Medway," a 74 gun "Ship of the Line" and that she was then dispatched on special assignment against the American privateer Young Wasp, which had been causing great havoc among homeward bound Indiamen. It appears from the foregoing, that Young Wasp was a very successful privateer. Rhode Island ships and crews were also very much involved in the War of 1812 and the most successful of all the private armed ships was the privateer "Yankee" owned by James DeWolf. The Yankee was a former slaver and returned to the trade after the war. |
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VIEW:
The Complete Text of the Letter Text of Power of Attorney Receipt for Payment - Signed Joseph L. Tillinghast |
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ALSO SEE: DeWolf Family Letters |
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RI Historical
Society
Introduction
Stampless I
Stampless II
Stampless III
Stampless IV
Stampless V
Stampless VI
Brown & Ives Letters
The Hazard Family Letters
Joseph Tillinghast
Free Franked Letters
DeWolf Family Letters
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