Rhode Island Stampless Covers & Letters
1833-1838 Stampless Folded letter to Miss Rebecca Tillinghast
C/O JL Tillinghast in Providence, Rhode Island Via Packet Ship "South America"
with New York Ship Cancel & Barring Brothers Forwarding Mark
(Scroll Down for Background Information and Additional Graphics)

This 1830s Stampless Cover was sent to Providence RI and was transported by both ship and land routes. There is no year date on the cover, but the cover had to have been sent sometime between 1833 and 1838 for the following reasons:

The cover was sent by packet ship. (See the enlargement of the cancel - third graphic down). Note the marking at lower left below the ship cancel; that tells us that it traveled on the Black Ball Line’s packet ship "South America" The South America served from 1832 until 1843 which further narrows the year down. The "forwarded by" marking on the reverse of the envelope is by Baring Brothers, (See the Forwarding Agent enlargement - fourth graphic down) who only used this red forwarding agent marking between the years 1833 and 1838. So we can safely say that this cover was sent sometime between the years 1833 and 1838.