Letter, Colonial Defence Office to E.F. Hemmingway

item details

NameLetter, Colonial Defence Office to E.F. Hemmingway

ProductionCaptain James Holt; writer; 28 November 1866; Wellington
Gerald Ellott MNZM; researcher

ClassificationVisual and Verbal Communication, letters, envelopes

Materialspaper, ink

DimensionsOverall: 133mm (width), 77mm (height)

Registration NumberPH000913

Credit linePurchased 2001

Overview

This item comes from a collection of letters, covers and other historical material which Te Papa has acquired from Gerald Ellott at various times since 2001. The collection includes items from as early as 1818, but most relate to the New Zealand Wars period (1845-1872) and particularly the 1860s.

Gerald is one of New Zealand’s foremost postal historians, and for nearly sixty years has been collecting, researching and exhibiting the early postal history of New Zealand. He was invited to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1988, is a recipient of the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie Research Medal, and was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to philately in the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

The New Zealand Wars collection includes letters written by soldiers serving in British regiments in New Zealand, as well as letters from members of colonial militia and volunteer units. The content and context of the letters provide a wealth of historical, social and military information about this period. The postal markings on the letters and envelopes are also informative, allowing us to track the movement of British troops and the opening up of post offices in their wake.

Many items in the collection are mounted and annotated on archival pages. Gerald wrote the annotations for the purposes of display and storytelling. They reflect his views and the language of the time, and Te Papa has not reviewed them for accuracy.

Transcript:

[Front of cover]

[Top of cover printed with “ON HER MAJESTY’S SERVICE.”]

[Postmark: “WELLINGTON / NZ / NO28 / 66”]

E.F. Hemingway Esq.
Wanganui

[Bottom left corner of cover printed with “COLONIAL DEFENCE OFFICE, / __18”, and signed with illegible signature over top]

[Reverse of cover]

[Postmark: “WANGANUI / NO29 / 1866 / NEW ZEALAND”]

[Letter]

Defence office
Wellington 27 Nov. 1866

Dear Sir.
Steinhaull is still Qr. Master General at Opotiki but I think that he & the Qr. Master (Captain Pennefather) will be brought down to Patea as soon as their land is ready for them there. Yours [?]

[illegible initials]

E.F. Hemingway Esq.
Wanganui.