Item: Ravenshaw East India Company 1819 De Havilland Madras Chennai Rare Postmark
Sold For: $1,030.00
Bids: 14
Date: Apr 22, 2012
Auction: Ebay
Seller: lemarechaldesaxe
Description and Image By: lemarechaldesaxe
India – ravenshaw, john g. (1777-1840). One of the directors of the east india company. Letter signed to thomas fiott de havilland (at that time major) and colonel freeze at madras (chennai). – east india house (london, england), 25thseptember 1819. 2 pp. In-4. The letter was sent the 25th september 1819 and arrived the 8th of april 1820 – took 7 months!!! Two postmarks of madras: giles – nr. 10, known only from april 1820 (very scarce): madras post not paid 7 ap 7 1820 – and giles mx3, used from april 1820 to march 1824 (very early use!): madras 7 ap 7 1820. The family of de havilland is very famous: to it belong e.g. Sir geoffrey de havilland (1882-1962), famous british aviation pioneer – and the two actresses olivia de havilland (*1916) and her sister joan fontaine (*1917), descendants of tom’s brother charles !!! – rare historical letter.
Transcription: Mess(ieu)rs major de havilland & lieut-colonel freese – ex(ecut)ors to the late c. R. Ross [captain charles ross was the fiancé of tom’s sister mary de havilland, 1789-1854, who had died in november 1816. He had been the son of major-general ross, one-time chief engineer at madras]. Madras. Gentleman. By my letter of the 18th march 1818 i requested you to remit to me without waiting for further instructions, whatever balance might remain in your hands from the estates of our deceased friend in order that i might divide the same among the legatées in europe. I have not yet received any acknowledgement of that letter & the brothers of the deceased are concerned to find that no attention has been paid to it – they are of course in great want of their money & have begged me again to request you will without further loss of time remit to me whatever may be forthcoming to them from the estate. I believe our late friend had some claim on the house of roebuck, abbott & maitland of madras – or upon mr roebucks estate – an act of parliament having passed the last sessions under which that firm will be able to recover a large sum as creditors of the nabob of arcot – you will no doubt put in your claim as executors to the late c. R. Ross for any sum that may be due to his estate from the house alluded to. I have received from you a tinbox containing a watch trinkets & which shall be delivered to colonel ross the elder brother on his return to england – & i have received mr hamilton’s books which have been delivered to him. I am dear sirs Your very obed(ian)t servant John g. Ravenshaw Ex(ecut)or
Biographies: Ravenshaw ii, john goldsborough (1777-1840). Chairman of the british east india company. He was the son of john goldborough ravenshaw (died 1824) and elizabeth withers, and the great-grandson of william withers (lord mayor of london). In 1801 he married hannah bond, daughter of commodore charles john bond. He became one of the directors of the company in 1819, deputy chairman 1829-1831, and chairman 1832. He remained as director until his death in 1840. Thomas fiott de havilland was the son of peter de havilland and carterette fiott, 1788-9 he attended elizabeth college in guernsey, 1791 nominated for a cadetcy in india, 1792 returned to guernsey and sailed for india in the ponsbourne (to madras), 1793 ensign in the engineers, took part in the siege of pondicherry, 1794 assistant to major trapaud, chief engineer in the southern division, 1795 supervised building work at dindigul, 1796, took part in the expedition to capture colombo, promoted to lieutenant, 1799 war against mysore, attached to lt. Col. Brown’s detachment, fell dangerously ill with fever, appointed superintendent of the military building at madras, 1800 appointment was rescinded, he was sent to seringapatem, appointed in december to the expedition which was being sent to dislodge the french from egypt, reached alexandra, surveyed lake mareotis, 1802 april-may engaged in constructing wells on the route to suez, left for malta in july, came home via italy and france, 1803 reached guernsey, engaged to elizabeth de sausmarez (eliza), left england for india on board the admiral aplin on 28th august, 1804 admiral aplin captured by the french vessel the psyche east of ceylon, de havilland was released on parole and taken to calcutta in a portuguese ship, arrived at madras 11th april, the commander-in-chief, general stuart, informed him that his parole debarred him from performing any military duties (until december), 1805 posted first to bellary, and then to berar and candeish, where he undertook survey work, 1806 promoted to captain, in bombay, sailed then from bombay to madras, 1807 appointed as engineer at seringapatem, where he was stationed the next three years, 1808 eliza arrived at madras and they were married, 1809 mutiny in the army, the most serious at seringapatem on 29th july, de havilland was among the mutineers, then was arrested and detained at bangalore, 1810 in england, 1811 first in england, in guernsey, building houses, 1812 de havilland was finally restored to his commission in the madras engineers, 1814 departure from portsmouth of thomas and eliza for india, arrived at madras in september, 1815 sent as commanding engineer in the expedition against the marathas in february, appointed superintendent of tanks in summer, promoted to major, 1816 some months at chittoor, built st. George’s cathedral, madras, to the design of colonel caldwell, 1818 death of eliza, began work on st. Andrew’s church in madras, his finest architectural design, 1820 st. Andrew’s church completed, 1821 appointed acting-chief engineer, in the absence of caldwell, 1823 returned to europe, 1824 promoted lieutenant-colonel, 1825 officially retired, 1828 marriage to harriet gore, 1829-1830 built havilland hall, 1836 elected constable of st. Andrew’s parish, 1842 elected jurat. In appearance thomas de havilland was short and slight. At the age of 20 he was just under 5 feet 6 inches in height, and nine stone in weight. He possessed a strong constitution and great physical and mental energy. He was intelligent and clever.