Tag: British Commonwealth

Stamp Issuers

St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Mickey’s School of Education

While I have had a stamp of the British Colony of St. Vincent in my collection for quite a while, it was only recently that I received one inscribed with the full independent name of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The country achieved its independence from the British Commonwealth on October 27, 1979, but the first stamps with such a printed inscription weren’t released until … Continue reading St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Mickey’s School of Education

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Topicals

The Seal of St. Vincent Colony

For a long time, my collection held but a solitary stamp from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. That stamp was featured on the colony’s stamp issuers article back in June 2017. I recently sought to add more and purchased a small “mystery” mixed lot of St. Vincent stamps. However, only three were inscribed thusly. One sheet of eight stamps bore the inscription St. Vincent … Continue reading The Seal of St. Vincent Colony

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Historic Events, Historic Places

The British Colony of Hong Kong

On January 20, 1841, Hong Kong Island was occupied by the British during the First Opium War. The island was ceded by Qing China in the aftermath of the war in 1842 and established as a Crown colony in 1843. The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 after the Second Opium War and was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of … Continue reading The British Colony of Hong Kong

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Topicals

National Stamp Collecting Month: The Pillar Box

Earlier this month, A Stamp A Day examined the history and use of post boxes and letter boxes for sending and receiving mail. Today, we look at the type of free-standing post box known as the pillar box. They are found in the United Kingdom and in most former nations of the British Empire, members of the Commonwealth of Nations and British overseas territories, such as Australia, Cyprus, … Continue reading National Stamp Collecting Month: The Pillar Box

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Topicals

Bemuda Sloop “Lucie”

It’s Sunday morning and the third day of the Songkran holiday here in Thailand. I’ve been out enjoying the festivities each day but spending my limited time at home working on blog articles; yesterday’s was a nearly 7,000-word article on the Lincoln assassination that I finally finished around 10:00 last night. For today, I planned a quick “ASAD is on holiday” and had the perfect … Continue reading Bemuda Sloop “Lucie”

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Historic Events

Thomas Warner and the Caribbean’s First British Colony

On January 28, 1623,  Sir Thomas Warner established the first British colony in the Caribbean on the island of Saint Kitts, also known more formally as Saint Christopher Island. Two years later, in 1625, French captain Pierre Belain d’Esnambuc, commanding a 14-gun brigantine with a crew of 40, arrived on the island following a run-in with the Spanish Armada and were allowed to settle on the island. Thus, Saint … Continue reading Thomas Warner and the Caribbean’s First British Colony

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Historic Events, Historic People

The Abdication of King Edward VIII

On December 11, 1936, Edward VIII’s abdication, removing himself as King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire as well as Emperor of India, was given effect by Act of Parliament: His Majesty’s Declaration of Abdication Act 1936. He had signed the instruments of abdication the day before at Fort Belvedere, a country house on Shrubs Hill in Windsor Great Park, in Surrey, England constructed in a Gothic Revival style in … Continue reading The Abdication of King Edward VIII

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Holidays

Barbados Independence Day

On November 30, 1966, after years of peaceful and democratic progress, Barbados finally became an independent state. Errol Barrow was its first Prime Minister, although Queen Elizabeth II remained the monarch. Upon independence, Barbados maintained historical linkages with Britain by becoming a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. A year later, Barbados’ international linkages were expanded by obtaining membership of both the United Nations and … Continue reading Barbados Independence Day

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