London (1659)

[shipstamps]

St. Helena celebrated its tercentenary as a settlement in 1959 by issuing a set of three commemorative stamps for the occasion. The island was discovered and named by the Portuguese navigator Joao da Nova Castello on his way home from India on May 21, 1502, the anniversary of St. Helena (mother of the Emperor Constantine). The Dutch occupied the island from 1645 to 1651, when they left to join their compatriots at Cape Town in forming the Dutch settlement at the Cape. The British East India Company next appropriated St. Helena and the island was annexed in 1659 when Capt. John Dutton was despatched early in 1659 in the ship London.
The 6d. stamp shows the arrival of the London at Jamestown, though the town in the background on the stamp design is reproduced from a modern picture postcard. The London set out from the Downs accompanied by the Marmaduke, a man-of-war, in February, arriving at Jamestown in the following May when the landing was made on the 5th. As no picture of the London exists, the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich was consulted and a photograph of a water colour by Van de Velde called "Beach's Action" was provided for the engraver's use by the museum. From a note on the bottom of the picture it would appear that the vessel copied for the stamp was a Portsmouth based frigate of 1670.
St Helena SG170
Sea Breezes 3/61

[aukepalmhof]

The LONDON was an East Indiaman built by Henry Johnson at Blackwall.
08 October 1658 launched as the LONDON.
400 ton (bm)
14 April 1676 sold for breaking up.

Ascension 1924 ½d/3s sg10/20, scott?, 1979 12p sg256, scott?
St Helena SG 92, 1922 ½d/£1 sg96/101, scott?, 1934 10s sg123, scott? 1938 ½d/10s sg131/40, scott? 1953 ½d sg153, scott? 1959 6d sg170, scott?
Tristan da Cunha 1952 ½/10s sg1/12, scott? 1976 5p sg204, scott? 1979 5p sg264, scott? 1984 10p/60p sg365/8, scott?

Source: Ships of the East India Company by Rowan Hackman