Man posted to... Sark

Description

Guernsey Post is proud to present Man Posted To…, a distinctive stamp issue celebrating this extraordinary true story from Channel Islands postal history. Released on 1 September, the issue features a joint se-tenant stamp pair produced in partnership with Guernsey.

The stamps recount the remarkable journey of the first man to use the postal system to get to his destination. In 1905, Mr Harry Turner made local postal history by arranging to be conveyed as a postal item from Guernsey to Sark. At that time, the General Post Office permitted, under special circumstances, the conveyance of individuals by Royal Mail, provided they were accompanied by a Post Office telegraph messenger.

With official approval granted, Mr Turner embarked on the Sark boat alongside his postal escort. Upon arrival in Sark, the pair enjoyed a carriage drive and luncheon at the Dixcart Hotel before returning to Guernsey later the same day. This unusual journey, completed at a cost of 5 shillings and 10 pence, remains a remarkable and little-known episode in the history of postal services in the Channel Islands.

Blending humour, ingenuity and local heritage, this fascinating story offer a unique insight into the flexibility of postal services in earlier times and the determination of islanders to overcome the challenges of travel.

This imaginative issue continues Guernsey Post’s tradition of bringing unusual and compelling aspects of Channel Islands history to life through philately.

As part of the wider Man Posted To… series, a companion joint issue with Alderney tells the equally remarkable story of Major “Peabod” Palmer, who in 1940 became the last man to be posted when he travelled from Guernsey to Alderney as a parcel in order to return home to his family. Together, the two issues celebrate a unique and little-known chapter in Channel Islands postal history.

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