£140 - £200
** PLYMOUTH - PRISON SHIP LE BIENFAISANT - LETTER TO P.O.W. BUT HELD IN PARIS P.O.'s "CABINET NOIR"; 17 Nov. 1806 EL (cleverly folded and with wafer seal; from the addressee's wife? with financial news etc.) from "St. Dies" to; "M. Capprou Officier du navire La Sophie, Prisonnier de Gaire a bor du Bienfaisant a Plimouth. Pour remettre au [mon]sieur Simont Peter Demange" (presumably Demange was illiterate so his letters went via his senior officer Capprou?) with partly fine "P.82.P/ST. DIES" on the front along with red Paris "P.P.P.P." and having "15" prepaid rate on reverse, but clearly never delivered - letters still in transit after Napoleon's suspension of Mail exchange from 21 Nov. 1806 are thought to have remained in the Paris P.O.'s Secret Office ("Cabinet Noir") - there is a distinctive flattened oval red (censor's?) wax seal at the top of the inside page. [Not recorded in MFPWE.] Cross Reference: FRANCE, MILITARY - P.O.W. MAIL, DEVON, MILITARY - CENSORED MAIL
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