Description:

Queen Victoria I of England
[Windsor, England], January 30, 1857
Queen Victoria 3rd Person ALS Approving Proposed Governorship of Tobago
3rd person ALS

A 1p autograph letter signed in the third person by Queen Victoria I (1819-1901) as "The Queen" in the first sentence; she also refers to herself as "she" in the second sentence. January 30, 1857. [Windsor Castle, Windsor, England.] Inscribed on watermarked bifold mourning stationery featuring an embossed royal crest at top. The inner pages and outer leaf are blank. Expected wear including a former collector's pencil inscription and a few scuffs on the outer leaf, else near fine. 4.25" x 7.125."

The letter reads in part: "The Queen has to acknowledge Mr Labouchere's letter of the 24th. She approves of his authorizing … to offer the Governorship of Tobago to Mr. Waller + Mr Drysdale in succession."

Victoria's administrative duties extended to staffing the outposts of her worldwide empire; this included tiny Tobago over 4,000 miles away. Tobago and its neighboring island of Trinidad are part of the Windward Island chain in the western southern Caribbean located just a few miles northeast of Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago had been under British control off and on since 1797.

The "Mr Labouchere" in Victoria's letter was a reference to Henry Labouchere, 1st Baron Taunton (1798-1869), who served as Secretary of State for the Colonies between 1855 and 1858. "Mr Drysdale" referred to James Vickery Drysdale, whose appointment as Lieutenant Governor was announced in a Downing Street bulletin three months later, on April 1, 1857. Drysdale served as colonial governor of Tobago between June 1857 and April 1864.

Governor Drysdale would have confronted major economic issues upon assuming the governorship of Tobago. The predominantly sugar cane-based economy on the island had been rocked by the 1838 abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire, as well as by the 1846 Sugar Duties Act, which removed protections for domestically produced sugar. In the subsequent labor vacuum left by slavery, islanders tried their hand at metayage sharecropping, and also welcomed an influx of indentured servants from southeast Asia.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 4.25" x 7.125"
  • Medium: 3rd person ALS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

August 27, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000