David and Moira joined the CISS in 1995. They attended most day meetings in London and the yearly weekend meetings. A quiet couple, their main interest was Channel Island postcards, and they formed a superb collection including almost complete runs of the Allix and LL cards along with many others. They travelled the country visiting stamp and postcard fairs and they would ensure they attended as soon as the doors opened to search for new finds.
David was born in the United Kingdom where his parents had been evacuated to from Guernsey in 1940. Following the liberation, the family returned to Guernsey where David was educated. David met Moira whilst at Cardiff University where they both studied teaching and, following their graduation, David became a teacher, and they took up a two-year posting to Kiribati. On their return to England, they settled in Sandon, Essex and David took up positions in various schools teaching science. David was a keen bird watcher and allotment holder. Moira was instrumental in setting up a children’s playgroup in the village. She loved reading and crafting.
They entered the Society’s annual Postcard Competition and between them won 13 of the 16 competitions held between 2002 and 2017.
In September 2002 they took over running the circulating packet service which they efficiently ran until 2007 when Moira then took on the Membership Secretary’s role which she held until 2017. In 2009 David was persuaded to take on the role of Chairman of the Society which he very successfully managed until 2017.
Moira passed away on the 23rd of November 2024 and David six days later on the 29th November 2024. Their funeral took place on the 15th January 2025 at Chelmsford Crematorium. It was well attended including six members of the CISS.
Members will remember them for their friendly and helpful manner. I will miss them as very good friends.
We send our condolences to their son Irwin.
Alan Moorcroft FRPSL
I have recently acquired an entire letter sent on June 5, 1809 from Guernsey to Poole. On the front of the cover one sees the handwritten postage entry 1/6d in black ink and when I calculate the postage I get a total of 1/7d. I referred this to Alan Moorcroft who quickly responded with the answer that he suspected the letter did not go via London as we now know it has no London datestamp on the reverse side. Thus it would have travelled from Weymouth to Blandford where there was a cross road to Poole, an inland distance from Weymouth of 40 miles = 6d plus 3d packet to Weymouth = 9d. Assuming it was a double letter the rate of 1/6d is solved.
Alan also writes…..to calculate the postage charge on mail sent prior to 5th December 1839 (Uniform postage) one needs to know the distance the letter was actually carried until 1838 when the rule changed to the shortest distance. This is usually easy if the letter went along the same post road. However, when mail was sent via a cross post road then the calculation has to be from the town the letter was posted to the place the letter was transferred to another post road for it to reach its destination. As this letter bears no London datestamp it is almost 100% certain that it went via a cross post. Mail posted from Weymouth was sent to Shaftsbury to join the Western Road to London. This route passed through Dorchester and Blandford. A cross post operated from Blandford to Poole. Thus one can calculate the route this letter took: Weymouth to Blandford 24 miles and Blandford to Poole 13 miles making a total of 37 miles. This was charged postage in the rate band 30 to 50 miles 1805 – 1812 rates 6d.
Reference. The Western Road in Robertson Great Britain Post Roads, Post Towns page 10 and Paterson’s Roads and principal Cross Roads.
