This is a postcard sent 20 June 1898 from the Dutch town of Arnhem to a Dutch Hotel guest. The message on the back is in Dutch to his sister (“Lieve zus,” – Dear sister,) staying at a Royal hotel in “Engeland”.
The exact location of the Royal Hotel, Geursey or Guerdey, is not clear. It could be Jersey or Guernsey which both have/had a Royal Hotel, but also another town in England (in Dutch Engeland, see left corner beneath) or in the UK. The Dutch were, certainly in this period, not precise in the correct with the indication of the region in the UK. Eng(e)land is similar for the whole of the UK.
The postcard was first sent to Jersey and arrived there on 22 June 1898 (SG J40). The Royal Hotel was contacted about whether the Dutch “guest” was still staying at the hotel. This seems not to have been the case; see the remark below.
Also, a boxed Jersey “Inconnu / Not known” handstamp was added. In the Stanley Gibbons Channel Islands Postal History catalogue a similar type is listed as SG J194a for 1945. But this handstamp was used much earlier. See also the articles by Peter Williams and Gerald Marriner in Les Iles Normandes Volume 26 No.1 (Mar 2007). All known early handstamps of this type have dots after ‘Inconnu’ and ‘Not Known’. In J194a the dots are however omitted.
Is the Jersey “Inconnu / Not known” handstamp a different type not listed in the Channel Islands Postal History catalogue?
Postal pencil markings in blue were also added. These were most likely added in Jersey as ”Try Guernsey” is included.
The postcard was sent to Guernsey on 27 June (SG G25). Apparently, the addressee was again not found at the Royal Hotel on Guernsey as the postcard was sent back to Arnhem. The journey back was via the Returned Letter Office in London and the Amsterdam – Antwerpen travelling post office The postcard arrived in Arnhem on 12 July. In Arnhem, an attempt was made to deliver the postcard back to the sender who was however unknown (in Dutch: Afzender onbekend).
