Auction 333-341 Europe & Overseas - Day 5

With forwarder from Beirut 1856 (Oct 3): Entire letter from the missionary William Benton in Bhandun, Lebanon to his brother Azariah Lathrop Benton in Tolland, Connecticut. Entrusted to a courrier who transported the cover to Boston on behalf of J. M. Gordon forwarder who struck on the back his oval „FORWARDED BY / J. M. GORDON. / TREASURER / A.B.C.F.M. / BOSTON.“ handstamp in red with ABCFM being the abbreviation for the ‚American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission‘. The cover was franked with 1855 3 c. dull red type I (Scott 11), tied by indistinct PAID handstamp in grid, „BOSTON NOV 11 1856“ cds in red alongside. A cover of great interest, presumably one of early covers from Lebanon with a stamp applied.

Note: This cover is part of the correspondence to Azariah Lathrop Benton, born 1816 in Tolland and died there in 1896, sent by his brother William A. Benton. Azariah Lathrop Benton grew up with the intention of becoming a Congregational missionary. His parents were in such circumstances, however, that his more immediate duty seemed to be at home. William A. Benton, his brother, took up the work, and was a missionary in Syria for twenty-two years.