The Lady McLeod was a paddle steamer

Paddle steamer

A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...

 and a private local post

Local post

A local post is a mail service that operates only within a limited geographical area, typically a city or a single transportation route. Historically, some local posts have been operated by governments, while others, known as private local posts have been for-profit companies...

. The ship sailed regularly between Port of Spain

Port of Spain

Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...

 and San Fernando

San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago

The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...

, on Trinidad

Trinidad

Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...

 island, now in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...

 from the end of 1845 until 1854. The private local post ran during the same time with the use of postage stamps on its mail

Mail

Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...

 from April 1847.

History

Coming from the Napier shipyard

Shipyard

Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...

 in Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

, the ship was christened in hommage of the Governor Sir Henry McLeod's wife and began its Port of Spain–San Fernando route in November 1845.

The 60-ton, 40 hp

Horsepower

Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...

, steamer was bought by Turnbull, Stewart & Co. In 1846, David Bryce bought it and let it some years later to a San Fernando consortium.

At the beginning of the 1850s, the postal monopoly

Monopoly

A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...

 fall and American and Netherlands ships entered the competition. After a last purchase, the ship foundered near San Fernando in 1854. The Lady McLeods bell was retrieved and has been regularly displayed by the Trinidad Philatelic Society.

Postage stamp

The private local post of the Lady McLeod began as soon as its service started in November 1845. There were two rates: a monthly subscription of one dollar, or ten cents per letter.

In April 1847, Bryce decided to introduce stamps

Postage stamp

A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...

 that were sold individually for 5 cents, or for 4 cents if bought by the hundred. The Lady McLeod only transported letters bearing stamps, or pre-paid mail of the subscribers. The imperforated stamp's illustration was a white ship on a blue background, with the initials "LM^c L" printed underneath. Lithographically

Lithography

Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...

 printed, the stamp was cancelled by a cross drawn by hand or by ripping up a corner.

In 1851, the British colony issued its own stamps figuring a sitting Britannia

Britannia

Britannia is an ancient term for Great Britain, and also a female personification of the island. The name is Latin, and derives from the Greek form Prettanike or Brettaniai, which originally designated a collection of islands with individual names, including Albion or Great Britain. However, by the...

.