1897 PROVING COVER BONC 577, OLD MORLEY to London. Envelope franked adhesives totalling 2½d tied BONC 577 (light but clear) with proving cds alongside. Rear shows transit through Umtata DE 18 97 and arrival mark Wimbledon JA 8 98. This is only the second Old Morley cover found, this example being the EARLIEST for both the BONC and the cds. Very scarce. F-VF. This small village, across the Umtata river, was established in 1830 as a mission station by the Wesleyan Missionary Society. The Rev. Backhouse wrote "Morley is a flourishing station. Its population was at this time about 300."
