Page 350 - Jarvis & Wright: Jamaica Display to RPSL

Jamaica: Location Postmarks

Temporary Rubber Datestamps
Boxed TRDs

Titchfield – Port Antonio
Port Antonio in the Parish of Portland has a fine natural harbour and from about 1867 became the major Northern port for
the fruit trade. The port was the Jamaican base of the United Fruit Company and quickly grew both as to its facilities and
population, and the surrounding areas had many sugar estates and banana walks.
As the United Fruit Company expanded so did the tourist trade from the United States and Canada, many tourists being carried
by the Company’s ships. To encourage this expansion the Company built the Titchfield Hotel on one of the promontories
forming the harbour at the end of the 1880’s, and the hotel remained in the ownership of the Company until the 1920’s,
when Mrs J.S. Bonitto became the owner.
As with other ‘tourist hotels’, the Post Office also had a bureau at the hotel during the tourist season.

At first sight there appears to be three Dies of the Titchfield TRD, although this could just be due to wear.
Known used 13 Jan 1903 to 5 May 1903 and 22 Jan 1904 to 3 May 1904.

At Titchfield
TRD Die 1
of 6 Apr 1903