The 4d St Helena stamp of 1969 depicts the brig, or snow, PERSEVERANCE and bears the date 1819. It seems that this vessel carried the first official mail to St Helena in that year. This PERSEVERANC is probably the same vessel that made several voyages between the Cape of Good Hope and St Helena in 1813 (and probably also in 1819). Lloyds lists of 1818 (I've not been able to consult those of 1819)provide the following information.
A PERSEVERANCE, Captain Amber, sailed from London for the Cape of Good Hope on August 16th. 1817. She is reported as having arrived from London but no date stated (but either late 1817 or early 1818). Arrived at St. Helena from the Cape (about March 1818). Arrived at Cape from St Helena on May 8th 1818. Captain Ambler(sic) sailed from Cape for St. Helena on June 26th 1818. Captain Amber sailed from St Helena for the Cape of August 19th 1818. Arrived at the Cape from St Helena on September 6th 1818.
Captain Amber, as it can be seen, made the last mentioned passage in 18 to 19 days.
It seems that after her arrival at the Cape from London she was chartered to take men, supplies, despatches, and ?? mail to St Helena.
Lloyd's Register of 1822: PERSEVERANCE, a snow of 211 tons, built at Southampton in 1817, master and owner : Amber. Single decked, draught 14 feet (she was probably about 75 feet between perpendiculars and had a beam of about 22 feet, E.J.H.) The book 'Ships of British Oak' by A J Holland mentions a PERSEVERANCE being built 'between 1816 and 1818' at Hythe (on Southampton water) by a builder named Mark Richards, 'for the Levant trade'. It may be the same. A copy of the Register for 1822 which I consulted contains amendments added later in 1822. These state that in 1822 the ownership had passed to a Mr Porrett, that her new master was named Patterson, and that her destined voyage was London to Hamburg, her original destined voyage was London to the Cape of Good Hope. It appears that the last amendments made in the Register were done in November, therefore, it seems, she was sold to Porrett after she had made the voyage to and from the Cape of Hood Hope.
Article in Log Book May 1984 by E.J.Hogan
St Helena SG241