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Gold Coast Overland Mail Routes : 1875 to 1901

Peter Newroth

[This article appeared in the London Philatelist (Ref. 1) and is reproduced
here with the permission of the Hon. Editor and the author]

"The mails are conveyed on the heads of the men over hilly and rugged tracts of country... they have often
times had to traverse sandy soils or wade through running streams... there was no accident to the mails
during the year."
(from: Gold Coast Post Office Eleventh Annual Report, 1894;
written by E. Rowland Cole, Postmaster-General)

Figure 1 : Overland from Accra to Cape Coast

Introduction transport by water and air, relatively few provide
details about overland postal systems in the
This article describes the Overland or Inland Mail nineteenth century. I have seen little specific
routes in the Gold Coast of West Africa during the information on the inland postal service published
late nineteenth century. My research began about for the Gold Coast other than in Proud (Ref. 2) and
1982 for a book on Gold Coast philately in Ensor (Ref. 3), who provides details on internal
collaboration with the West Africa Study Circle. My services from 1901 to 1957.
main interest concentrates on stamps and
cancellations but I also became intrigued with the The need for more information was a catalyst for this
internal postal routes and the people involved during article. Research included reviews of published
the Victorian period. Details of the Overseas mail philatelic, historical and archival sources, and
connections and descriptions of the Gold Coast Post especially study of covers in the Victorian period.
Offices and Postal Agencies of the period will be Primary information sources are Gold Coast
addressed in the planned book. Gazettes and Blue Books, including the Civil Lists
and Post Office Reports, and several editions of the
While numerous publications describe overseas mail Gold Coast Guide. I attempt to outline the Gold