Philip Saunders (philatelist)
Philip Thomas Saunders | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date City of Westminster, London, England |
| Died | May 28, 1975 (aged 75) Min-y-Nant, New Radnor, Wales |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, Philatelist |
| Years active | Early 20th century–1959 (banking) |
| Known for | Founding the British West Indies Study Circle; authoring works on banking history and philately |
Philip Thomas Saunders FRPSL (10 August 1899 – 28 May 1975) was a British banker and noted philatelist. His banking career began prior to the outbreak of the First World War but was interrupted by his service in the Royal Flying Corps. Following the war, Saunders resumed his banking profession and authored a historical account of Stuckey's Bank in 1928. He was employed by banks that ultimately merged into the current National Westminster Bank, from which he retired in 1959.
In the realm of philately, Saunders established the British West Indies Study Circle (BWISC) in 1954 and collaborated with Everard F. Aguilar on a comprehensive study of the Cayman Islands’ postal history, stamps, and postmarks, published in 1962. His investigation into Dominica’s postal history up to 1935 was later completed by BWISC member E. Victor Toeg and released in 1994.
Early life and family
Saunders was born on 10 August 1899 in the City of Westminster, London. During the First World War (1917–1919), he served as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps and earned an aviator’s certificate from the Royal Aero Club in June 1918.
He married Annie Rose Titford, who dedicated over three decades of service to the Royal Philatelic Society London before retiring in 1957.
Career
Saunders embarked on his banking career shortly before World War I at institutions that eventually became part of today’s National Westminster Bank. In 1928, he authored a detailed history of Stuckey's Bank, a private bank from the West Country that was absorbed into Parr's Bank and later NatWest. His work was commended by The Economist for its thorough exploration of familial connections between the Stuckey and Bagehot families. He concluded his banking career with retirement in 1959.
Philately
In January 1954, Saunders founded the British West Indies Study Circle and joined the Royal Philatelic Society London that same year, eventually becoming a fellow. He held the position of BWISC secretary from 1954 until 1971 and also served as editor of its Bulletin for a time.
Together with Everard F. Aguilar, Saunders co-wrote an influential publication on the Cayman Islands’ postal history, postage stamps, and postmarks, which appeared in 1962. At that period, his residence was Caymans Cottage, Ridgmont, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire. Their research aimed to locate mail originating from the islands prior to Jamaica’s introduction of stamps in 1889; however, despite extensive searches beginning in 1955, no such items were found within private collections. In 1854, residents petitioned London for mail services and public amenities but received no substantial response—an example of London’s "benign neglect" that led to the islands being dubbed "the islands that time forgot" by the early twentieth century. Saunders and Aguilar identified two letters dated 1805 sent by islanders to General Sir George Nugent, then governor of Jamaica, which are preserved in a museum in Kingston, along with several letters from the 1840s held by the Methodist Missionary Society.
The book garnered favorable critiques in The London Philatelist, though it faced criticism for excluding mention of the contentious hand-surcharging of Cayman Islands stamps during 1907/08. This surcharging addressed shortages of halfpenny and one penny denominations but was regarded within philatelic circles as unnecessary and possibly serving officials or local collectors’ interests.
Death and legacy
Saunders passed away at his residence in Min-y-Nant, New Radnor, Wales, on 28 May 1975. His funeral service and interment were held at St. Mary’s Church in New Radnor. An obituary honoring his life appeared in the Bulletin of the British West Indies Study Circle (BWISC).
The research he had begun on Dominica’s postal history, including its stamps and postal stationery up to 1935, was finalized after his death by BWISC member E. Victor Toeg and released in 1994. This work represented the first detailed publication on Dominica’s philatelic history since Bertram W. H. Poole’s early 20th-century study.
Selected publications
- Stuckey's Bank. Barnicott & Pearce, Taunton, 1928.
- The Cayman Islands, Their Postal History, Postage Stamps and Postmarks. F. J. Parsons, Folkestone, 1962. (Co-authored with Everard F. Aguilar)