Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island

Tristan da Cunha was first settled in 1810. Great Britain annexed it in 1816 to prevent a possible attempt to rescue Napoleon from his exile on St. Helena. The island used St Helena stamps until, in 1952 the first stamps of Tristan da Cunha were issued on 1 January 1952 consisting of twelve stamps of Saint Helena overprinted TRISTAN DA CUNHA. In 1954 a definitive set was issued depicting island themes. Tristan cancels and cachets were in use on GB and St Helena stamps from much earlier. In 1961 a volcanic eruption forced the evacuation of the entire population—about three hundred people—back to the U.K. They returned in 1963.