Stuart Rossiter

Percival Stuart Bryce Rossiter (25 February 1923 – 1982) was a renowned British philatelist and postal historian who wrote extensively about British postal history and postage stamps of British colonies in Africa and was involved in numerous philatelic institutions. In his Will he created The Stuart Rossiter Trust which has become a leading publisher of books on postal history.

Early life Stuart was educated at Framlingham College in Suffolk, leaving in 1941, after which he served in RAF Fighter Command during World War II, achieving the rank of Flying Officer. After the war he completed his education at King's College, Cambridge, where he obtained a BA degree in 1948 and an MA in 1953. His Blue Guides book on Greece was highly praised and as a result he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He also contributed to the Daily Telegraph. His most notable philatelic work is The Stamp Atlas.

Philately Rossiter became interested in stamp collecting and geography from the age of six and he would pursue these interests throughout his life. He is famous for his international stamp exhibitions through which he would display various portions of his extensive personal collection along with those of other collectors. Rossiter edited The London Philatelist, house journal of The Royal Philatelic Society London, from 1975 and in 1977 became President of the Society of Postal Historians.

Selected publications Some of Rossiter's works include:

The Stamp Atlas History of the East African Army Postal Service The Blue Guide Denmark The Blue Guide London Rome and Environs (Blue guides) Greece (Blue guides) Yugoslavia: the Adriatic Coast (Blue guides) The London Quiz Book, 1957.

Death In 1982 Rossiter died from leukaemia at the age of fifty nine and left all of his estate to the Stuart Rossiter Trust, as did his mother after him.