Bath Small Sideways Duplex Cancels

There are two formats of the small sideways duplex cancel, with the number "53" vertical and with the number horizontal, while the single-arc Bath cancel is vertical in both cases.

While it is clear that the top example is from the cancel registered on 10th July 1857, I am unable to distinguish between the cancels registered for the bottom envelope.  I guess I need some more examples with dates that nail down the early cancels.

Bath Large Sideways Duplex Cancels

Six large sideways duplex cancels were registered for Bath, from 20th February 1855 to 13th November 1857.  I only have examples of the first two as shown on the sheets below.

The cancel on the second envelope above appears to be the same even though the second Bath large sideways duplex cancel had been registered eight months before it was posted.

Both cancels above are the second cancel registered on17th August 1855; the "H" of "Bath" has a short right-hand foot.

Bath Numeric Obliterator

Two examples of the Bath numeric obliterator (number 53), one issued between 1846 and 1848, and one from between 1849 and 1852.

Putting up this post caused me to update the write-up of this page to reflect the information in "Postmarks of Somerset:  Steel Handstamps, Proof Impressions 1826-1921" by Mike Welch published by the Somerset & Dorset Postal History Group, which I obtained after my initial write-up.

It is not easy to distinguish which cancel has been used on the covers because the impressions are somewhat blurred and unclear.  In particular the three-bar obliterator looks like the first one registered in 1849 (based mainly on the shape of the "5") though it is supposed to have been recut in 1851.

Dear Mother ...

Postcard home from Wells:

Bath Maltese Cross

A couple of examples of entires posted to London with 1841 1d red-brown stamps cancelled with the Bath Maltese Cross:

Both entires have Bath double-arc dated cancels on the reverse for July 1842.

Bath Uniform 1d Post - Mulready

The first cover I have from Bath after the introduction of the Uniform 1d Post in 1840 is a Mulready letter Sheet used on 21st October 1840.

Mulreadys and their caricatures are another of my interests.  Here is an unused caricature by an unknown artist ("WE Jr") with a possible Bath connection.

This caricature, which is rare, exists in two conditions, one where the letter on the back of the boy on the left is addressed to "A Bachelor Esq., Family Hotel, Bath", and a second, as above, where the address is "A Bachelor Esq., Family Hotel, London".  The impression of the second type is much harder leading to speculation that the first type ("Bath") was a proof, and that perhaps the envelope, and the other eleven in the series, were printed in the West Country, in particular in Bath.

The example of the above known used (in the Royal Collection) was posted from London to Cheltenham on 18th November 1847 - my search of the Pigot's Directory for Bath from 1844 looking for Printers with the initials "WE" has unfortunately drawn a blank.

Bath Penny Post

I have a couple of examples of Bath Penny Post cancels, one without a date and one with.

This entire, with the undated Penny Post cancel, has a nice Old Down cancel and appears to have gone the long way from Bath to Sherborne if I've got it right.

This entire, with the dated Penny Post cancel, has a manuscript "Paid 2" - is that because it was double weight ?  It also has a "No. 1" receiving house cancel that my copy of the British County Catalogue (1990) does not list. 

Bath circular cancels with mileage

Some more entires with Bath cancels, now moving on to circular cancels with the mileage to London.

The top covers on each page  are free fronts.  Tracking down the author of a free front signature is sometimes tricky.  One very useful resource is Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page, which has lists of the Peerages and MPs - using Google's Advanced Search against the top page of the site allows one to search for possible names based on sometimes indecipherable signatures.  The other site that one may need for a Free Front is the Clergy of the Church of England Database which allows one to search for Bishops.  A Bishop would sign a free front with the name of his see preceded by his initials, so ideally one needs to check who was the incumbent at the time of the front.

Bath first slice done

I've now managed to write-up most of the Bath material I've got (about 80 sheets worth), excluding the later Slogan cancels which are waiting on time to digest the catalogues by Parsons, Peachey and Pearson (I bought them from the British Postmark Society stand at Midpex, they have just arrived in the post). 

It doesn't take too long when one has a standard approach - but that's probably because I'm missing things.  At least I've now got a reasonable skeleton of a collection to improve.  My next target is to get a basic write-up of the rest of Somerset completed, hopefully before the next season of local society meetings start (see Leamington & Warwick Philatelic Society website, and the links for the other Warwickshire societies).  I have an evening to display at Leamington on 8th February 2012 so I'm thinking that half of the evening will be some aspects of Somerset Postal History.

Another event that I'm looking forward to is the meeting of the Somerset & Dorset Postal History Group at Hornsbury Mill, Chard on Sunday 23rd October.  Besides a day listening & seeing what I should be doing, I will be picking up a set of the back numbers of their Journal which will help expand my knowledge ... and probably mean I have to rewrite a lot of my material.

Here's another Bath entire, one that looks to me to be fairly straightforward.  The only thing that's questionable is the probable route that the mail would have taken.

Bath: Trades in 1844

One of the resources I have is a copy of "Pigot and Co.'s National Commercial Directory of Somerset, 1844".  In an idle moment or three, I looked at all the tradesmen listed for Bath and totalled and summarised them. Here is the summary of the tradesmen put into broad categories:
 

Summary of Trades by Category
Category	Total Number of Tradespeople	Percentage
Accommodation	244	8%
Alcohol related	315	11%
Building	327	11%
Clothing related	411	14%
Education	182	6%
Food	493	17%
Manufacturing	234	8%
Health	160	6%
Professions	172	6%
Retail	211	7%
Other Miscellaneous	130	5%

 In more detail, here are the number of Tradesmen in each Trade identified in the Directory:
 

Trade	No.
Academies and Public Schools	108
Accountants	14
Agents	3
Ale and Porter Merchants	3
Apothecaries	8
Architects and Surveyors	7
Artists	14
Attorneys	64
Auctioneers and Appraisers	15
Bakers and Flour Dealers	87
Bankers	6
Barristers	4
Basket Makers	5
Berlin Warehouses	2
Blacksmiths	30
Boarding Houses	7
Bookbinders	12
Booksellers and Stationers	25
Boot and Shoe makers	89
Brass and Iron Founders	5
Braziers and Tin-Plate Workers	9
Brewers	17
Brush Makers	9
Builders	18
Butchers	104
Cabinet Makers and Upholsterers	52
Carpenters and Joiners	67
Carvers, Gilders and Looking-Glass Manufacturers	17
Chair Makers	10
Cheese Factors	3
Cheesemongers and Bacon Dealers	11
Child-Bed Linen Warehouses	3
China and Glass Dealers	12
Chymists [sic] and Druggists	38
Clock Makers	5
Clothes Salesmen	5
Coach & Livery Lace and Fringe Manufacturers	4
Coach Builders and Harness Makers	8
Coal Merchants and Dealers	9
Coffee Houses	5
Commissioners for taking Special Bail	3
Confectioners	21

Conveyancers	4
Coopers	13
Cork Cutters	2
Corn & Hay Dealers	4
Corn Merchants	4
Curriers and Leather Cutters	6
Cutlers	8
Dairymen	20
Dress Makers	21
Dyers	10
Eating-House Keepers	7
Engineers	3
Engravers and Copper-plate Printers	9
Fancy Repositories	8
Fancy Stationers	3
Fellmongers & Leather Dressers	3
Fire Offices & Agents	39
Fishing Tackle Makers	4
Fishmongers	11
Fly Owners for Hire	8
Fruiterers	20
Furniture Brokers	30
Furriers	5
Gardeners	9
Glass Dealers	2
Glovers	3
Grocers & Tea Dealers	74
Gun and Pistol Makers	3
Haberdashers	11
Hair Dressers	33
Hatters	14
Hosiers	14
Ink Manufacturers	1
Inns and Hotels	11
Ironmongers	16
Jewellers	11
Lace Dealers	6
Libraries and Reading Rooms	9
Lime Burners	2
Linen Drapers and Silk Mercers	24
Livery Stable Keepers	18
Lodging House Keepers	226

Lozenge Manufacturers	1
Maltsters	13
Millers	9
Milliners and Dress Makers	80
Music Sellers	5
Newspaper Agents	4
Newspapers	5
Nursery and Seedsmen	9
Oil and Colourmen	3
Opticians	4
Painters and Glaziers	55
Paper Makers	2
Pawnbrokers	11
Perfumers	8
Physicians	30
Picture Dealers	3
Plasterers and Slaters	33
Plunbers and Glaziers	19
Poulterers	11
Printers	14
Professors and Teachers	65
Quarry Masters	16
Razor Strop Makers	3
Saddlers and Harness Makers	14
Salt Merchants	2
Saw Mills	2
Seedsmen	5
Shopkeepers and Dealers in Groceries and Sundries	103
Silversmiths and Jewellers	10
Slate Merchants	2

Stationers	14
Statuaries and Sculptors	5
Stay Makers	22
Stone Masons	26
Straw Hat Makers	29
Surgeons	70
Surgeon Dentists	9
Surveyors	10
Tailors	102
Tallow Chandlers and Soap Boilers	7
Tanners	2
Taverns and Public Houses	141
Retailers of beer	98
Tea Dealers	5
Timber Merchants	7
Tobacconists	2
Toy Dealers	5
Trunk Makers	4
Truss Makers	2
Turners	7
Umbrella and Parasol Manufacturers	6
Venetian Blind Makers	4
Vetinary Surgeons	2
Watch and Clock Makers	21
Wharfingers	3
Wheelwrights	11
Whitesmiths and Bell-hangers	19
Wine and Spirit Merchants	30
Woollen Drapers	8
Total Tradesmen	2,879