Wednesday 31 August 2011

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.

Sunday 28 August 2011

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.

Wednesday 24 August 2011

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.


Sunday 21 August 2011

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.

Wednesday 17 August 2011

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.

Sunday 14 August 2011

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. 

Wednesday 10 August 2011

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.

Monday 8 August 2011

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.

Friday 5 August 2011

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