Castle Cary in the Wincanton Fifth Clause Post

From 1823 Castle Cary (and Bruton) was in the Shaftesbury Fifth Clause Post (for mail to London) and in the Shepton Mallet Fifth Clause Post (for mail to the north).  From 1830 the Wincanton Fifth Clause Post was used rather than the Shaftesbury Post  (Wincanton had become a Post Town as a result of a new post route).

Castle Cary was Receiving House No.2 in all the Fifth Clause Posts (Shaftesbury, Shepton Mallet and Wincanton).  The following two sheets show examples in the Wincanton Fifth Clause Post, one with an unframed "Wincanton / 5th Cl:Post" handstamp from 1830 and one with a framed  handstamp from 1831.

The use of the unframed handstamp for Castle Cary post is unusual;  this handstamp was normally used at Bruton but in the early months of the Wincanton Fifth Clause Post, before the framed handstamp arrived, it is thought that the handstamp was usued centrally at Wincanton for post from both towns.