Weston UDC under Bath

A few weeks ago I posted that:
"Weston's UDC was registered on 2nd November 1844.  The example below is currently the only example known.

Since then I've been informed of other examples used on 1st November 1846 and 5th April 1847.

Main period sans-serif 25mm UDCs under Taunton - part 2

There were 48 offices under Taunton that had main period UDCs issued to them (one, Fitzhead, had two issued).

Bicknoller had its UDC issued on 22nd September 1845. Usage is known from the example below on 24th July 1851 to December 1854.

North-Curry also had its UDC issued on 22nd September 1845.  Usage is known in black from June 1846 to November 1850 and in blue from October 1852 to September 1855.  The examples below in black are from June 1846 and September 1847.

Stogumber also had its UDC issued on 22nd September 1845.  Usage is known in red (October 1845 to November 1851), Yellow (February 1848 to July 1849), Black (May 1849 to March 1858) and blue (December 1858).  The example below is dated May 1849 and is either in orange or faded red.

Washford again had its UDC issued on 22nd September 1845.  Usage is known in red from January 1846 to August 1851 and in black from December 1854 to August 1859.  The first example below in red is from December 1851, which extends the known usage.

 The following two examples in black are from November 1852 (earlier than previously known usage) and January 1853.

 

Williton's UDC was issued on 22nd September 1845, and is known used in red (between November 1845 and April 1848), blue (May 1849) and black (January 1851).  The example below is in red from December 1846.

Main period sans-serif 25mm UDCs under Taunton - part 1

There were 48 offices under Taunton that had main period UDCs issued to them (one, Fitzhead, had two issued).

Crowcombe's UDC was issued on 22nd September 1845.  It is known used between June 1847 and July 1849.  The example below is from July 1847.

Lydiard (or Bishop's Lydeard) also had its UDC issued on 22nd September 1845.  It is known used in orange (March 1846 to October 1858), red (October 1845 to April 1846), black (December 1846) and blue (June 1859).  The example below in black is dated July 1859.

Monksilver's UDC was issued on the 18th September 1845 and is known used in red from February 1847 to January 1851 and in orange from February 1847 to April 1850.  The examples below are from December 1848 and February 1849 - I am not sure whether they are faded red or orange ?

Main period sans-serif 25mm UDCs under Chard and Crewkerne

Chard had eight sub-offices with main period UDCs while Crewkerne had two.  I've got one example from each.

Wadeford's UDC under Chard was issued on 5th November 1855.  Its usage is not recorded in the S&DPHG catalogue - here is an example from August 1859.

Hazelbury's UDC under Crewkerne was issued on 26th December 1855 and is recorded used in black in December 1856 and in blue in March 1859.  This blue example from 15th January 1858 predates the other known usage.

Main period sans-serif 25mm UDCs under Bristol

Bristol had 31 UDCs to its sub-offices, plus those in Gloucestershire.  Here are some examples (a few more somewhat later).

Bedminster had two non-seriffed UDC's.  The example below is from the second which was issued on 13th December 1849 and is known used from July 1850 to April 1857.

Chew-Magna's UDC was issued on 13th September 1847 and is known used in black from November 1847 to July 1856.  It is also known used in brown, red, and orange May 1848 to July 1856, though this variation may be the affect of colour ageing.  The first example below is in red from May 1848, followed by examples from January 1853 and June 1852.

Hallatrow's second UDC was issued on 8th August 1849 (a previous UDC was issued on 18th July 1849).

Close examination of the width of the "H" enables one to distinguish between the handstamps.  The S&DPHG catalogue identifies usage of the first handstamp from June 1850 to October 1852 in black, with a single example in brown from May 1856 - it needs to be investigated whether these are the first or second handstamps issued.  No usage is recorded of the second UDC.

The example below of the second UDC is from 25th June 1850, which is the earliest date recorded above for the first UDC.

The contents of the above entire are Life Assurance rates from the Sun Life Assurance Society.

St. George's, Somerset, also known as Easton-in-Gordano and not to be confused with St. George's in South Gloucestershire, had its UDC issued on 10th July 1849.  It is known used between July 1851 and August 1857.  The example below is from February 1852.

Main period sans-serif 25mm UDCs under Bridgwater

Of the 32 offices under Bridgwater that had main period UDCs issued (there were more than 32 different ones as some places had more than one UDC issued, and many are also known used in multiple colours), I have the following examples.

Blackford's UDC was issued in April 1853.  The example below from 13th May 1853 is the first known example.

Broomfield's UDC was issued in April 1853 and is known used from 1855.  The example below comes from November 1859 and may be the latest known usage.

Cannington's UDC was issued on 22nd May 1846 and was known used in black from November 1846 to May 1850 and in blue from October 1853 to August 1855.  The blue example below is from August 1859 and may be the latest use known.

Enmore's UDC was issued on 22nd May 1846 and is known used from February 1849 to October 1859.  The example below is from January 1852.

Huntspill's UDC was issued on 3rd September 1849 and is known used in black from September 1849 to April 1858, with a single example known in brown from February 1856.  The blurred example below is from July 1855.

Putsom's UDC was issued on 22nd May 1846 and was known used from the end of June 1851 to the end of July 1851.  The example below from January 1853 extends this usage.

West Quantoxhead's UDC was issued on 29th September 1851 and its usage was unrecorded in the 1992 catalogue.  The example below is from October 1851.

Bath town sub office main period sans-serif 25mm UDCs

A number of the town sub-offices in Bath had main period UDCs issued (or re-issued) in December 1853.

Belvidere's UDC was issued in December 1853.  It is known used between September 1852 and March 1856 in black.  The example below is from January 1855.

Brock St's UDC is also in the Steel Impression Book as being issued in December 1853 and is known used in yellow in March 1854 and in blue from April 1855.  The blue example below comes from January 1856 and may be the latest example known.

Grosvenor had two UDCs issued, one in February 1849 and a second in December 1853.  The example below is from April 1857 and is of the second UDC.  The colour looks like brown, but could be a faded red.

Main period sans-serif 25mm UDCs under Bath

54 of the offices under Bath had main period UDCs issued (there were more than 54 different ones as some places had more than one UDC issued, and many are also known used in multiple colours).

Freshford had three UDCs registered, on 2nd November 1844, on 11th February 1849 and in September 1852.  The example below is from the last UDC registered and is from December 1858. Its use was previously unrecorded in the S&DPHG catalogue.

Midford's UDC was registered in September 1852 and is known used in March 1859.  Unfortunately the example below has no date.

Weston's UDC was registered on 2nd November 1844.  The example below is currently the only example known.

Main period sans-serif 25mm UDCs

The standard size (25mm) sans-serif UDC was issued from the middle of 1844 to the middle of 1857.  The catalogue of Somerset UDCs published by the S&DPHG in 1992 lists a little over five hundred handstamps based on the registrations in the Steel Impression Book, along with dates known used (approximately 30% didn't have any dates known used in 1992).

We're in the process of updating this publication - any usage dates & colours of Somerset or Dorset UDC handstamps gratefully received.

And finally the early serif UDCs of Temple-Cloud, Dunster and Beckington

Temple-Cloud's UDC was proofed in the Steel Impression Book on 30th March 1840 and is known used from July 1840 to 1851.  The minor offices with UDCs were supposed to handstamp the entires on the back, and definitely not to cancel the postage stamp (that was the role of the Post Town cancel).  Temple-Cloud made a habit of breaking this rule and cancelling the postage stamp.  The examples below from December 1847 and January 1848 both have also got inverted year date slugs in the Bristol Penny Post handstamp.

Dunster is the penultimate example of the early, serif, UDC that I have.  The UDC was registered in the Steel Impression Book on 13th January 1844 and is known used from January 1844 to March 1856 in black, and from August 1852 to September 1853 in blue.  The top entire below has an example from February 1845, while the second sheet shows an example from January 1846.

 

For a brief period in 1846 the Dunster UDC is known with manuscript dates written in the centre of the handstamp.  The two examples below are from May and June 1846.

Beckington's normal format serif UDC was not registered in the Steel Impression Book, but is known in black from June 1845 to the example below from December 1849.  It is also known in blue between June 1852 and January 1856.

Even more early serif UDCs - Farrington Gurney, Hinton St. George and Long Ashton

Farrington Gurney's UDC was issued on 17th August 1841 through the Bristol office.  The handstamp is known used in black between July 1842 and March 1855, with a single example known in brown in November 1856.  The example below is from April 1847.

Long Ashton's UDC was issued in October 1843, again through the Bristol office, and is known used in black between December 1844 and November 1857, as well as in blue (July - November 1857) and brown (December 1856). The example below on a front is undated.

Hinton St. George's UDC was issued on 21st November 1843 and is known used between October 1844 and September 1851.  The example below is from February 1845.