Taunton Penny Post - unboxed "No.7"

Washford became a Receiving House in the reorganisation of the Taunton Penny Post and had the unboxed "No.7" handstamp.  The examples below are from 1829 to 1842 - it is one of the more common Receiving House handstamps !  I wish all the letters were written as clearly as the first example - the writing pictured below covered the whole of the sheet.

The entire below does not appear to have a "No.7" handstamp but went through the Taunton Penny Post and was written in Washford.

Taunton Penny Post - unboxed "No.6"

Williton was the Receiving House with the unboxed "No.6" handstamp.  The Receiver from Torre moved there when the Taunton Penny Posts were reorganised in 1828 and the Torre Receiving House was closed down (the new road from Taunton to Minehead did not go via Torre).

There are at least two different unboxed "No.6" handstamps, with a different one in use from 1843.  There may also have been a different one in use after around 1831 - or it may just be wear on the handstamp.

These last two examples definitely have a different "No.6" handstamp.

Taunton Penny Post - unboxed "No.5"

The Receiving House with the unboxed "No.5" handstamp should be Bicknoller.  In April 1829 the residents of Bicknoller had applied for an official Post.  As a result a Receiving House was established.  However examples of the unboxed "No.5" handstamp are nearly unknown.  The example below from 1831 may be a "No.5" handstamp, though it is not completely clear.

Taunton Penny Post - unboxed "No.4"

An official Receiving House was established in Stogumber and the unboxed "No.4" handstamp was assigned  to it.  Here are a sequence of eight entires from 1830 to 1844 showing the handstamp.

Taunton Penny Post - unboxed "No.3"

A Receiving House in Crowcombe was opened in late 1828, and used the unboxed "No.3" handstamp. The handstamp became worn quite quickly.

Taunton Penny Post - unboxed "No.2"

In the 1828 Taunton Penny Post reorganisation Gore Inn for Bishops Lydeard became Receiving House No.2 (having had the boxed "No.1" handstamp).  The initial unboxed "No.2" handstamp was rather ornate.

This next entire, from June 1842, shows a different, plain, "No.2" handstamp.

And this final example from November 1842 shows a third type of "2".

Taunton Penny Post - unboxed "No.1"

Following the 1828 reorganisation, a new Receiving House was established at Norton Fitzwarren in February 1829.  The Receiving House had the unboxed "No.1" handstamp (the old boxed "No.1" handstamp was used at Gore Inn for Bishops Lydeard, which became the new unboxed "No.2).

Here are a couple of examples of the unboxed "No.1" handstamp, the first of which includes inside a drawing of "The natural position of man".

Taunton Penny Post - 1828 Reorganisation

Following the completion of a turnpike road from Taunton to Minehead via Crowcombe, the Taunton Penny Post was reorganised, with new Receiving Houses and handstamps, as shown below.

 

The next set of posts are going to go through the Receiving Houses.

Taunton Penny Post - boxed "No.3" (& not "No.4")

Torre was No.3 Receiving House in the Taunton Fifth Clause Post until April 1823 when it converted to a Penny Post.  Here are two examples of the boxed "No.3" handstamp in the Taunton Penny Post from 1826 and 1827.

There are no examples of the boxed "No.4" handstamp (Dunster) in the Taunton Penny Post as Dunster remained in the Fifth Clause Post until the major reorganisation of the Taunton Penny Post in 1828/9.  After the reorganisation the boxed handstamps were withdrawn, and Dunster became a Bye Office (so post to and from Dunster were charged at the General Post rates based on mileage).