Bruton Maltese Cross ?

This entire gives a further hint that Bruton had a Maltese Cross.  It is from Bruton to Shaftesbury in May 1840, without any postage stamp (because Bruton was too minor an office to have received postage stamps that early).

The interesting thing is that it did not receive any postal markings other than the "BRUTON" double-arc undated handstamp.  If Bruton had been a minor village office then it would have received a handstamp from its Post Town.  In particular, the route from Bruton to Shaftesbury will have gone via Wincanton, the most likely candidate for Bruton's Post Town, so the absence of a Wincanton handstamp is fairly indicative of Bruton's status in 1840.

So it is likely that Bruton was a Sub-Office by 1840, and as such should have received a Maltese Cross - perhaps at the same time as it received some 1d black stamps !