Barred Numeral Cancels - Langford, Nailsea, Paulton

Langford, just over 13 miles SW of Bristol, was in the Bristol Fifth Clause Post from 1805 and then in the Penny Post from 1826.  It became an RSO in 1862 and was assigned post office number B24.

Nailsea, 10 miles WSW of Bristol, was made an RSO in 1860 and was issued with post office number B20.  The sheet below shows an example of the B20 3HOS cancel on a stamp as well as the B20 3VOS on a postcard.

Paulton, 13 miles SSE of Bristol, was in the Bath Peny Post from 1829 before coming under Bristol by 1841.  It was issued with post office number 999 in 1878.  Unfortunately I do not have an example on cover, just one on stamp.

Barred Numeral Cancels - Flax Bourton, Hallatrow

Flax Bourton, seven miles WSW of Bristol, became an RSO in 1861 and was assigned post office number B44.  It had both 3-bar horizontal oval and 3-bar vertical oval cancels.

Hallatrow, 10 miles SW of Bath and 12 miles south of Bristol, was issued with post office number 011 in September 1878.  Here are two examples of the usage of its 3-bar vertical oval cancel.

Barred Numeral Cancels - Clutton, Congresbury

Clutton, 10 miles south of Bristol, was given post office number 008 in 1878.  Only one example of the 3-bar vertical oval cancel is currently known.

Congresbury, 13 miles WSW of Bristol, was in the Bristol Fifth Clause Post from 1805.  It became an RSO in 1860, being issued with post office number B22.

The final example of the B22 3HOS cancel is from April 1905, also with a "CONGRESBURY / BRISTOL" skeleton cancel.

Barred Numeral Cancels - Clevedon

Clevedon was in the Bristol Penny Post from 1826, with a second office opening in 1831 - at which time the offices were called Upper and Lower Clevedon.

Upper Clevedon was given post office number 017 in 1853 while Lower Clevedon was gived post office number 020.

At the end of 1860 Lower Clevedon was closed and Upper Clevedon was renamed Clevedon, becoming a Post Town.

Clevedon was issued with duplex cancels as well as horizontal ovals, as shown in this next sheet.

Here are some examples of the 4-bar vertical oval duplex cancel.

 

And here are examples of the 3-bar vertical oval duplex.

Later usage had the time in clear in the town die, rather than as a time code.

This final example from 1912 does not have a code in the town die.

Barred Numeral Cancels from Offices under Bristol - Blagdon, Burrington

The next series of posts will go through most of the Offices under Bristol which had barred numeral cancels, for those Offices that are in Somerset rather than in Gloucestershire.

First alphabetically comes Blagdon, some 15 miles SSW of Bristol.  It was issued with post office number B26 when it became an RSO in 1861.  Blagdon under Bristol should not be confused with Blagdon under Taunton, which was later renamed Blagdon Hill.

Blagdon had both a 3-bar horizontal oval cancel (3HOS) and a 3-bar vertical oval cancel (3VOS).

Burrington, some 13 miles SSW of Bristol, was also issued with a post office number, B25, when it became an RSO in 1860.

Selection from Trudoxhill, Wellington, Wells and Wincanton

Here are a number of recently acquired items from late in the alphabet, starting with a climax rubber cancel from Trudoxhill in 1925.

Next a Wellington "860" barred numeral cancel in blue, extending the known usage period.

... a couple of examples of the "WELLS-SOMST / 864" sideways duplex cancel from 1859 and 1862.

... and finally a two-line "WINCAN / TON" from February 1781 which extends the known usage period.

Taunton early to late

A wide range in dates is illustrated firstly by two entires from around 1690, the only postal markings being London Bishop marks.  The second entire is to an MP but does not go free because Parliament was not in session.

At the other end of the date range is an entire from September 2015 - it was posted in Bath but has a "TAUNTON / SOMERSET" cancel.

Lydiard aka Bishop's Lydeard UDC

This rather blurred example of the Lydiard UDC in red is currently the latest known example.

Ilminster Fifth Clause Post

Here is a nice example of the framed Ilminster Fifth Clause Post handstamp with the boxed "No.3" of Hinton St George.  Hinton St George was also in the Crewkerne Fifth Clause Post and used the boxed "No.3" in both posts.