Skeletons (5) - Wellington, Wheddon Cross, Wiveliscombe

This Wellington skeleton is known between the 6th and 29th October 1913.

This "WHEDDON CROSS DUNSTER / SOM" skeleton is only known used on 16th December 1909 ...

... and this "WIVELISCOMBE / TAUNTON" skeleton is only known used on 12th December 1919.

Skeletons (4) - Portishead, Street, Watchet.

This skeleton from Portishead is currently the latest known example, dated 18th June 1918.

Here is an example of the "STREET SO / SOMERSET" skeleton, known from June to August 1907.

And an example of the "WATCHET / TAUNTON" skeleton from 26th May 1923, the first day of its known usage.

Skeletons (3) - Dunster, Hatch Beauchamp, Minehead

This postcard was posted within Timberscombe but received a "DUNSTER / SOMERSET" skeleton as Timberscombe came under Dunster between November 1909 and July 1911.  The skeleton is again only known on the one day on 13th November 1909.

This skeleton from Hatch Beauchamp is known between 11th and 25th September 1907.

This "MINEHEAD / SOMERSET" skeleton is known from 9th March to 22nd April 1917.

Skeletons (2) - Congresbury, Creech St Michael, Dulverton

The next in this series of Skeletons is from Congresbury, dated 10th May 1905.  This is two days later that the previously known usage of this cancel.

This Creech St Michael skeleton is only known on the one day on 28th May 1907.

And this Dulverton skeleton is also only known on the one day on 30th May 1914.

Skeletons - Ashwick Camp/Tiverton, Bagborough, Castle Cary

The next few posts will show some more examples of Skeleton cancels that I have acquired since I last posted on Skeletons (there may be some that are different examples of skeletons that I already blogged).

First Ashwick Camp under Tiverton from May 1909 (there is also an Ashwick Camp under Dulverton skeleton from 1914 but I do not yet have an example).

Next is Bagborough under Taunton from August 1908 - the day of the month is not visible but should be the 10th August as that is the only date that the cancel is known.

And thirdly a Castle Cary skeleton from June 1914.

More Weston-super-Mare

Another couple of later items from Weston-super-Mare, starting with a postcard with a 2½p stamp from May 1971, soon after Decimalisation on 15th February 1971.

And then a mystery from 1983:  an envelope to the Tax man sent without a stamp in April 1983 (so 12 years after Decimalisation) with a framed pre-decimalisation "D / 871 / SURCHARGED DUE / TO INCREASED / POSTAL CHARGES" cachet with a manuscript "22" (so apparently 22d to pay).

The 2nd Class postal rate had not just changed (other rates had increased on 5th April 1983), and why would a manuscript charge of 22 (p or d) be made as, as far as I know, there has never been a basic postal rate of 11d or 11p (doubled for the surcharge) ?

Weston-super-Mare Krags

Here are a selection of Krag machine cancels from Weston-super-Mare, starting with a straight-line cancel from 1913.

Next, two examples of the "BUY NATIONAL / WAR BONDS" slogan cancel from 1918.

Next, another straight-line Krag cancel from 1921.  The contents are a proxy form for a meeting of the Somerset Mineral Railway Company. 

And finally a Krag with the "MIND / HOW YOU GO / ON THE ROAD" slogan and an 871 triangle used for printed matter in 1949.

Wells

To break up all the Bath handstamps (more to come later), here are a couple of items from Wells, starting with a Free front franked by the Bishop of Bath & Wells, George Henry Law, from Wells to Sandwich.

It was franked and posted on 9th January 1840, the last day of the uniform fourpenny post and the last day of franking privilege, and has a London Free mark dated 10th January 1840, the first day of the uniform penny post.

Secondly here is a postcard with a Wells Krag machine cancel from August 1935.

Bath 1783 to 1787, straight-line and mileage handstamps

The BCC has a 25 x 6 mm handstamp in use in 1783 - here is a recently acquired example of this handstamp from April 1783.

The BCC then has a "113 BATH" mileage mark, which is only known between September and November 1784.  This usage predates that recorded as the earliest English mileage mark recorded to date on the British Postal Museum website (see here).

This was then replaced by a two-line "BATH / 110" mileage mark, 26 x 6 mm - below is an example from 15th December 1784.  Note the large round zero in the mileage.

Close examination of this second example from January 1786 shows a smaller oval zero.

In between these two handstamps I have this entire from 23rd December 1784.

It has what appears to be a poor example of the 25 x 6 mm handstamp known in use in 1783.  I believe that the "BATH / 110" handstamp changed between the two examples above, probably being recut or repaired because the "BATH" portion of the handstamps look the same, and that the old 1783 handstamp was brought back into use while this was being done.

In 1786 a new "BATH / 110" handstamp was brought in; here are some examples (the first of which to Ireland is undated).  I was rather pleased with being able to decipher and match the postage charges on this entire to its route.