Taunton ½d Postage Due and 8d Postage Due

Here is a Halfpenny Newspaper wrapper posted from Bristol to Minehead and then redirected to Ealing from October 1893.  As a result of the redirection it has a Taunton (776) ½d due handstamp.  This is not a surcharge so is not double the ½d rate.

Staying with the postage due, here is an unfranked item sent within Taunton in January 1971.  As a result it was charged 8d (double the second class rate of 4d).  This caused the recipient to refuse to accept the item, receiving a lot of cachets in the process.

Taunton Uniform 4d Post & Too Late, Taunton Skeleton

The item below is from the Uniform Fourpenny Post period, dated 6th January 1840, from Taunton to Chard, with a very poor framed "Too Late" handstamp.

Staying with that period, this next item has a "TAUNTON / 2" skeleton cancel dated 29th July 1846 (this skeleton is known used between 27th July and 7th August 1846).

Town Sub-Office Handstamps of Bath - Southgate St, New Bond St

Here are a couple of handstamps for Southgate St, starting with a yellow UDC from February 1854.

And then a more modern single ring counter cancel from May 1925, on a registered letter to the USA.

And finally further more modern counter cancels for New Bond St, Bath from 1922 and 1925, both with "BATH 1 " registration etiquettes.

Town Sub-Office Handstamps of Bath - Lansdowne, New King St, Sion Hill

Continuing on the Town Sub-Office theme, here is a red Lansdowne UDC from January 1855.

Next a two-line "NEW KING.ST. / BATH" handstamp from February 1842.

And finally a Sion Hill UDC from March 1852.

Town Sub-Offices of Bath - Belvidere, Harley St

The next posts have fairly early town sub-office handstamps, either straight-line or undated circular (UDC) handstamps.  The first is an UDC for the Belvidere (later Belvedere) area of Bath from January 1855.

The next two are for Harley St., Bath - firstly a two line "HARLEY.ST. / BATH" from May 1842 ...

... and secondly a single line "HARLEY-ST" from January 1853.

Bath Parcel Post Labels

Here are a couple of Bath Parcel Post labels, both to Scotland (or North Britain).

Instructional Cachet and Taunton Census mark

This Invoice, sent at Printed Matter rate in October 1948, was insufficently addressed to "Volis, Nr. Taunton" - "Volis" being the farm name - and received a framed cachet specifying the correct postal address (Kingston St Mary).  It then received a diamond census mark, probably applied at Taunton.

Here is an image of the Invoice that was sent.

Bridgwater Postage Dues and Bristol Inspector's Marks

Here are two items posted from Bridgwater that have Postage Due marks.

Firstly here is one from August 1873 with a large 2d handstamp, applied in Bridgwater, with a small "CH" in a circle which was an Inspector's mark applied in Bristol.  The postage due was because the envelope was unfranked.

This second item is from October 1904 and is a postcard with glitter.  This meant that it was liable to the letter rate and had 1d postage due.  It received a framed "CONTRARY TO REGULATION" cachet and a large 1d, both applied in Bridgwater, and a small "CH" in a circle which was an Inspector's mark applied in Bristol.

Skeletons (Bristol) - Avonmouth, Westbury-on-Trym

To finish these posts on Skeletons, here are a couple of examples from Bristol/Gloucestershire rather than from Somerset, starting with one from Avonmouth.

The cancel is dated 16th January 1913 - it has previously only been known from 16th November to 18th December so this may be either a three-week extension to the usage or it may be a new usage.

And finally a skeleton from Westbury-on-Trym dated 7th April 1910, the last known date of usage.