Wednesday 30 November 2016

Bridg(e)water, North Petherton

Three sheets from Bridgwater, starting with the "BRIDGEWATER / 150" undated circular mileage handstamp with examples from 1826 and 1827.

Here is another example from 1826, the contents being an account from an ironmonger.

North Petherton was a Receiving House in the Bridgewater Penny Post from 1834.  No special Receiving House handstamp is known, a "NORTH-PETHERTON" undated circular handstamp being used instead.

Sunday 27 November 2016

Offices under Bath - Limpley Stoke (Wilts), Norton St. Philips

Limpley Stoke is on the Somerset county boundary with Wiltshire, but came under Bath.  Here is a 23mm "LIMPLEY-STOKE" handstamp dated September 1874.

The next two sheets have smaller 20mm "LIMPLEY.STOKE" handstamps from 1893 to 1909 ...


... with a postcard showing a picture of Limpley Stoke church.

And finally here is a Norton St Philips (aka Philips Norton) handstamp from July 1890.



Wednesday 23 November 2016

Offices under Bath - Chewton-Mendip, Combe Down, Hinton Charterhouse

Staying with Bath, here are some marks from rural offices under Bath starting with Chewton Mendip from June 1890 ...

... a single ring cancel from Combe-Down from June 1914 ...

... and two postcards from Hinton Charterhouse, Bath from 1905 and 1906.

Sunday 20 November 2016

Bath Town Sub-Offices - Grosvenor, High St., Holloway

A few Bath TSO (Town Sub-Office) marks now, starting with a "GROSVENOR / BATH" single ring handstamp from 1869.  This handstamp was issued in January 1866, and a new smaller handstamp was issued in October 1869.

This registered cover to Bordeaux is back stamped "HIGH.ST / BATH" in January 1890.

Finally an envelope with a "HOLLOWAY / BATH" back stamp dated January 1878.

Wednesday 16 November 2016

Crewkerne

A trio of sheets from Crewkerne, starting with a wrapper dated March 1784 with a nice two-line "CREWK / ERN" - according to the British County Catalogue this handstamp was previously only known in 1783.

Next are a couple of examples of the "CREWKERNE / 135" handstamp from 1826, the second franked "Poulett" but signed Naylor, so appears to be an abuse of the franking privilege.

Lastly a nice red "CREWKERNE" double arc handstamp dated January 1849.  The contents are interesting, acknowledging receipt of a Post Office order - money orders had been introduced in 1838.

Sunday 13 November 2016

Minehead - attempted re-use of postage stamp in 1842

This entire from Minehead in February 1842 has an attempt to reuse a postage stamp - this was spotted by the Post Office and the recipient was charged 2d, twice the postal rate of 1d.

Wednesday 9 November 2016

Minehead to Orkney, 1807

Here is an entire from Minehead to Kirkwall, Orkney in November 1807.

I required assistance from the internet to understand the postal charge of 1/7d - it appears that either there was an extra 1d charge for the ferry across from Wick to Orkney, or the entire went a long way round (no obvious candidates for the route), or the clerk in Edinburgh got it wrong.

Sunday 6 November 2016

UDCs - Stoneaston, Timsbury, Weston

The envelope shown below has a Stoneaston UDC in blue, from May 1856.

Timsbury had three UDC handstamps issued - the envelope below, from June 1850, shows an example of the second.

The late-type Weston UDC on the entire below, from March 1860, is currently the only example known.

Wednesday 2 November 2016

UDCs - Milverton, Philips Norton, Beckington

The entire below has a Milverton UDC from January 1849.  The UDC was issued under Wellington.

The entire below from July 1848 has a Philip's Norton (aka Norton St Philips) UDC in red and a black Beckington UDC.

The contents are a pedigree or family tree:

The envelope below has a Philips Norton UDC in black, from December 1850.