Registration Receipts, Parcel Post and Express Mail

Post Offices issued receipts to the senders of Registered Letters - here are two examples, from 1854 and 1857, the first on white paper, the second on blue.

Parcels could be registered from June 1891.  Here is a Parcel Post label from Bath in the KEVII period.

There were different levels of  'Express' service, the most common being where the mail was sent in the ordinary post to the nearest Express Delivery Office, and were then sent out by special messenger.  This example from August 1922 was to Huntly's Beach Hotel, Weston-super-Mare - the postcard at the bottom shows the location of the Hotel.

Bath - Swainswick, Timsbury & Larkhall Registered Covers

Three registered covers from Offices under Bath, starting with one from Swainswick to London in February 1912, with a blank registration etiquette with a violet "SHAPWICK / BATH" Climax rubber handstamp.

The second covers are from Timsbury to Glastonbury with "TIMSBURY" registration etiquettes from April & May 1917 (concerning the purchase of casks of cider).

The last cover is from Larkhall, Bath to Los Angeles in January 1923, with a generic "BATH" registration etiquette with manuscript "23" for the Larkhall branch number.

Bath Registered (3)

Finally in this series of posts of Registered letters from Bath, here is a Registered Printed Matter cover to Switzerland from November 1894.

A postal stationery envelope with a 2½d embossed stamp for postage plus 2d Registration Fee, to Argentine Republic dated January 1895.

This cover dated July 1896 was to Portugal, franked 2½d postage plus 2d Registration Fee.

And finally one to Leamington [Spa] dated December 1895, franked 1d postage plus 2d Registration Fee.

Bath Registered (2)

The next posts have Registered covers from Bath to foreign destinations, starting with a Registered Envelope to Sweden in April 1883, franked 2½d postage plus 2d Registration Fee.

This cover from May 1889 is to USA. franked 5d postage plus 2d Registration Fee.

And a cover from October 1891 to Germany, franked 2½d postage plus 2d Registration Fee.

Bath Registered (1)

A few posts of Registered covers from Bath, starting with an early one from February 1843.  Registration had been introduced in January 1841 (although 'Money Letters' received secure handling from c. 1792).  Up until 27th March 1848 the Registration Fee was 1/-, which had to be paid in cash.

This next example is from September 1856, by when the Registration Fee was 6d.  Up until 31st May 1850 it still had to be paid in cash, thereafter Postmasters were instructed to affix stamps.

This third example is from September 1878 and was undelivered -  manuscript "Gone no address" on the front - and manuscript "notice to quit" on the back !

The last example in this post is from November 1883, and is an OHMS envelope to Jersey with three "I.R. / OFFICIAL" 1d lilac stamps to pay the 2d Registration Fee and the 1d postage.

Bath - "To be left at the Post Office"

A trio of covers, all to be left at the Post Office.  This first one is from London in June 1717.

The second is from Birmingham in October 1826.

And finally another from London, in June 1853.

Alfred Smith & Son, now in London

This next cover is again from the transition period when the company is using up old postal stationery, with Bath crossed out and replaced with London.  It was used in April 1897.

Having moved to London, the stationery with the vignette of the Bath office fell out of use.  This eample is from March 1899.

The Company traded less and less in the 20th century, with the 'Monthly Circular' stopping in 1923.

Alfred Smith & Co., Foreign Stamp Importers (3)

From 1892 to 1897 Alfred Smith & Co. were using envelopes with a coloured vignette of their office in Bath, starting with a vignette in red.  These two are from September and November 1893.

The next colour was green, though the top one is either olive green or grey.  The top cover is from April 1894 and the bottom one from March 1895.  The company is now Alfred Smith & Son.

These next two covers are both dated 24th April 1896.

The next cover is from March 1896 and Alfred Smith & Son are now Dealers in Postage Stamps for Collections, and have the Alfred Smith & Son's Monthly Circular.  The bottom cover from January 1897 shows the move of the premises to London.

Alfred Smith & Co., Foreign Stamp Importers (2)

Continuing with Alfred Smith of Bath, here are some more envelopes with embossed stamps.  These have red printing on the envelopes rather than green, and are embossed with different values.

Alfred Smith did not always use embossed stamps - this front below from an envelope to USA has an "Alfred Smith & Co., Bath" label with a scattering of eleven halfpenny stamps, dated October 1893.