Queens Cross, Wells

Queens Cross was a town sub-office of Wells for a short period from February 1893 to October 1897.  It was situated at 1 Priory Road and was replaced by an office in Broad Street.

The registered envelope below has a partial Queens Cross handstamp dated June 1897, about 3 months before the office moved to Broad Street.

Somerton "720" horizontal and vertical oval cancels

The two sheets below have examples of the Somerton "720" 1844-type horizontal oval cancel, from 1844 and 1855.  The cancel is known used in black from May 1844 to March 1874, and in blue from September 1849 to January 1852.

Somerton also had two 3-bar vertical oval cancels, the first with a dot (so "720.") was issued in January 1875, and the one shown below without a dot (so "720") was issued in July 1881.

Mark UDC in red

The wrapper below has a nice "MARK" undated circular handstamp in red and is dated July 1850.  This UDC was previously only known used in red in February 1850.

"C", "D" and "E" (Chard, Crewkerne, Dulverton, East Twerton)

A couple of "C"s starting with a penny pink envelope that could not be delivered in Chard in March 1865.

This next registered envelope, from Crewkerne in April 1918, also could not be delivered, and was returned back to Parr's Bank (just before it was taken over by the London County and Westminster Bank).

From Dulverton in 1885 the item below is a Game Licence.

And finally from East Twerton in February 1923 is a registered cover with a blank registration etiquette filled in by hand with the sub-office number for East Twerton ("12").

Chew Stoke registration etiquettes

Between 1943 and 1974 Chew Stoke had at least four different types of blue Registration Etiquettes.  The first type, shown below used in 1943 and 1948, has "CHEWSTOKE" with no space in the middle.

These next examples from 1952 to 1954 have "CHEW STOKE" with a space in the middle and in small lettering.

The examples below from 1957 and 1958 have "CHEW STOKE" in medium lettering.

By 1974 the "CHEW STOKE" lettering is larger

A few "B"s

The envelope below, with a Baltonsborough single ring cancel from April 1918, has some nice advertising for everything from Motors & cycles to Bedsteads, Petrol and Mangles.

The registered envelope below is from Blagdon, Bristol (not to be confused with Blagdon Hill under Taunton) in January 1953.

A couple of registered envelopes from Butcombe from 1952 and 1958, the second of which went via Blagdon (Bristol).

And finally a colourful greeting telegram to Butleigh in October 1937.

Yeovil sub-offices from 1925

In February 1925 ten post offices to the north of Yeovil transferred to it from Bath, with another two transferring in March 1925, one from Bath and the other from Ilchester.  They were:

• Compton Pauncefoot
• Galhampton
• Limington (March, from Ilchester)
• Marston Magna
• North Cadbury
• Queen Camel
• Rimpton  (March)
• South Barrow
• South Cadbury
• Sparkford
• Sutton Montis
• West Camel

A number of these, and possibly all of them, were then issued with double circle double-arc 'Dulwich' cancels of the form "name / YEOVIL . SOMT".  Below are images of the cancels that I have managed to find so far.

Saltford UDC

A rare undated circular handstamp for Saltford is known used in 1850 according to the British County Catalogue - the BCC has it as rarity H.

At Midpex 2017 (next due on 6th July 2019) I was lucky enough to spot and acquire a partial and highly over-inked example on an entire from Saltford to Yorkshire sent on 29th February 1848 - the identification of which was supported by the entire being turned, so the other side was a letter to Saltford, Bath arriving on the same date, 29th February 1848.  The UDC was issued on 1st November 1842 so an example before the BCC catalogue entry of 1850 is quite feasible.

Here is the reverse, showing the posting to Saltford.

North and South Petherton (again)

I've referred a couple of previous times about North and South Petherton not being physically adjacent - here is an envelope which went to both North and South Petherton in 1849 and did not find its addressee, a Major Kingdon.

Unfortunately the stamp has been removed (or fallen off).  The envelope appears to be from Exeter but the address on the envelope could be either North or South Petherton.

The post office decided to try North Petherton first and sent it via Bridgwater, North Petherton's post town, on 22nd July 1849.  Major Kingdon was not known at North Petherton (manuscript "Not Known at North Petherton" in red), going back via Bridgwater where it received a faint blue-grey "BRIDGEWATER / 8" skeleton cancel dated 23rd July 1849.

The post office then tried South Petherton, going via Ilminster, South Petherton's post town.  Major Kingdon was not known there (manuscript "Unknown at" with South Petherton double arc handstamp dated 25th July) and the envelope then appears to have gone back to Bridgwater where it received a "BRIDGWATER / 5" skeleton cancel on 6th August 1849.

The Bridgwater handstamps on the reverse of the envelope are very hard to distinguish; here is an image of the reverse of the envelope, the first Bridgwater handstamp being below the Exeter handstamp, the second, skeleton handstamp having the "8" by the final "E" of "EXETER", and the third, skeleton handstamp being overlaid by the Exeter mark.

Here is a larger image of the "BRIDGWATER / 8" skeleton, with a date of 23rd July 1849.  The "8" is by the final "E" of the Exeter handstamp.

Here is a larger image of the "BRIDGWATER / 5" skeleton, showing a date of 6th August 1849.

On 8th August 1849 a "recut" "BRIDGEWATER" double-arc dated handstamp was registered in the Steel Impressions Book, marking the likely end of use of the skeleton.