Stoke St Gregory, Stoke-under-Ham -> Stoke-sub-Hamdon

Stoke St Gregory post office was under Taunton - the envelope below has a partial "STOKE ST. GREGORY / TAUNTON.SOM" 'Dulwich' double circle double-arc cancel from 1973.

Stoke-under-Ham was originally 'Stoke' though by 1855 it was referred to as Stoke-under-Ham.  In 1957 it was renamed 'Stoke-sub-Hamdon'.  These first covers have "STOKE-UNDER-HAM / J19" 3-bar vertical oval duplex cancels (3VOD) from 1904, 1906 and 1907.

The next covers are from after it was renamed Stoke-sub-Hamdon and have double circle double thin arc 'Birmingham' cancels from 1958, 1964 and sometime between 1968 and 1971.

 

Simonsbath, South Chard, Stanton Drew, Stoford

Simonsbath was originally under Taunton before transferring to South Molton, Devon by 1858.  It then transferred to Barnstaple in 1924 before transferring to Minehead in 1932.  The post office closed in 1999.  The postcard below is from the period when it came under South Molton.

Here are a couple of items from South Chard showing 'Dulwich' marks from 1975 and 1979.

More 'Dulwich' marks from Stanton Drew in 1974.

The postcard below has a "STOFORD / YEOVIL" single ring cancel from 1918.  Stoford post office was replaced by Barwick post office around 1977.

Sandford

Sandford is 3 miles south of Congresbury.  Congresbury RSO was its post town until Sandford transferred to Bristol in 1895.  The post office closed in 1998.  The registered cover below has a violet "SANDFORD / BRISTOL" Climax rubber cancel from 1903.

Sandford had a "SANDFORD / BRISTOL" 24mm single ring cancel , with examples below from 1912, 1916 and 1918.

Sandford had two 'Dulwich' double circle double-arc cancels, this first example with longer arcs is from 1927.

The two examples below from 1958 and 1976 has shorter arcs.

The "SANDFORD / BRISTOL" single ring cancel below is from 1974.

Portishead Sub-Offices: Port Marine, Redcliff Bay, West Hill

This post is on the subject of Portishead sub-offices, but first here are some postcards with views of Portishead.

Portishead has had three sub-offices; Port Marine opened in 2012.  The certificate of posting below has a Port Marine self-inking datestamp (SID) from 2013.

The Redcliff Bay sub-office opened in 1930 and closed in 2005.  The registered cover below is to Canada in 1937.

The certificate of posting below has a Redcliff Bay Portishead SID from 2002.

The West Hill sub-office opened in 1900 and closed in 1916.  It reopened in 1929 and closed in 2005.  The parcel post below has a West Hill Portishead Bristol double circle double-arc ('Dulwich') handstamp from 1964.

Peasedown St John, Pill

Peasedown St John six miles SSW of Bath had four skeleton cancels between November 1910 and April 1912.  These next two sheets have examples of the second skeleton, known used from August to October 1911.

 

The next sheet has an example of the skeleton known used in the middle of November 1911.

In 1984 Pill had a commemorative cancel for the U.K.P.A., the UK Pilots' Association, now known the UK Maritime Pilots' Association.

North Coker, North Perrott, Nynehead, Odcombe, Otterhampton

North Coker is 2½ miles WSW of Yeovil.  Prior to 1857 it was called East Coker, and it reverted back to that name in January 1917.  The East Coker post office closed in 2008.

North Perrott is 3½ miles east of Crewkerne.  The post office closed in 1995.

The cover below has a Nynehead commemorative cancel for the 18th World Ploughing Contest in October 1971.  The Nynehead post office closed in 1974.

The registered envelope has a partial black "ODCOMBE / MONTACUTE / SOMERSET"  cancel dated June 1921.  Odcombe had transferred to Montacute in 1910 and transferred to Yeovil in 1925.

The envelope has a Water Wildlife commemorative cancel for Otterhampton in 1992.  Otterhampton did not have a post office.

Mells, Mere (Wiltshire), Merriott

The two postcards below were send from Mells, near Frome, in 1912-3 and have "MELLS" single ring cancels.

Mere in Wiltshire came under towns in Somerset  (Wincanton and Bath) from 1842 until 1910 when it became a post town, coming back under Warminster in 1940.  The postcard below is from 1909 from just before it became a post town.

The postcards below from Merriott are from 1905 and 1910.  Merriott became an independant sub-office in 1900 but the cancel did change until after 1905 - the first cancel is a "MERRIOTT" single ring, the second is a "MERRIOTT S.O. / SOMERSET" ('Dulwich') double circle double-arc cancel.

The cancel below from 1963 is also a 'Dulwich' cancel but by then is "MERRIOTT / SOMERSET" as the "S.O." sub-office terminology had ben dropped.  The second cover below has a commercial commemorative cancel from 1988 for Merriott Moldings Limited.

Lamyatt, Lopen, Lovington, Lydeard St Lawrence, Lydford-on-Fosse

This first item is from Lamyatt in 1930 and has a "LAMYATT.BATH / SOMT" double circle double-arc 'Dulwich' cancel.

This nexy item is from Lopen and has a "LOPEN / SEAVINGTON.SOMERSET" single ring cancel dated May 1937.

These next two covers have commemorative cancels from Lovington in 1995 and 2004.  Lovington does not have a post office.

Lydeard St Lawrence had a post office from 1859 to 2008, after which a visiting post office was hosted in the village hall.  The item below has a single ring cancel from 1930.

The postcard below was sent from Lydford-on-Fosse locally to West Lydford in 1912 and illustrates the very common practic of using postcards as birthday cards.