Overnight on the 26th/27th October 1960 the River Tone burst its banks and severly flooded the north of Taunton. The envelope below lost its stamp and received a rubber "S.S.O. TAUNTON / SOMERSET" handstamp and a form attached explaining the flood damage.
The entire below went from Old Down to Bath in the Penny Post, and then to London and Louth in Lincolnshire. It was written in Oakhill, three miles south of Old Down.
The letter below was just addressed "Sir Reginald Pelgrave, Bath" and the Post Office was unable to deliver it. The envelope received 26 sets of initials on the back (presumably from the postmen of various rounds) before getting the "Not to be found / 53" cachet and a red manuscript "Unknown" with initials.
The "SWANAGE / DORSET" skeleton is known used from 1st June to 10th September 1901.
If the envelope had been addressed to Salisbury rather than Bath it might have found Sir Reginald Palgrave.
The Uniform Fourpenny Post was introduced on 5th December 1839 and lasted until 9th January 1840, when, at popular demand, the Uniform Penny Post was introduced earlier than planned. Postage stamps (eg. the "Penny Black") were not introduced until the 6th May 1840.
The entire below was posted on 10th December 1839 and was charged 4d, rather than 1d for the Penny Post from Washford to Taunton (the local penny post that existed prior to 1840) plus 5d for Taunton to Chard in the General Post.
Skeleton cancels are employed at post offices when their cancellers break, are changed, or perhaps are temporarily mislaid. The "FRESHFORD / BATH" skeleton below is currently only known used on 22nd February 1912.
Here is another example of colourful handstamps - the entire below has gone from Pedwell near Ashcott, where it received a blue Ashcott UDC, to Worcester, where it received a red cds in 1853. In between it picked up yellow or orange transit marks at Glastonbury and Bath.
From January 1828, primarily because of a new turnpike road between Taunton and Minehead, the Taunton Penny Posts were reorganised. The entire below from Dunster to Stogumber dated February 1828 is from a period of transition for Stogumber and appears to have been charged 4d in the Taunton Fifth Clause Post from Dunster plus 2d in the Taunton Penny Post, this latter charge including an extra penny for the post from Crowcombe to Stogumber.
The wrapper below is from Mark with a red "MARK" undated circular handstamp (UDC), sent in 1850 to Yeovil. A number of different coloured handstamps have been applied on its journey !
Here is an example of a "BATH / 1" traveller-type skeleton dated 21st July 1845, which is the first known date of usage.
The contents are a printed letter from Townsend, Parker & Townsend of London who sold high quality wallpaper.
