Here are a couple of images of Bristol, the first a coloured print of Corn Street, Bristol in 1829, showing the 'New Council House' (that is now known as the Old Council House and contains the Bristol Register Office).
The second is an unused postcard with a view of the Cat and Wheel pub in Castle Green from 1880. The pub was destroyed in the Blitz.
Receiving House handstamps continued to be used after the abolition of the local Penny Posts when the Uniform Penny Post was introduced in 1840. They were generally used as despatch marks in the local village post offices, and this continued until the more general introduction of the undated circular handstamps from 1844.
The wrapper below has an unboxed "No.1" receiving house handstamp and went through Cross to Bewdley. One would normally look to the wrapper originating wherever the unboxed "No.1" handstamp had been in use but no unboxed "No.1" handstamp is recorded in use in the Cross Penny Post. There was however a boxed "No.1" handstamp that was used at Axbridge.
The wrapper has a filing note of "Mr John Bulls Receipt" and Pigot's Directory of 1844 has a John Bull as a Tin-Plate worker in "Chedder". Both Cheddar and Axbridge were in the Cross Penny Post so either are potential locations for the unboxed "No.1" receiving house handstamp.
The Bristol Penny Post extended into both Somerset and Gloucestershire. Here are a couple of examples from Somerset, the first an envelope with an unboxed "No.22" in red used at Flax Bourton as a despatch mark in April 1844. Unfortunately the postage stamp probably does not belong to the envelope.
The wrapper below, from Ashwick based on the filing note, has a partially boxed "No.18" receiving house handstamp underneath the red London PAID mark, used at Oakhill about 1 mile north of Ashwick. It went to Old Down and then to Bath on its way to London in August 1831.
Here's another sideline that emerged duting Lockdown, an engraved billhead for H.H. & S. Budgett & Co. that became a leading wholesale grocer in the 1800s.
The wrapper below was sent from London to Bristol in April 1807 after Jane, Duchess of Gordon docked from a voyage to Madras. As a double letter it was charged 2 x 4d ship letter fee at the sealed bag rate plus 2 x 9d for the post from London to Bristol, giving a total charge of 2/2d.
On its journey to Madras, the ship carried supplies and troops to the Cape as part of the expedition that captured the Dutch Cape Colony in 1806.
Here is an early example of the 1844-type horizontal oval cancel from Bridgwater, used on 7th May 1844. The cancel is known used from 1st May 1844.
The entire below, dated 1st October 1789, has a "WIN / CANTON" two line handstamp, SO 978, known in use from 1785 to 1791.
