Problems with Mail at Wellington

Wellington in Somerset has problems with receiving mail for Wellington in Shropshire, as well as receiving mail for other places.  Maybe as a result Wellington has had a number of cachets for use in those kinds of situations.

These first three sheets have examples of different "NOT KNOWN / WELLINGTON  SOMERSET" cachets, a smaller one from 1965, and a larger one from 1979 (two) and 1986.

A slightly different example is this framed "MISSENT TO / WELLINGTON / SOMERSET" cachet, which was deployed on the example below because it had got missorted to Wellington rather than Wells (Wells, Somerset is another place which potentially gets mail for another Wells in Norfolk though that has now been renamed to Wells-next-the-Sea).

Yeovil Receiver, 1868

The envelope below, from Piddletown to Yeovil in April 1868, has a "YEOVIL" single ring receiving mark on the reverse (nothing at all exceptional but not always collected).

Piddletown was later renamed Puddletown in the late 1950s.  "Piddle" comes from the River Piddle.  Other villages on the River Piddle contain the name Piddle or have been renamed to Puddle.  Here is an envelope from Piddletrenthide ('trenthide' comes from it having been assessed for thirty hides in the Domesday Book).

A Maritime Paquebot cover through Bristol

The cover below, most likely philatelic, has some interesting marks, in particular the "PAQUEBOT / POSTED AT SEA" mark which is also known as a dated machine cancel.  It has previously been recorded like this, without a date slug but this is the first recorded example which can be dated.

Registered envelope from Filton, 1940

I'm not sure where to put this cover: it is a Registered, Express cover from Filton franked with two meter marks and sent from the Bristol Aeroplane Company in April 1940.  It fits under so many headings !

Town Sub-Offices in Bristol - Queen's Road, The Mall

Here are a couple of Town Sub-Offices in Bristol, firstly a telegram form with cancels from Queen's Road, Bristol in 1964.  This is one way to obtain used higher-value definitives !

Secondly, here is a registered envelope cancelled at The Mall, Bristol in December 1977.  The envelope had been sent by Donald Forbes-Smith, a stamp dealer who had a shop in The Mall and later in Christmas Steps.

Foreign Section, Bristol in 1977

The airmail letter below was sent from Yate, Bristol to Ontario in June 1977.  It does not seem to have been franked.  It received a large red handstamp from the Foreign Section in Bristol and a large blue biro "T" indicating it was to be taxed - perhaps it received the "T" first and then the Foreign Section handstamp.

Bristol Returned Letter Branch, 1906

The addressee on envelope below from USA to Cheltenham had "Gone Away".  The envelope went back from Cheltenham to the Returned Letter Branch in Bristol and then to the Returned Letter Office in London.  It may then have been returned to the USA.

Wellington (Somerset) Triangular WEF cancel and TO PAY Charge Mark

A couple of items from Wellington (Somerset), firstly an undated envelope cancelled with a "WEF" triangular mark.  The envelope would have been printed matter (so not wanting a datestamp) and dates from 1912 to c.1935.

The second item is an underfranked envelope with a "2D / TO PAY / 860" charge mark but only a 1d postage due stamp.

The envelope was franked at 1½d.  The 2d postage due was based on it being a letter (rate 2½d, deficiency 1d) but it was actually printed matter (rate 2d, deficiency ½d) so was liable to only 1d postage due.  The printed matter rate had gone up from 1½d to 2d four days earlier.
 

GWR Miscellany

Here is a miscellany of GWR items - a GWR receipt postcard used in 1899, a GWR luggage tag used in 1937, and a GWR seat reservation card (undated).