Some more Parcel Post Labels - Taunton, and Ilminster area

Following on from my previous post, I've been working through my rather battered copy of The Parcel Post of the British Isles by James Mackay to work out what the different types of Parcel Post Label (PPL) are.  The sheet below is my shorthand summary from the book (without clear punctuation).

Here is a sheet of PPLs for Taunton from 1896 to 1904.  I have one slight problem; the top right PPL dated 12th December 1900 appears to me to be a Type R (dot after LIST, no dot after Number, dot after Postge), but Mackay says that was issued in 1901.  It could be Type N (I can't see the difference between Type N and Type R) but Mackay says Type N is 'mainly London'.  Is there another reference I could consult ?

Here's another sheet, this time of Ilminster and Offices under Ilminster.

Langport Parcel Post Labels from 1900 and 1903

Below are two Parcel Post Labels (PPLs) from Langport, in February 1900 and April 1903.  The first is titled "LANGPORT  R.S.O.  (LAN)" while the second is "LANGPORT  (LAN)".  The "R.S.O." Railway Sub-Office has been dropped, prior to 1905 when the Post Office stopped using the terminology.

The "Types" on the sheet above are taken from The Parcel Post of the British Isles by James Mackay. There are a number of other changes in format between the two Parcel Post Labels:

1. The "Fee paid on Registration." box moving and changing to "Registration and Express Fees."
2. The change from "Under Taunton" to "under Taunton"
3. "X-LIST Letter and Number" gains a full stop in the second PPL
4. "Postge." loses a full stop in the second PPL
5. The size of the "S." and "D." reduces in the second PPL

It would appear that collecting PPLs could get like fly-speck philately !

A Minehead Miscellany (including Butlin's Camp)

Here are a few random Minehead-related items starting with a poor "MINEHEAD / 185" mileage mark with a Taunton double arc handstamp dated October 1843.  The envelope was to Clifton and has a "BRISTOL" double arc receiving mark which I'm struggling to match exactly in the Bristol catalogue produced by the Bristol Postal History Group.

Next is a philatelic cover posted on the day of issue of the se-tenant block in July 1964.  For some reason as well as the Minehead unified machine cancel it has a "MINEHEAD / SOMERSET" soft packet cancel as well.

The undated unified machine cancel below with "779" in a triangle must be between June 1959 and June 1963 based on the "JUNE / DAIRY FESTIVAL" slogan.  The envelope has a pencil annotation of 1962 which could be correct.

Finally, here are a couple of cancels from the Butlin's Camp, Minehead, from 1974 and from 2002.  The seasonal post office first opened in 1962, and closed in 2002.  The camp was renamed to Somerwest World in 1994 but the handstamp from 2002 still refers to Butlins Camp.

Milverton straight line handstamp, 1820, no mileage

 The wrapper below has a straight line "MILVERTON" handstamp which matches the top part of the "MILVERTON / 172" boxed mileage mark.  The mileage mark is known in use from 1805-1833.  There is no sign of the mileage so for some reason it looks as if the mileage has been blanked off for this letter.

Midford Climax Rubber cancel May 1905

 Below is a postcard with a clear example of a "MIDFORD / BATH" climax rubber cancel dated 15th May 1905.

The only problem is that the records I have indicate that it was proofed on 7th August 1905, some three months later - more investigation required.

Martock

Here are a few items from Martock, starting with a partial straight line handstamp from 1822.  The contents indicate that you could write a cheque on anything, for example as part of a letter.

Next a "MARTOCK / 126" circular mileage mark from 1842, along with a maltese cross cancel.  The mileage mark shows where the letter came from but obviously not the date.

Here is a skeleton cancel from August 1914 ....

... a "MARTOCK / SOMERSET" 24mm single ring cancel used on an FDC, ...

... and finally a "MARTOCK SOMERSET" self-inking datestamp (SID) from 2003 (and a cutout with a "MARTOCK / SOMERSET" single ring that I haven't got round to writing up yet).

A Postcard from Mark, 1906

Mark is one of the more difficult places in Somerset to search online for postmarks from (closely followed by Street).  The postcard below has a nice "MARK / HIGHBRIDGE.S.O.SOMERSET" single ring cancel from December 1906.

Lydeard St Lawrence redirection form 1998

The Royal Mail redirection form below from January 1998 has some nice high value stamps on it - it is a shame that the Lydeard St Lawrence cancel was not clearer (and that it did not cancel all the stamps).

Chard "PAID / 1d." mark in red, 1840

The wrapper below from Chard to Wells in February 1840 has been prepaid.  Uniform penny postage came in on 10th January 1840, replacing the uniform 4d post, and letters had to be prepaid 1d or were charged 2d to the addressee.

The wrapper has a manuscript "Pd 1" and a red "PAID / 1d." handstamp; this is currently the only example of this PAID mark known.