A bit of Frome

Here are two examples of the Frome 115 boxed mileage mark, both on free fronts.  The first from August 1805 was franked "Bath" by the Bishop of Bath and Wells.

The second was franked by Lord John Thynne, I think in November 1807 though it could possibly be 1801.

The example of the Frome Parcel Post Label below also has an unclear date, it could be July 1902 or 1907.

The two examples of the Frome Krag machine cancel are from 1941 and 1943.

And finally a commemorative cover for the Frome & District Stamp Club in 2007.  I'm not sure if the club is still active.

A few more Somerset "C"s: Compton Martin, Cottles Oak and Curry Rivel

 Finishing off the Somerset "C"s that I have acquired in the last months, here are a couple of items from Compton Martin, starting with a postcard from 1903 that was posted on Christmas Day, and probably delivered then too.

The next envelope is from 2023 and appears to have the same Compton Martin cancel as the example above from 1903, 120 years earlier !

Cottles Oak is a suburb of Frome - here is a registered envelope from 1978 with Cottle Oak cancelations and a Frome 6 registration etiquette.

Finally here is an envelope, still with its original contents, sent to "Curry Rivel, Taunton" with a manuscript "Insufficient Address".

Some Somerset "C"s: Cannington, Cheddar, Chilcompton, Chilton Polden, Churchill, Churchinford

As a bit of change, here are some Somerset postmarks from places that begin with "C", starting with a couple of examples of the Cannington undated circular handstamp (UDC), firstly in black in 1848 ...

... then in brown in 1851.

The postcard below from Cheddar to Cardiff in September 1948 was underfranked at 1d.  The Postcard Rate had been 2d since 1st May 1940.

A registered envelope sent in July 1940 gives an example of the Chilcompton cancel and registration etiquette.

The early Climax rubber cancels were in violet because the standard black ink caused the handstamps to deteriorate.  Here is a nice clear example of the Chilton Polden cancel from 1904 on a parcel post label.

Churchill's cancel is used here on a first day cover in April 1980.

And finally here is another registered envelope, this time giving examples of the Churchinford cancel and registration etiquette in April 1939.

More Town Sub-Offices of Bristol

Here are a few more Town Sub-Offices of Bristol, starting with North Street with a single-ring handstamp from November 1859.

North Street went on to have a barred numeral cancel; below is an example from 1869 from J.T. Ball & Sons, Maltsters.

 

Redcliff(e) also had a barred numeral cancel - the example below has an incorrect year in the dater, it should be "65" rather than "56" as the cancel was not issued until 1864.

Here are a couple of later examples of the North Street barred numeral cancel, from April & May 1872.

The single circle handstamp from Queen's Road would have been applied by the counter clerk when the registered envelope was posted in July 1894.

Registered items are a good source of  town sub-office postmarks as they had to be handstamped by the counter clerk, as shown by this example from Gloucester Road in October 1911.

Another registered cover example from Queen's Road in June 1959.

And finally an example from Sea Mills in January 1971.

Taunton postcards

Here are a few slightly unusual postcards, starting with one from 1906 advertising the Taunton Amateur Operatic Society production of "The Rose of Persia".

The postcards below from 1907 are Christmas cards, posted on the 23rd and 24th December.

The cards below from 1909 and 1919 are commercial, from W. & A. Chapman, North Street, Taunton.  Both are franked with ½d stamps but the lower one has "POST CARD" crossed out as it was sent at the lower Printed Matter rate which was still ½d, the Postcard rate having gone up to 1d in 1918.

And finally some views of Taunton, posted in the 1930s.

Some Taunton undelivered or postage due items

Here are a few Taunton undelivered or postage due items starting with one from 1879 from Bridgwater to Nettlecombe Court with a large blue "Unknown" written on the front.  The letter went back to the Returned Letter Branch in Bristol.

The letter below went from Porlock via Taunton to Bath in September 1881 and ended up with a manuscript "Unknown" having had twenty postmen's initials on the reverse.

The two items below both also failed to be delivered in September 1882, the first being deceased and the second marked "Address not known".

Next is an uprated newspaper wrapper from Chard to Minehead in December 1893 being redirected to London and receiving a 1d redirection charge at Taunton.

Finally here are a couple of postcards sent without stamps in 1905 and receiving a 1d postage due mark at Taunton.

Some Taunton Cachets

Here is the first tranche of some Taunton cachets, starting with a framed "More to pay / above one oz" cachet from April 1877.

This next item, a postcard addressed to Wlodzimierska in present day Poland in August 1918, was undeliverable because of a lack of postal service due to the Russian Revolution.

The envelope below from October 1934 was undeliverable because the addressee had "Gone Away" and was also liable to 2d postage due being "Liable to Letter Rate".  The 2d postage due had been cancelled in anticipation of being collected from the addressee but was then marked with a violet "Charge not collected" envelope cachet.

The envelope below was rather cheekily franked with three panes from a stamp booklet printed with "MINIMUM INLAND PRINTED PAPER RATE 1½d" and was thus liable to 3d postage due.

The sender of the postcard below in 1954 was a bit behind the times, having franked it with a 1½d stamp when the postcard rate had gone up to 2d some 14 years before in 1940.