Some Somerset "Sh"s - Shepton Beauchamp, Shepton Mallet, Shipham, Shuttern

The Post Office had some difficulty delivering this envelope from Shepton Mallet to Pilton in May 1895 before it was returned to Budd & Spire, Glastonbury with a violet "Undelivered for reason stated" cachet.

The Post Office was also unable to deliver the under franked envelope below in August 1959, this time because it was refused - it was also charged 3d for return.

 

The items below come from the similar sounding Shepton Beauchamp, some 25 miles south-west of Shepton Mallet near Ilminster.  They are commercial printed postcards for Manor Farm.

Shipham is 8 miles east of Weston-super-Mare and comes under Bristol based on the "SHIPHAM / (Under Bristol)"Parcel Post Label below .  However the "SHIPHAM / WESTON-SUPER-MARE" climax rubber handstamp dated 30th April 1898 in manuscript suggests that it came under Weston-super-Mare.

Below is a cover from Shipham in December 1974 where the handstamp is "SHIPHAM / WINSCOMBE SOMERSET", showing it under Winscombe with psot going via Weston-super-Mare.

The registered covers below are from Shuttern, Taunton which had sub-office number 4.  The bottom cover has the 75th Anniversary of the UPU set but was sent a day late so was not a FDC.  The registered envelope is marked "senders excess" which suggests that the extra postage did not pay for extra insurance.