Taunton Penny Post to Lowton, 1839

The entire below is a bill from the Taunton Courier and General Printing-Office, East Street, Taunton to Lowton in September 1839.  It was charged 1d for the Taunton Penny Post.  Lowton is about 5 miles south of Taunton.

The contents are a bill for £1-5-0 for printing Bills for an advertisement for "Sweets Hotel, to be let or sold".  The auction at Sweets Hotel (now the Castle Hotel, Taunton) was for the right to 'farm' the tolls arising from use of the bridge at Burrowbridge, see here for more details.

Lowton was on the Churchinford Walk via Trull.  In February 1829 the Surveyor recommended that the Penny Post be extended to the villages south of Taunton, with a Receiving House at Trull.  A Messenger was to leave Taunton as soon as the letters were sorted, at about 3 p.m., and deliver on the road to Trull, where he would leave a Bag with the letters for Staplehay, Fulwood, Canonsgrove, Dipford, Daw's Green, Angersleigh, Lowton and Howleigh, to be delivered by the Trull Receiver.  The Messenger continued on via Amberd House, Poundisford Lodge, Poundisford Park, Barton House, Corfe, Pitminster and Blagdon, to Churchingford, "where he will leave letters for Churchstanton and Otterford".  On the following morning he would return to Taunton before the up Mail left. The Messenger was paid 12/- per week for the round trip of 18-20 miles.