Taunton sub-offices were given numeric registration etiquettes. Here are a few of them, starting with one with a plain "TAUNTON" registration etiquette but with an oval "REGISTERED / 2 / TAUNTON, SOMERSET" cancel dated March 1950.
Station Road used "TAUNTON 5" registration etiquettes.
Musgrove had "TAUNTON 9" registration etiquettes.
The District Valuer also used a specific registration etiquette, "TAUNTON 12".
... and the Hydrographic Office used "TAUNTON 31" etiquettes.
The letter below from Bishops Lydeard to Durham in 1838 was charged 1/2d postage - 1d for the local Penny Post from Bishops Lydeard to Taunton plus 1/1d for the 300-400 miles to Durham in the General Post.
Unfortunately for the recipient, who had to pay the 1/2d postage, the contents were a letter saying that the recipients application for a living was unsuccessful.
Uniform Penny Postage was introduced on 10th January 1840, after a brief period when the uniform postage was 4d. The cover below is postmarked on 13th January, three days after the introduction of the UPP. The contents are a receipt from Frederick May for "Bells Messenger" (a weekly publication) from July to December 1839.
The OHMS letter below, sent in August 1843, has a handstamped officer frank and contains a printed form from the Legacy Duty Department.
The letter below dated 7th February 1849 has a clear example of the "TAUNTON / 7" skeleton handstamp, known in use between 6th and 15th February 1849.
A Frome Cheese Show has been held on a Wednesday in September since 1861, with a Mobile Post Office in attendance in 1928 and in most years from 1947 to 1874. The cover below from 1948 has a hand written unattributed registration etiquette.
In 1949 the registration etiquette is printed - the show is now just the Frome Show.
An undated cover, with a postcard showing the Cheese Show at Frome, sent in 1956.
A registered cover sent in 1958. The show is now the Frome & District Show.
Two more registered covers from the Frome & District Show, in 1959 and 1961.
Another cover from the 1961 show.
A few covers from Glastonbury now, starting with an early straight-line "GLASTON / BURY" from December 1772.
Next another (different) straight line "GLASTON / BURY" from June 1801.
Glastonbury had a Penny Post; Street had the boxed "No.2" receiving house handstamp - here is an example from August 1830. It was originally charged as a single letter (10d plus the penny post) but was spotted by an inspector (red crown handstamp) and charged as a double letter (1/8d plus the penny post).
Shapwick had an unboxed "No.3" receiving house handstamp as shown on this entire date October 1837.
Ashcott was receiving house "No.1" - here is an example from February 1839.
Use of the penny post receiving house handstamps continued beyond the abolition of the local penny posts in 1840. The boxed "No.2" handstamp from Street can be seen here on a cover from July 1844. This was before Street was issued with a double-arc undated handstamp (udc) in January 1848. Glastonbury was using a "311" barred numeral cancel from April 1844.
The example below from August 1859 would have been the third type of "311" cancel.
Vertical oval barred numeral cancels were in use from 1872.
Mail and stage coaches, local coaches, fly waggons: all provided a passenger and parcel service before the advent of the railways, and before the British Post Office provided a parcel service from 1883.
This first item is a receipt from a coaching inn in April 1820. It totals £5-11-6d, equivalent to about £585 today, and has a note of tips given to the Butler, Waiter, Chamber Maid and Boot along with a note about the "Post paid by Turnpike" which may be the Postillion.
The Bull and Mouth was a famous London coaching inn, from where a number of coaches set off - including the North Devon coach to Taunton, Tiverton and Barnstaple. Below are receipts from 1829 and 1830.
Fly Waggons (now commonly spelled Wagons) were slower and generally used for freight. Below is a receipt from 1835 for the carriage of "Carpet, Pictures (canalettos) & Portmanteau" from Cheltenham to Exeter. The "Fly" meant that the horses were changed.
Here is a receipt for another waggon service from 1835, for the carriage of "1 Large Case Goods" from Nottingham to Teignmouth.
Another receipt, this time for one Basket in 1838.
... Carriage of "1 Iron Bedstead as per Agm" in October 1841.
Below is a booklet advertising "The Rocket" London to Portsmouth Coach from 21st April 1877. This is very late as the Railways took most of the coaching business from the 1840s with a lot of coaches stopping running.
Czechoslovak forces were in the UK during WWII, first in Cheshire, then moving to Leamington Spa, followed by Ilminster and then Lowestoft.
The forces moved to Leamington Spa in late May 1942, before moving off to Lowestoft by the end of August. Forces were billeted in farms throughout Somerset.
In May 1854, a complaint was sent to W.L. Maberley, the Postmaster General about incorrectly charged post.
A further letter was sent on 10th May, this time being sent OHMS - asking for a refund of the 2d on the first letter as well as the return of 1/4d postage.
W.L. Maberley replied to the Taunton Postmaster telling him to return the 1/4d postage - but it does not look as if they got the 2d postage refunded.
A miscellany of yet more Ilminster items today, starting with a receipt for a deposit of one guinea into the Savings Bank, sent in June 1896.
The OHMS envelope below, sent to Ilminster in 1920, is from the Charity Commission and has a "CHARITY COMMISSION" handstamp on the front.
Here, from 1921 and 1922, are two charges for Vicarial Tithe Rents. They were sent as printed matter and received a triangular undated cancel.
This is a copy of the contents of one of the charges.
During WWI British farmers were guaranteed a good price for their cereal crops, however in 1921 when the Corn Production Act was repealed there was a major slump in agricultural land prices.
Goods were often sent by the railway, with GWR being a major user of perfin stamps. Here are a couple of Advice of Goods forms from 1921 with perfins.
Finally in this miscellany is a receipt for Fire Insurance from the Phoenix Assurance Company in 1923.
