The entire below has a straight line "MILVERTON" that is probably the "MILVERTON / 172" boxed mileage mark, with the mileage not showing. It is dated July 1827 inside. As the mileage mark is known used until 1833, it is probably just a bad strike of the handstamp.
The part entire below is part of a return from Milverton to Taunton concerning Lunatics, sent in September 1841.Somerset (& Bristol) Postal History
Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Sunday, 18 May 2025
"TOO LATE" from Bristol in 1827
The entire below was written by Rev. John Rees Mogg at Cholwell House but was posted too late to make the mail, hence the "TOO LATE" handstamp. The letter would probably have gone to Cardiff via the ferry at Aust.
Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Yet more Registered envelopes - Radstock, Rowbarton, Stoke St Michael, Stratton on the Fosse, Winscombe
Yet more Registered envelopes, starting with one from Radstock to Wellington in August 1912 with a large unattributed registration etiquette with a violet "RADSTOCK" handstamp.
Next is a registered envelope from Rowbarton, Taunton to London in December 1939 with a "TAUNTON 1" registration etiquette.Back to registered letters to the Rating Officer, Shepton Mallet, this one is from Stoke St Michael in July 1940 ........ and another from Stratton on the Fosse in January 1938.Finally a registered envelope from Winscombe to Bridgwater in September 1918.
Sunday, 11 May 2025
Some random Registered covers - Midsomer Norton, Musgrove, North Cadbury, Oakhill, Parbrook, Pilton
Here are some random Registered covers, starting with one from Midsomer Norton in July 1949 to the Ratings Officer at Shepton Mallet.
This OHMS cover from Musgrove, Taunton in April 1960 contained a strychnine permit from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.Another registered envelope to the Rating Officer, Shepton Mallet, this time from North Cadbury in December 1937 ....... and another from Oakhill in January 1939 ....... and from Parbrook in December 1940 ....... and one from Pilton in January 1940.
Wednesday, 7 May 2025
Yet another Taunton Miscellany
Yet another Taunton miscallany, starting with a letter from London to Taunton Castle in 1699 which bears a large "S" London receiver mark.
Zipping ahead 260 years, the reused envelope below was sent to the Regimental Paymaster at Nuffield Camp, Taunton in May 1960, with a violet "REGIMENTAL PAY OFFICE / TAUNTON / Infantry Southern Command" receipt mark.The faded letter below explains why the FDC has had the date crossed out in June 1967.The commercial envelope below from May 1968 is for the Somerset County Gazette.And finally a Post Office Redirection Form franked with £13 and cancelled with "TAUNTON SOMERSET" self-inking datestamps in March 1999.Sunday, 4 May 2025
Postal Stationery 1913-1919
Here are a few examples of George V postal stationery, starting with a Post Card from 1917 and then three Letter Cards from 1913, 1918 and 1919.
Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Harry and Ewart Hebditch, Martock Poultry Farmers
Harry and Ewart Hebditch were poultry farmers in Martock, expanding their business into selling poultry housing. This first invoice is from Harry Hebditch in September 1915.
In December 1917 the commercial envelope was in use, postmarked Christmas Eve.The commercial envelope below was from Ewart Hebditch in 1958, advertising "Trapnesting".Sunday, 27 April 2025
Forestry Commission cachet, 1940
The OHMS registered envelope below was sent from Alma Vale, Bristol to the Forestry Commission, Exeter in November 1940 and received a Forestry Commission cachet, either on despatch in Bristol or on receipt in Exeter.
As was common during WW II, the envelope was reused, with an address label stuck on the front. Below is another OHMS envelope from March 1946 with a blurred Forestry Commission cachet. The page also shows an image of handstamps from a ledger of essays and specimens of certifying handstamps for British official mail.
FORESTRY COMMISSION
Before 1919, Britain had no State forest policy in any accepted sense of the term. Previous action in relation to woodland had been taken ad hoc in relation to specific problems arising in relation to the Crown forests or to the provision of oak for naval purposes. When this requirement petered out, the country reverted to a laissez faire policy encouraged by a vista of apparently infinite cheap imports from overseas. The necessities of the 1914-18 war drew the Government's attention to the danger of undue reliance on timber imports. Following a report by the Acland Committee, and Interim Forest Authority was set up in 1918 and a Forestry Bill passed in 1919. This Act established the Forestry Commission and gave it wide powers to acquire and plant land, promote timber supply and forest industries, undertake education and research, make grants and give advice to woodland owners. For Great Britain, the long-term target was to bring into production all the then felled and devastated land in addition, to increase the conifer woodland area by approximately 720,000 ha to an overall total of 1,930,000 ha.
Since its inception, the Forestry Commission has been the main driving force in the UK behind forestry refurbishment and expansion in the twentieth Century. Its programme of afforestation coupled with effective staff training and a programme of applied research has given it a standing of international renown. The target identified initially by Acland and renewed in 1943 of 5 million acres (ie. 2 million ha) of productive forest by the end of the century was achieved with a few years in hand. There was only a small net change in the gross woodland area of Great Britain in between 1913 and 1939. Since then however, the total area has nearly doubled. The net area of privately owned woodland did not increase however until after 1965. What increases in woodland area there were until 1965 can be attributed to the activities of the Forestry Commission - the State forest service. The handstamps for the Interim Forest Authority (1919) and the Forestry Commission (1920, 1926, 1944 and 1947) are from a ledger of essays and specimens of certifying handstamps for British official mail (1901-1964).
Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Wells Cross Post 1710
The entire below is dated 11th March, and is believed to be from 1710 (a couple of other examples are known from 1709). It has a rare "WELLS / X" cross-post handstamp, one of a series used for mail that was going on the Exeter - Bristol route without going via London.
The entire is from the same correspondence as other cross-post letters from Croscombe to Plymouth. This letter is asking why the correspondent hasn't had any reply.Sunday, 20 April 2025
Yeovil - 1878 and 1972
The cover below, sent in September 1878 from South Petherton to Montacute, was underfranked as it weighed more than 1 oz. It received a framed "More to pay / above ... oz / 929" cachet with a manuscript "1".
The much more modern cover below was undelivered in Yeovil in 1972 and returned to the sender in Norwich. It was addressed to "Petter's Engines Ltd, Yeovil" and was marked "UNKNOWN / AT YEOVIL. / SOMERSET." in a violet framed cachet. In 1894 the family business James B. Petter & Sons were ironmongers in Yeovil, and hired Ben Jacobs who was instrumental in their business to make high speed steam engines. In 1910 Petter Ltd. became a public company, later moving to Westland and then purchasing the Vickers factory in Ipswich. See https://www.farmcollector.com/company-history/petter-engine/ for many more details of the history.