Sunday 17 March 2024

Ilminster Squared Circle cancels

Overlapping with the duplex cancels, Ilminster used a squared circle cancel from 1881.

The cancel was recut.

And recut again to include the time rather than a code.




Wednesday 13 March 2024

Further Ilminster - Barred Numeral cancels

Here are a further series of items from Ilminster, exhibiting a variety of "401" barred numeral cancels, starting with horizontal ovals (known from May 1844 to September 1863).


Ilminster also had a 4-bar vertical oval.

As a complete aside, this next item did not go through the post but is a piece of postal stationery from November 1870 advertising a public meeting about forming a volunteer rifle corps in the town (it does fit here in date order).


Ilminster also had a 3-bar vertical oval cancel (known 1873-1880).  The envelopes below may look like they have duplex cancels but it is two separate cancels, a vertical oval cancel and a circular one.

The large "1" on the item below was a redirection fee (the envelope was from Dorchester to Ilminster and was redirected to Honiton).  The "1" would have been applied in Ilminster.

With the advent of the duplex cancels the clerks only had to apply one cancel.  The first was a 4-bar cancel.

This was followed by a 3-bar cancel.



Sunday 10 March 2024

More Ilminster - 1842-1855

Another in a series of items from Ilminster, starting with a "Wessex" cancel - a cancel of an adhesive stamp or impression with a datestamp rather than a Maltese Cross before the issue of barred numeral cancels in 1844.  The one below is from June 1842.

The next item, from September 1843, has a boxed "No.3" handstamp from Hinton St George.  This cover is an example of 'proper' cancelling of the period, with a Maltese Cross cancel of the stamp and a dated handstamp (in this case an "ILMINSTER" single-arc in red) on the reverse.

The Ilminster single arc handstamp is known used in blue from 1844 to 1851.


Ilminster had the "401" barred numeral cancel - until the issue of the duplex cancels post offices had to cancel the stamp with the barred numeral cancel and then put a dated handstamp on the reverse.

The dated double-arc handstamp was used in a number of colours.



Some of the colours are difficult to see.


The item below has a "Missent to / Ilminster" handstamp, only known used in 1839 and in 1855.



Wednesday 6 March 2024

Frome 1837 - sketch of voters

 The rather tatty entire below was sent from Frome to Hampstead Heath in July 1837, and is franked by "T. Sheppard".  Thomas Sheppard was MP for Frome from 1832.

The contents are sketches of the voters at Frome, possibly from before 1832 when 'Rotten Boroughs' were abolished.


Sunday 3 March 2024

UDCs part 3 - Oakhill, Radstock, Shepton Beauchamp, Sion Hill, Stourton(Wilts), Wedmore, Winsford, Yatton

 Yet more UDCs, starting with Oakhill (under Bath) from November 1845.

... "RADSTOCK" from April 1846.

This example of the "SHEPTON-BEAUCHAMP" udc is currently the only example recorded.

The "SION-HILL" udc from August 1845 is currently the earliest example known.

Stourton is in Wiltshire but was issued a UDC under Bath in October 1853.

The envelope below, with a "WEDMORE" udc, was sent to the USA and has markings that indicate that it went on a British ship.

... a "WINSFORD" udc from November 1857.

... and an earlier example from July 1854, currently the earliest known usage.

And finally (alphabetically) here is a seriffed "YATTON" udc from October 1848 on a Registered Letter.  The registration fee had to be paid in cash while postage had to be paid in stamps.

Wednesday 28 February 2024

UDCs part 2 - Huish Champflower, Huntspill, Isle Abbotts, Lympsham, Marston Magna, Martock

 More UDCs, mostly issued to villages, starting with "HUISH-CHAMPFLOWER" used in October 1859, currently the latest known usage in black.

... "HUNTSPILL" udc used in July 1855 ....

The "ISLE-ABBOTS" udc below is currently the only recorded example, while the example of the "WRANTAGE" udc is currently the earliest usage recorded.

The "LYMPSHAM" udc below is in blue, the first recorded example in blue.

The example of the "MARSTON MAGNA" udc below is undated, one other example is known used in December 1858.

The "MARTOCK" udc below in blue is also known in black.


Sunday 25 February 2024

UDCs part 1 - Aller, Bedminster, Blackford, Blagdon(Bristol), Burnham

Here are a number of examples of UDCs (UnDated Circular handstamps) which were typically issued to village post offices, starting with one from "ALLER" in April 1859, currently the only recorded example.

The "BEDMINSTER" udc below is from January 1850.  A second udc was issued to Bedminster in 1857.

The "BLACKFORD" udc was issued in 1858 - the example below is currently the earliest known usage.

Below is an example of the "BLAGDON" udc issued under Bristol.  Another Blagdon, near Taunton, was also issued with a "BLAGDON" udc.

The entire below has a faint "BURNHAM-SOMST" udc, used in March 1848.



Wednesday 21 February 2024

Early Ilminster

Here are a number of earlier Ilminster covers, starting with one from London in February 1744.  As usual with older letters it is about money.

This next entire is from South Petherton via Ilminster to Nether Stowey near Bridgwater in May 1787, with a "141 ILMIN / STER" mileage mark (the first type issued).  The letter is marked "X Post" to make sure it goes cross post and not via London (which would have cost significantly more).

The printed letter below from the Legacy Duty Office to Buckland St Mary in November 1825 was redirected to Bideford, then Plymouth or Tavistock and finally to Ilminster where it received an "ILMINSTER / 143" circular mileage mark.

Here is a clearer example of the "ILMINSTER / 143" circular mileage mark used in February 1829 on a wrapper to London.  It was originally rated at 1/8d (double rate) before being uprated to triple rate, 2/6d, with the "1/8" crossed out and overstamped with an Inspector's Crown handstamp.

Here is another example of the postage charge being uprated by an inspector, also from 1829.

The letter below to Cirencester in 1829 has an example of the circular "ILMINSTER" handstamp with the mileage erased.  It was charged 10d postage (the circular curly squiggle).

In November 1839 the entire below was from Winchester to 'Near Andover' but was missent to Ilminster and received the fairly rare "Missent to / Ilminster" handstamp.

And finally the entire below from Ilminster to Wells in June 1839 received a black example of the "ILMINSTER" single arc dated handstamp.  The handstamp is known later in blue and in red.