New Wambrook rubber climax cancel, and first example seen of Mosterton (Dorset) rubber climax cancel

I have just acquired an example of a new Wambrook rubber climax cancel - new as in newly recorded as it was used in March 1923.  This cancel is "WAMBROOK / CHARD / SOMERSET" with "CHARD" in serif text.

Wambrook has had four recorded rubber climax cancels; below are examples of the first ("WAMBROOK / CHARD", known 1911) and third ("WAMBROOK / CHARD /  SOMT", known 1922-1923) recorded cancels, the second is of a similar format to the first but has smaller text for the "CHARD" and is only recorded used in 1915.

This next one is the first recorded example of the "MOSTERTON / CREWKERNE" rubber climax cancel that was issued in December 1896.  It was recorded in the Stamp Impression Book but had not been previously seen.  It was used here in February 1913. 

James Rudman perfin, 1896

The receipt below from James Rudman of Bristol has a 1d lilac with a "J R" perfin with a manuscript cancel dated 6th October 1896.

One of the products that James Rudman produced was Stainoleum.  Below is a picture of a glass bottle that used to contain it.  Stainoleum was a brand of oil varnish stain used to colour and protect floors and furniture.

50th Anniversary of the Postal Mechanisation Study Circle

It is 50 years since the Postal Mechanisation study Circle (PMSC) was established in 1976.  This was celebrated with a special event cancellation produced at Bristol.

 

GPO Ledger with Cross Post mileages for Exeter to Chester and Portsmouth to Bath & Bristol

The undated sheet below is probably from a GPO Ledger and shows the mileages for the Exeter to Chester Cross Post and the Portsmouth to Bristol Cross Post.

Prior to the establishment of the first Cross Post from Exeter to Bristol by Joseph Quash in 1696, the Postmaster of Exeter, mail from Exeter to Bristol had to go via London (up one Post Road and down another).  The cross post road was extended to Chester in 1701.

According to R.C. Tombs in his book "The Bristol Royal Mail", a new branch post was established from Bristol & Bath to Salisbury in 1740, and by 1772 the posts at Salisbury included mail from Bristol three days a week; mail from Postsmouth also came three days a week.  It wasn't until 1798 that a "Long" coach was established that went from Portsmouth to Bristol in one journey.

It is possible that the Ledger sheet above was created fairly soon after John Palmer's introduction of Mail Coaches in 1784, when detailed schedules had to be drawn up for the new coaches.  The mileages on the Exeter - Chester post are to the nearest quarter of a mile, perhaps the level of detail required for coach contracts.
 

Free Wrapper from "BIDDE / FORD" via Exeter to Monmouth, 1783

The wrapper below was sent Free from Bideford ("BIDDE / FORD") via Exeter to Monmouth in October 1783.

The cover is franked "Morgan" which could be either John Morgan, MP for Monmouthshire, or Charles Morgan his brother, MP for Breconshire.

The filing note says "Col Orchard" which is probably Colonel Paul Orchard, who became MP for Callington in the following year, 1784.
 

Falmouth India Letter, 1834

The wrapper below was sent to Rothschild's in London in 1834 from Batavia.  Batavia was an imperial Dutch port city that eventually, after two centuries of Dutch occupation, became the capital of the Dutch East Indies, and is now present-day Jakarta, Indonesia.

The letter had a framed "FALMOUTH / Ship Letter" applied in error, was overstruck with a framed "INDIA LETTER / FALMOUTH", and then had a second India Letter handstamp applied.  It arrived in London on 2nd October 1834.  The India Letter handstamp indicated that a reduced rate of postage applied compared to the standard ship letter rate.

The letter was sent via the Blair which arrived at Plymouth on 27th September 1834, having first dropped off its mail at Falmouth, common practice to hand over the mail quickly without navigating further up the Channel. 
 

Another Miscellany - Cannington, East Anstey Camp, East Chinnock & a Penang Paquebot to Bristol

Here is another miscellany, starting with a skeleton from Cannington in May 1903.  Unfortunately the postcard has a filing hole through the year in the Cannington pstmark but the year can readily be een from the Bridgwater cancel.

This next item is another skeleton, from East Anstey Camp in 1908.  Earlier East Anstey Camp skeleton cancels are from Tiverton but it is likely that by 1908 East Anstey Camp came under Dulverton.  The reverse of the postcard shows a Parade which the message identifies as a Church Parade.  The writer starts by saying "Have had a ripping time here the past week" - I hope he survived WWI but there is no way of establishing his name.  The addressee, Miss F. Cruttenden, is still at the same address in the 1911 census and was unmarried.

This next postmark is a Climax rubber cancel from East Chinnock in 1911 - this is the first recorded example.  There was also an earlier rubber cancel issued in 1889 but no usage of that has been recorded.

Finally here is a "PAQUEBOT / PENANG" cancel on a P&O envelope to Bristol in 1934.

A Miscellany - Beckington, Milton Road (WSM), Putsom, Roman Road (Taunton), Yeovilton

Herewith a miscellany of postmarks, starting with a Beckington skeleton cancel in March 1905.  This skeleton is only known used on 30th March 1905.

Vaguely alphabetically, the next cover is from Milton Road, Weston-super-Mare in May 1940.  The post office was established in 1931 so this is likely to be the original cancel supplied to the office.

This example of the Putsom UDC from May 1849 is the earliest date recorded so far.  The contents are a Life Assurance letter.

Moving on, this next is a First Day Cover from Roman Road, Taunton.  The post office opened in 1939 but this is the first postmark I have encountered.

And finally a registered cover from Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station in September 1975, using a Yeovil registration etiquette.  I have an earlier registered cover dated 1947 that used a Yeovilton etiquette.

A couple of interesting Letterheads

Here is a very ornate letterhead on an invoice from Egerton Burnett in Wellington, dated December 1892 proclaiming six Royal Warrants of Appointment - see here for some private Parcel Post items relating to Egerton Burnett (at the end of the post).

And below is a letterhead from the Bristol Centre of The National Telephone Company Limited, dated July 1897.

From 1881 to 1911 the National Telephone Company consolidated smaller local companies in the early years of telephone adoption.  The Government nationalised the company under the Telephone Transfer Act 1911 with the General Post Office taking over in 1912.

A few more Coaching items

Here are a few more Coaching items, starting with a bill from Pratt's London Inn in Exeter from 1825, with an embossed receipt dated 30th July 1825, signed by Joseph Pratt, the proprietor.  The bill total £23 14s 9d including £5 10s for 4 chaises.  Allowing for inflation this is equivalent to £1,944 or about £280 per day for bed, meals and transport.

I also found an image of another bill dated July 1838 from Pratt's London Inn on the internet, for £11 9s 6d for a Hearse with 4 horses, 2 coaches and pairs, Duty, Pall, Cloaks and Turnpikes.  This works out at about £1,120 in today's money.

 

This next item is a ticket for Carriage and Porterage from the Bull & Mouth Western Coach Office from c.1839.

And finally a receipt from the Belle Sauvage from c.1840. 

Here is an image from the internet of "The Cambridge Coach leaving the Belle Sauvage yard into Ludgate Hill" by James Pollard.