BATH

Because I've acquired has a lot of nice material from Bath, I've decided to start with these.  I don't have much of the early postmarks (the BCC has at least a dozen earlier than the first one I've got which is from 1787, they are mostly rarity 'F' or 'G' which means that I'm going to struggle to find/afford them).


A number of challenges come up when writing up Postal History:

• How much detail does one go into ?   I've tried to describe all the cancellations I can see (for example to list the catalogue numbers from the BCC for the early cancels);
• What about the manuscript hieroglyphics ?  I'm struggling with these (is there a book that describes these ?);
• Then, linked with the bullet above, there are the rates and routes.  If I can decipher these then they should be written up;
• The terminology:  an entire, a wrapper, a front, a cover, .... a cancel, a frank, a postmark, ....
• How does one describe a cancel ? Straight-line, curved, circle, CDS (I've tended to avoid this) but is it a bit long-winded to say "double circle double-arc cancel" ?
• One can only display one side of a cover - so it's sometimes a toss-up which side to display and which side to scan.  As I don't exhibit I'm quite happy including a full size scan of the "other side", but I do try to label it is an "image".

It's a few weeks since I wrote up this first item and I can now see things that I missed or that I would do differently - for example I'd try and write up the postal rates and markings.

The postal rate from Bath to London on the top entire above would have been 5d for between 80 and 150 miles - among the manuscript markings there is a "10" so perhaps the item was double weight (it is quite thick).  I don't understand the other manuscript markings.

On the bottom entire the postal charge depends on whether it travelled before or after the new 1801 postal rates came in.  The act introducing the new rates (41 Geo. III. Cap. 7) became law on 5th April 1801 so the entire would have been charged under the 1796 rates.

Assuming it went from Bath to London to Edinburgh, the entire would have incurred 7d for the 110 miles of Bath to Londo, while the 396 miles from London to Edinburgh would have cost 8d, plus an additional 1d for postage in Scotland, making a total of 7d + 8d + 1d = 1/4d.

The manuscript marks on the front of the entire look like a "7" (for the Bath to London portion) crossed out, and another mark that could possibly be "1/4", which would match the rate above.

Correction:  I've just gained a better understanding of how the rates worked when the mail went via London.

1. Prior to 1797, each leg of the journey was costed separately, ie. the journey to London was costed and then added to the cost of the journey from London.
2. After 1797, the mileage for both legs (to and from London) was totalled and then costed.

The postage for the second entire should have been calculated based on the total mileage  to Edinburgh (110 plus 396 = 506 miles) which would cost 10d for 300 miles plus 3d fo up to another 300 miles, making 13d or 1/1d in total.  The other manuscript mark on the entire is "1/1", which matches this.