Sunday 13 April 2014

Bristol Penny Post - Flax Bourton

Below is a recent acquisition, a much redirected entire originating at Flax Bourton and going originally to London, then redirected to Worthing, and then apparently re-addressed to Plymouth.  However there do not appear to be any markings that show that it actually went from Worthing to Plymouth.

The entire bears a "L.C.O. / POSTAGE NOT PAID / TO LONDON", presumably to ensure that the recipient in Worthing paid for the postage from Flax Bourton to London plus the postage from London to Worthing.  

The postal charge marking are not clear.  There may be an "11" crossed through on the front at the left, perhaps a "1/7" again crossed through on the front at the right and there looks to be a "1N" on the reverse. 

Flax Bourton to Bristol would be 1d for the local Penny Post, plus Bristol to London (122 miles) would be 10d in the General Post, making 11d in total which may match the first manuscript marking on the front.

London to Worthing is about 60 miles which would be 8d in the General Post, making a total from Flax Bourton of 1/7d, which would match the second manuscript marking on the front.

Assuming that the postage to this point was paid, then Worthing to Plymouth could match the 1/- charge on the reverse (expressed as "1N") if the mail route was between 230-300 miles - the direct route along the coast using modern roads is just over 200 miles so this is very feasible.  This would imply that the entire did make this journey.  If so, perhaps the "WORTHING" double-arc handstamp dated 3rd September 1835 was from this last stage rather than as a receiving mark for the journey from London ?

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