Boxed Mileage Marks - "DULVERTON / 187" & "ILCHESTER / 130"

“DULVERTON / 187” 1801-1816

This entire was sent free to the Honourable Hugh Clifford, eldest son of Charles Clifford, 6^th baron Clifford of Chudleigh, by Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, MP for Devon, who has franked it.

Unfortunately I do not have a copy of either Frome mileage mark.

“ILCHESTER / 130” 1803-1807

This entire is from the year before the earliest example previously known.

Boxed Mileage Marks - "BRUTON / 142"

“BRUTON / 142” 1802-1809

Bruton and Castle Cary were Post Towns until the introduction of the Fifth Clause Posts from Shaftesbury (later from Wincanton) and Shepton Mallet in 1823.

Unfortunately I do not have an example of the “CASTLE-CAREY / 145” mark.

Boxed Mileage Marks - "BATH / 109" & "BRIDGEWATER / 150"

In 1784 the Post Office introduced handstamps with the mileage to London on them, to aid post office clerks in determining the postal charges. These handstamps had a limited life as the mileage to London changed as the postal routes altered and after about five years the Post Office stopped issuing them.
By the end of the 18^th century the Postmaster General had instructed John Cary, a map-maker, to prepare a survey of all the principal roads in the country under the supervision of the Superintendent of Mail Coaches. This was used in the issue of the second series of boxed mileage stamps from 1801.

Cat No	Type	Handstamp	Comments	Size (mm)	Colour	Dates	Rarity
SO 17	29	AXBRIDGE / 141		36x10	Black	1804	C
80	29	BATH / 109		19x10	Black	1801-04	E
224	29	BRIDGEWATER / 150		52x12	Black	1802-11	D
299	29	BRUTON / 142		25x10	Black	1802-09	D
320	29	CASTLE-CAREY / 145		52x11	Black	1804-22	E
444	29	DULVERTON / 187		36x10	Black	1801-16	C
488	29	FROOM / 115		22x10	Black	1802-07	D
490	29	FROOME / 115		25x11	Black	1803-04	D
537	29	ILCHESTER / 130		35x11	Black	1804-07	D
553	29	ILMINSTER / 143		35x11	Black	1801-21	D
591	29	LANGPORT / 140		34x11	Black	1805-46	C
603	29	MILVERTON / 169		35x11	Black	1801	H
604	29	MILVERTON / 172		39x11	Black	1805-33	C
624	29	MINEHEAD / 185		35x11	Black	1801-07	D
674	29	SHEPTON-MALLET / 135		55x11	Black	1801-10	D
703	29	SOMERTON / 135		35x11	Black	1804-11	D
783	29	TAUNTON / 161		35x11	Black	1802-14	D
860	29	WELLINGTON / 168		43x11	Black	1804-29	C-D
917	29	WELLS-S / 129		28x11	Black	1802-08	D
1019	29	WIVELSCOMBE / 175		56x12	Black	1805-29	C-D
1060	29	YEOVIL / 125		27x11	Black	1801-11	C

Unfortunately I do not (yet) have an example of the “AXBRIDGE / 141” mark.

“BATH / 109” 1801-1804

“BRIDGEWATER / 150” 1802-1811

Early Mileage Marks - "126 YEOVIL"

The “126 YEOVIL” handstamp is known used from 1789 to 1792, though could have been in use earlier as the two previous Yeovil handstamps are only known used in 1778 and 1780 in archives.

The entire mentions enclosures. Between 1784 and 1796, 4^d was the General Post rate for up to 80 miles, so at triple rate (for two enclosures) that would be 1/- postage.

Early Mileage Marks - "WELLS / S. 123" (and "WELLS / N. 122")

The “WELLS / S. 123” handstamp is known used from 1785 to 1787. The example below is unfortunately undated. The “S.” in the handstamp is for Somerset, to differentiate it from Wells in Norfolk (known as Wells-next-the Sea from 1955).

According to the BCC, Wells in Norfolk had two “WELLS / N. 122” handstamps of different sizes in use from 1786 to 1790.

Early Mileage Marks - "TAUNTON / 143"

The “TAUNTON / 143” handstamp is known in use from1785 to 1787.

The postal charge of 6^d above is not correct for 143 miles to London as the rate from August 1784 was 5^d for up to 150 miles and only 6^d if over 150 miles. It is possible that the charge was made at 6^d based on a corrected mileage from Taunton to London. A route from Taunton to Crewkerne and then up the Western Post Road is about 157 miles, while going via Bath and the Bristol Post Road is about 163 miles. In 1802 Taunton was issued with a “TAUNTON / 161” handstamp.

Perhaps there was a “typo” when the handstamp was made, misreading “163” as “143” ??

Early Mileage Marks - "136 SOMER / TON"

The “136 SOMER / TON” handstamp is known in use from 1786 to 1790. 

Early Mileage Marks - "118 SHIPTON / MALLET"

The “118 SHIPTON / MALLET” handstamp is known used from 1790 to 1796. It is thought that it was issued earlier than 1790; there is only one handstamp known in use at Shepton Mallet prior to this, and that was known used in 1772, so there is plenty of scope for the mileage mark to be in use earlier than 1790.

Currently the item below is the latest known usage of the “118 SHIPTON / MALLET”, used in November 1796.

Early Mileage Marks - "135 CREWK / ERN", "FROME / 107"

The “135 CREWK / ERN” handstamp is known in use in 1784-1785. The example below is early, from 27^th September 1784.

The “FROME / 107” mileage mark is known used from 1786 to 1788. The mileage “107” is in noticeably small lettering.

The Free Front above is franked "Boyle" which is the signature of Edmund Boyle, 7^th Earl of Cork and 7^th Earl of Orrery (21 November 1742 – 30 May 1798).