Refund of postage for letter to MP, 1830s

Below is a Post Office receipt for postage incorrectly charged on a letter from Bristol to Joseph Neeld, the MP for Chippenham from 1830 to 1856.

See here for the entry on Joseph Neeld  in the History of Parliament website.
 

Help Bristol - Salute the Soldier - May 13-20th 1944

 The item illustrated below is an unused paper bag for the "Salute the Soldier" week in Bristol.  During periods of WW II each county was set a target of money to raise and local civic leaders were presented with plaques as a reward for the fund raising efforts.

The government had an initial campaign launched in September 1940 known as War Weapons Weeks – which was a drive to replace the materiel lost at Dunkirk.  The amount realised in the weeks specifically designated War Weapons Weeks was £456,861,000, equivalent to about £26.1 billion in 2024. Warship Week was launched in October 1941, and in summer 1942, the government had a smaller campaign for British Army equipment known as Tanks for Attack: the amount realized from this campaign was not separately recorded.  The following year was the RAF's turn and Wings for Victory Week was launched in March 1943.

Building on the success of the earlier campaigns, a large military event was held at Trafalgar Square in London in March 1944 to raise money for field hospitals and other military equipment under the new Salute the Soldier campaign.  Bristol held its event in May 1944.  The amount realised in the weeks specifically designated Salute the Soldier Weeks was £628,021,000, equivalent to about £35.8 billion in 2024. 

Postage Dues when posted without a stamp; Postal Fiscal

The postcard below, from Cheddar to Watford in 1932, was posted without a stamp and incurred 2d postage due.  The "2 D / TO PAY / 134A" charge mark was applied in Bristol - this charge mark was previously only known from 1934 to 1948 in red and in 1948 in black.

The envelope below was also sent without a stamp from Glastonbury and Street to near Canterbury in 1970.

The envelope below from Wincanton to Bourton, Bath was sent with a Revenue rather than a Postage Stamp in July 1881.

The passing of the Customs and Inland Revenue Act 1881 merged the systems for postal and fiscal accounting.  The act explicitly stated that "stamp duties of one penny may be denoted by postage stamps, and vice versa".  From 1st June 1881, unused, existing 1d Inland Revenue stamps (which were previously meant only for taxes, receipts, and documents) became legally authorized for use as regular postage on mail. These are known as postal fiscals.  The 1d lilac, issued on 12th July 1881 was inscribed "Postage and Inland Revenue" and was valid for both sending a letter or paying a tax duty.
 

The Tithe Commissioners for England and Wales

The printed letter below was sent out from the Tithe Commissioners for England and Wales in November 1844.

The Tithe Commissioners were a three-man government board established in London under the Tithe Commutation Act 1836 (6 & 7 Will. 4. c. 71) to oversee the conversion of traditional agricultural tithes into monetary payments.

For centuries, English and Welsh farmers were legally required to give one-tenth of their crops and livestock (tithes "in kind") to support the local parish church and clergy. By the 1830s, this system caused immense social unrest, religious disputes, and economic inefficiency. The commissioners replaced physical collections of grain or animals with a variable annual cash payment known as a tithe rentcharge. This monetary value was index-linked to the national seven-year average price of corn, wheat, oats, and barley.

The commissioners deployed a network of local Assistant Tithe Commissioners and surveyors across the country. They conducted a comprehensive Tithe Survey to map out every single parcel of titheable land in England and Wales. The commission favoured voluntary agreements between landowners and the church. However, if a parish could not agree on valuations, the Tithe Commissioners had the legal power to step in, resolve the boundary or financial disputes, and issue a compulsory Tithe Award.

The contents of the printed letter were as shown below:

Following the 1840 postal reforms, government departments paid for mail through centralized bookkeeping accounts with the Post Office rather than using physical stamps.

Departments did not purchase stamps over a post office counter. Instead, the General Post Office calculated the weight and volume of the mail generated by each department and charged the total to that department's parliamentary budget.

To indicate that a letter belonged to a state department and its fee was accounted for, the GPO introduced distinctive, specialized "Official Paid" handstamps. These circular, oval, or crown-designed marks were usually struck in red ink to show the postal clerks that the item was prepaid via government accounts and should be processed without delay.

Departments printed custom stationery, official envelopes, or paper wrappers featuring the department's name. The signature of an authorised clerk or official was often required on the front corner of the envelope to certify that the contents were strictly for state business, preventing the personal mail abuse that plagued the pre-1840 system.

The letter was sealed with the seal of the Tithe Commission, and initialled on the front.

Although from 1840 postage was determined purely on weight, packages exceeding three feet simply could not fit into standard leather mail sacks or the secure, locked mailboxes built into Royal Mail coaches.

Following the Tithe Commutation Act 1836, the Tithe Commission was tasked with mapping every single parish in England and Wales to convert traditional crop tithes into monetary payments. The resulting tithe maps were extraordinarily detailed, large-scale drawings. When rolled up for transport, these heavy parchment maps routinely spanned over three feet in length.

Because the official Royal Mail framework could not handle these oversized parcels, the Tithe Commission relied on ordinary commercial stagecoaches or passenger coaches.  Commercial passenger coaches possessed large exterior boots, under-seat storage, and roof racks meant for heavy passenger luggage, making them perfectly suited to handle long, awkward tubes containing maps. 

Parcel Post Packing Regulations June 1933

The sheet below gives the 'Special Rules as to Packing based on the Regulations in the Post Office Guide" as of June 1933.

Note the rules for Game:  "Game posted without covering, i.e., with a neck label only, will, however, be accepted, but only if the label is securely tied and if (i) the game is fresh and dry, (ii) no liquid is likely to exude, and (iii) it is not so "high" as to taint other parcels."

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.

 

A couple of advertising envelopes, 185x and 1865

The Parkins and Gotto advertising envelope below was used in 185x and advertised stationary.  The envelope was used from Crewkerne to Dorchester.

The TS Smith & Co. envelope was used in 1865 from Bristol to Crickhowell, advertising various business and financial management activities. 

Turnpikes, Haulage, Canals

After the introduction of Turnpike (toll) roads in the 18th century (1700-1730 the London radial roads were turnpiked, 1750s and 1770s further surges in turnpikes), these needed to be managed and people travelling by horse or carriage needed to pay Turnpike fees on all the different Turnpikes they used.  Here are some ephemera associated with aspects of that.

Firstly an invitation to a meeting of Trustees of the Winchester Turnpike (Lower Division) in March 1821.  As can be seen from the map there are a large number of separate turnpike trusts in the area.

One used a haulier if one wanted to transport goods, and they would have been responsible for paying any turnpike fees.  Here is a receipt dated December 1831 on the back of an advertisement.

Turnpikes carried on into the late 19th century.  Below is a turnpike receipt from the 1870s from around Totnes.

However the writing had been on the wall for the Turnpikes as soon as Railways started their rapid spread across the country in the 1830s.  The auction poster below is dated May 1835 and is auctioning off mortgages on a Turnpike, and also shares in a canal, similarly due to be adversely affected by the Railways.

 

No Service, Return to Sender, 1941 addressed to Finland

The envelope below was posted from Bristol to Finland in April 1941 but received a purple "NO SERVICE / RETURN TO SENDER" cachet.  As there were no other cancels I assume that the cachet was applied in the Bristol Foreign Section (rather than in London)

The addressee was Lady Constance Malleson who subsequently wrote a book about her experiences administering relief efforts for the Russo-Finnish war.
 

'in all' mail in 1683

Prior to 1797 there were only six Post Roads from London.  If mail was going from a place on one post road to somewhere on another post road then it went via London and was charged twice - once to London and once from London.  This is nicknamed 'in all' after what was written on the mail for the final charge.  In 1797 the rules were changed and mail was charged on the total distance travelled.

The entire below from 1683 was posted in Torrington, 7 miles from Bideford on the north coast of Devon, to Exeter, on the south coast of Devon.  This is a distance of about 35 miles if the mail could have gone direct, but prior to 1797 the letter went up to Bristol and then to London (on the 'Bristol Road') being charged 3d, and then came down to Exeter on the 'Falmouth Road' for an another 3d.  The total charge was 'in all 6'. 

So the letter travelled just under 400 miles (rather than 35 miles) and was charged 6d rather than 2d.
 

Whitchurch Festival - Coronation of King Edward VII and Alexandra in 1902

The coronation of Edward VII and his wife, Alexandra, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on 9^th August 1902.  Originally scheduled for 26^th June of that year, the ceremony had been postponed at very short notice, because the King had been taken ill with an abdominal abscess that required immediate surgery.

By the time of his accession, the 59-year-old Edward was overweight and fond of large meals and cigars. He launched himself into his new role, but his first busy months on the throne were bedevilled by a succession of illnesses and injuries.  On 23^rd June 1902, three days before the date set for the coronation, Edward and his wife, Alexandra, returned from Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace in preparation.  It was noted that he appeared "worn and pale" and was leaning heavily on his cane. That evening, the King and Queen hosted a formal dinner for seventy British and overseas royal guests.

The following day at noon, a telegram marked "OFFICIAL" was dispatched around the Empire, with the news that the coronation was postponed and that the King was undergoing an operation.  Shortly afterward, a bulletin was released from Edward's medical team, stating that "The King is suffering from perityphlitis.  The condition on Saturday was so satisfactory that it was hoped that with care His Majesty would be able to go through the Coronation ceremonies.  On Monday evening a recrudescence became manifest, rendering a surgical operation necessary today".  It was undersigned by, among others, Lord Lister and Sir Frederick Treves, who actually carried out the operation on a table in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, to drain his abdominal cyst.

On 26^th June itself, a "solemn service of intercession" was held at St Paul's Cathedral, which was attended by many of the British and foreign dignitaries who were in London for the coronation. Although workmen immediately received instructions to begin dismantling the wooden stands that had been erected along the route of the procession, Edward was insistent that regional celebrations and a planned "Coronation Dinner for the Poor of London" should go ahead.  Organised by Sir Thomas Lipton, 500,000 dinners were served to Londoners on 5^th July at 800 locations around the capital. The King personally contributed £30,000 toward the cost and there were donations by commercial companies and wealthy individuals.  The confectionery maker Rowntree's provided each diner with a tin of chocolate and a rather better one for the 60,000 people who had acted as stewards on the grounds that they would "be of greater influence socially than the poor".

 

One of the places that organised a Coronation Festival was Whitchurch (there are a number of Whitchurch's in the UK - I believe that the item below is from Whitchurch, Bristol because the programme below was printed by a Bristol printer, Bennett Bros Ltd.).  

The Programme of Sports on the reverse of the card are quite interesting, especially perhaps item 13 - "Washing Competition (Ladies), competitors to find own pail".