UDCs part 1 - Aller, Bedminster, Blackford, Blagdon(Bristol), Burnham

Here are a number of examples of UDCs (UnDated Circular handstamps) which were typically issued to village post offices, starting with one from "ALLER" in April 1859, currently the only recorded example.

The "BEDMINSTER" udc below is from January 1850.  A second udc was issued to Bedminster in 1857.

The "BLACKFORD" udc was issued in 1858 - the example below is currently the earliest known usage.

Below is an example of the "BLAGDON" udc issued under Bristol.  Another Blagdon, near Taunton, was also issued with a "BLAGDON" udc.

The entire below has a faint "BURNHAM-SOMST" udc, used in March 1848.

Blagdon under Bristol, Blagdon Hill (Blagdon under Taunton)

Confusingly there used to be two different post offices in Somerset called 'Blagdon', one under Bristol and one under Taunton.  The one under Taunton was renamed 'Blagdon Hill' in 1902.

All of these examples are from Blagdon under Bristol, except for the last which is from Blagdon Hill (under Taunton).  The first example is a cover sent from Blagdon to Shaftesbury with a "BLAGDON.SOMT" single ring from May 1865.  One can tell it is from the Blagdon under Bristol because the cover goes via Bristol.

By 1908 the handstamps read "BLAGDON / BRISTOL".

The top cover below was addressed to 'Nr Blagdon, Taunton' in 1921 but was missent to Blagdon under Bristol.

By 1967 Blagdon had a 'Dulwich' handstamp (a double circle double-arc "BLAGDON /BRISTOL" handstamp).

Below is an example of the Blagdon parcel post facsimile handstamp, dated 1974.

This last example shows single ring handstamps for "BLAGDON HILL / TAUNTON" from 1906 and 1908, both from after when the Blagdon under Taunton was renamed in 1902.

A few "B"s

The envelope below, with a Baltonsborough single ring cancel from April 1918, has some nice advertising for everything from Motors & cycles to Bedsteads, Petrol and Mangles.

The registered envelope below is from Blagdon, Bristol (not to be confused with Blagdon Hill under Taunton) in January 1953.

A couple of registered envelopes from Butcombe from 1952 and 1958, the second of which went via Blagdon (Bristol).

And finally a colourful greeting telegram to Butleigh in October 1937.

Barred Numeral Cancels from Offices under Bristol - Blagdon, Burrington

The next series of posts will go through most of the Offices under Bristol which had barred numeral cancels, for those Offices that are in Somerset rather than in Gloucestershire.

First alphabetically comes Blagdon, some 15 miles SSW of Bristol.  It was issued with post office number B26 when it became an RSO in 1861.  Blagdon under Bristol should not be confused with Blagdon under Taunton, which was later renamed Blagdon Hill.

Blagdon had both a 3-bar horizontal oval cancel (3HOS) and a 3-bar vertical oval cancel (3VOS).

Burrington, some 13 miles SSW of Bristol, was also issued with a post office number, B25, when it became an RSO in 1860.

Blagdon UDCs

Below are examples of two different "BLAGDON" UDCs for two different Blagdon's.  The first, issued in May 1848, is for Blagdon under Bristol, some 12 miles south-west of Bristol and 34 miles north-east of Taunton.  The second, issued in June 1848, is for Blagdon under Taunton, some 5 miles south of Taunton.  This latter Blagdon is now called Blagdon Hill (renamed in 1902, presumable to avoid confusion).