Mail from Thorncombe via Chard to Milan, 1831

The entire below was sent from Sadborow Hall, Thorncombe to Milan in May 1831, taking 12 days to arrive.  It first went in the Chard Penny Post (Thorncombe had the "No.1" receiving house handstamp), then in the General Post to London and then via France to Italy.

It was prepaid 2/8d postage which takes a little deciphering.  First there is a charge of 1d for the Chard Penny Post, then a charge of 10d for the around 142 miles from Chard to London.  The charge to Italy via France was 1/1d with a reduction of 2d on the charge from Chard to London, making a total of 2/8d, which is what is marked on the entire (1d + 10d -2d + 1/11d = 2/8d).

To explain the 2d reduction, in January 1817 there was a GPO Notice to All Postmasters "Postmasters are to add to the rates on Foreign Letters made up in London a sum of 2d less than the inland rate from their offices.  On letters sent to Falmouth ... a sum of 1d less than the inland charge".
 

Chard or Bath "MORE TO PAY / OVER OZ" cover from 1865

The cover below is addressed to Shaftesbury with an indistinct barred numeral cancel, a "MORE TO PAY / OVER ½ OZ" cachet, and a manuscript charge of "2d" with initials.

 On the reverse the envelope has single ring handstamps from Chard (April 4th 1865), Bath (April 5th 1865) and Shaftesbury (April 5th 1865).

Based on the backstamps, it would appear that the envelope originated in Chard, and went to Shaftesbury via Bath.   

Question 1:  Why would the envelope go via Bath, rather than the direct route via Yeovil and Sherborne ?

Question 2:  Where was the "MORE TO PAY / OVER   OZ" cachet applied ?

No such cachet is yet recorded used at Chard, but a very similar cachet was issued to Bath on the 20th September 1855, with a proof in the Steel Impression Book.  This cachet has been recorded in use from 1857 to 1861.  This example matches well with other examples.

Normally one would expect a More-To-Pay cachet to be applied at the originating Post Office, so at Chard.

However if the envelope was misrouted to Bath, it is likely that the envelope was examined while it was being re-sorted and found to be overweight;  in this case the More-To-Pay cachet could reasonably originate in Bath.

My conclusion:  The envelope probably went via Bath because it was mis-sorted at Chard and put in the wrong bag.  It is then probable that the envelope was picked out at Bath when it was re-sorted and the More-To-Pay cachet applied there.

Chard Miscellany

Here are a number of items to or from Chard, starting with an entire dated August 1822 from Jersey with a very nice "JERSEY" scroll handstamp.

The next item is from April 1859 being an entire from Chard to Little Winsor then redirected to Misterton.

Thirdly here is a registered item from the Chard Agricultural Show in 1960, with Mobile Post Office cancels and a Chard registration etiquette.

Lastly is an unused pre-addressed envelope for immediate despatch to the Chard & Ilminster, Somerset, Dorset & Devon Advertiser.  The paper was established in 1874.

Highbridge (1989), Curland (1991), Chard (1997), Staplegrove (2002, 2005) and Shepton Beauchamp (2008)

A miscellany of items to clear the decks for Christmas, starting with a large registered envelope from  Highbridge in April 1989.

The receipt below are certificates of posting for registered letters from Curland in October 1991.

The unfranked letter below, to Chard, was charged a handling fee on top of the deficient fee in June 1997 - in this case it made no difference to the amount to pay.

As I've said below, it is quite difficult to get cancels from town sub-offices:  here are a couple from Staplegrove, Taunton in 2002 and 2005.

And finally another Certificate of Posting, this one from Shepton Beauchamp in May 2008.

An assortment - Barrington registered cover, Horton registered cover, Mail to Chard missent to Denmark

An assortment - starting with a couple of philatelic registered covers posted by John Worral of Clover Farm, Shepton Mallet.  The first is from Barrington in September 1973, the second from Horton in November 1975.

The third item is an envelope from Exeter to Chard sent in August 2002 where "SOMERSET" has been misread as Denmark.  The envelope has an interesting marking of "LIVE MAIL" but no indication of where that might have been applied.

Chard "PAID / 1d." mark in red, 1840

The wrapper below from Chard to Wells in February 1840 has been prepaid.  Uniform penny postage came in on 10th January 1840, replacing the uniform 4d post, and letters had to be prepaid 1d or were charged 2d to the addressee.

The wrapper has a manuscript "Pd 1" and a red "PAID / 1d." handstamp; this is currently the only example of this PAID mark known.

Some Cs - Chard, Cheddar, Chedzoy

A few more Cs to be going on with, starting with one from (or associated with) Chard - a philatelic registered envelope from Chard Agricultural Show in 1958 with "MOBILE POST OFFICE No.3 / C" cancels dated July 1958.

Next a First Day Cover from Cheddar in March 1989, with "CHEDDAR / SOMERSET " cancels, and a Bristol registration etiquette.

And lastly a postcard from Chedzoy to Staplegrove, Taunton in September 1926 with a partial "CHEDZOY / BRIDGWATER" 25mm single ring cancel.

Mulready letter sheet from Chard, Too Late in November 1840

The Mulready letter sheet below was sent from Chard to London at the end of November 1840.  The black wax seal on the back indicates that it came from J. Toms of Bridport Bank in Chard.  Unfortunately it was posted too late to catch the mail coach so was handstamped "Too Late" to indicate to the recipient why it had not arrived beforehand [imagine that happening today ?!]

The Chard "Too Late" handstamp has previously only been recorded used in black in 1841 and the "CHARD" double-arc datestamp was also only previously recorded used in black.

Chard 1975: Invalid Postage Stamps

The envelope below from Chard to Honiton was franked with 6½d of pre-decimalisation Wilding stamps rather than 6½p of post-decimalisation stamps.  The Wilding stamps were not cancelled and the envelope incurred 13p postage due, being double the 6½p deficiency.

 

Fourpenny Uniform Post, Bardon near Washford to Chard, December 1839

 The Uniform Fourpenny Post was introduced on 5th December 1839 and lasted until 9th January 1840, when, at popular demand, the Uniform Penny Post was introduced earlier than planned.  Postage stamps (eg. the "Penny Black") were not introduced until the 6th May 1840.

The entire below was posted on 10th December 1839 and was charged 4d, rather than 1d for the Penny Post from Washford to Taunton (the local penny post that existed prior to 1840) plus 5d for Taunton to Chard in the General Post.

Chard 1841 Guardians of the Chard Union

 Here is an envelope sent within Chard in 1841 to the Overseer of the Chard Parish with a nice seal of  The Guardians of the Chard Union in the Counties of Somerset Dorset & Devon.

"144 CHARD" Mileage Mark

One of the early mileage marks that I missed out in my earlier posts is the "144 CHARD" mark.  I have now managed to acquire a copy, which can be seen below.  The mark is only known used in 1786.

Chard mileage mark from 1810

The entire below has a "CHARD / 142" mileage mark, 24x10mm, used in 1810.  This is an example of SO 349, earlier than the previously known examples from 1812-1822.  The handstamp looks fairly clean so is probably near the start of its life.

Missent to Crewkerne in 1829, Chard Penny Post in 1828

The entire below from December 1829 was addressed to "Winsham, near Crewkern".  It went to Crewkerne and received a manuscript "Misdirected to" with a "CREWKERNE" mileage erased handstamp.  Winsham came under Chard rather than Crewkerne.

A little bit earlier, in June 1828, the entire below came from Thorncombe in Dorset to Chard in the Chard Penny Post.

"C", "D" and "E" (Chard, Crewkerne, Dulverton, East Twerton)

A couple of "C"s starting with a penny pink envelope that could not be delivered in Chard in March 1865.

This next registered envelope, from Crewkerne in April 1918, also could not be delivered, and was returned back to Parr's Bank (just before it was taken over by the London County and Westminster Bank).

From Dulverton in 1885 the item below is a Game Licence.

And finally from East Twerton in February 1923 is a registered cover with a blank registration etiquette filled in by hand with the sub-office number for East Twerton ("12").

Miscellany - Burnham, Chard, Chilthorne Domer, Radstock, Twerton, Walton !

Herewith a miscellany of acquired items, starting with a colourful envelope from the Burnham Gas Company, sent in August 1930.

The next item is a Parcel Label with undated "CHARD" target cancels from c.1887-1897.

... a "CHILTHORNE DOMER / YEOVIL" climax rubber cancel from September 1912, currently known in use from this date to August 1914.

Going back to the heating theme, here are a couple of advertising meter marks from the Coal Board from 1960-61.

... a Post Office receipt with a "TWERTON-ON-AVON" datestamp from August 1885 ...

... and finally a non-postal receipt for money from the Somerset Floods Relief Fund from Walton in 1892.

Selection of Skeletons

Here are a random selection of Skeletons (should that be a "rattle" of skeletons ?) that I have recently acquired, starting with Burnham from November 1916 ...

... Chard from January 1925 ...

 ... Shepton Mallet from August 1916 ...

... Street and Glastonbury (two skeletons for the price of one !) from December 1921 ...

... Trull from June 1909 ...

... Uphill from March 1913 ...

... and Wincanton from March 1920.

Chard, Frome, Martock

This fairly common "CHARD / 142" handstamp from 1817 has some interesting comments, being instructions to book "a place in the Maid to Chard, no other Coach passes through Chard", with the writer saying that he would meet the coach at "Windowhistle" (now Windwhistle) "if the weather be fine and the lanes passable".

Two examples of another fairly common handstamp, the "FROME / 115" handstamp, from 1825 and 1826.  The first example appears to have been posted on Christmas Day.

And finally two examples of the undated circular "MARTOCK / 126" handstamp, from 1826 and 1827.