North Petherton, Porlock, Timsbury, Walton

More random postmarks for the Somerset PH Catalogue - starting with two different postmarks from North Petherton in the 1960s.

Porlock used the postmark below for at least 1959 to 1972 (if you've got an example outside this date range do let me know).

The only postmarks I had for Timsbury were small Edwardian single rings and an UDC.

It looks as if Walton used the same postmark from 1944 to 1975 - it's looking degraded by 1975.

Entire from North Petherton to Somerton, missent to Glastonbury

The entire below was from North Petherton, which was in the Bridg(e)water Penny Post from 1834 but did not appear to have a Receiving House handstamp.  A partial and very faint North Petherton UDC may just be seen on the front.

The entire was missent to Glastonbury as can be seen from the manuscript on the front.

Setting the Cider Price, 1930

The envelope below has a fairly poor "NORTH PETHERTON / BRIDGWATER" double circle double-arc cancel dated October 1930. 

What makes this item interesting are the contents - a letter from "a Meeting of Brewers and Cider Makers interested in the sale of draught cider throughout the South and West of Somerset" which resolved that the minimum price of 1/6d per gallon should be charged - something that would be illegal today I believe !

North and South Petherton (again)

I've referred a couple of previous times about North and South Petherton not being physically adjacent - here is an envelope which went to both North and South Petherton in 1849 and did not find its addressee, a Major Kingdon.

Unfortunately the stamp has been removed (or fallen off).  The envelope appears to be from Exeter but the address on the envelope could be either North or South Petherton.

The post office decided to try North Petherton first and sent it via Bridgwater, North Petherton's post town, on 22nd July 1849.  Major Kingdon was not known at North Petherton (manuscript "Not Known at North Petherton" in red), going back via Bridgwater where it received a faint blue-grey "BRIDGEWATER / 8" skeleton cancel dated 23rd July 1849.

The post office then tried South Petherton, going via Ilminster, South Petherton's post town.  Major Kingdon was not known there (manuscript "Unknown at" with South Petherton double arc handstamp dated 25th July) and the envelope then appears to have gone back to Bridgwater where it received a "BRIDGWATER / 5" skeleton cancel on 6th August 1849.

The Bridgwater handstamps on the reverse of the envelope are very hard to distinguish; here is an image of the reverse of the envelope, the first Bridgwater handstamp being below the Exeter handstamp, the second, skeleton handstamp having the "8" by the final "E" of "EXETER", and the third, skeleton handstamp being overlaid by the Exeter mark.

Here is a larger image of the "BRIDGWATER / 8" skeleton, with a date of 23rd July 1849.  The "8" is by the final "E" of the Exeter handstamp.

Here is a larger image of the "BRIDGWATER / 5" skeleton, showing a date of 6th August 1849.

On 8th August 1849 a "recut" "BRIDGEWATER" double-arc dated handstamp was registered in the Steel Impressions Book, marking the likely end of use of the skeleton.

Bridg(e)water, North Petherton

Three sheets from Bridgwater, starting with the "BRIDGEWATER / 150" undated circular mileage handstamp with examples from 1826 and 1827.

Here is another example from 1826, the contents being an account from an ironmonger.

North Petherton was a Receiving House in the Bridgewater Penny Post from 1834.  No special Receiving House handstamp is known, a "NORTH-PETHERTON" undated circular handstamp being used instead.

North and South Petherton

North and South Petherton in Somerset are not adjacent - South Petherton is some 18 miles south-west of North Petherton.

Here are two examples of the "NORTH-PETHERTON" circular undated handstamp, from 1798 and from 1846, being from the first and last years of the handstamp's known use.

Here is an example of the "SOUTH-PETHERTON" circular dated handstamp from 1839.

North Petherton "excessive" local delivery charge in 1804

The entire illustrated below (courtesy of mozzerb from Stampboards) is from Dorchester to North Petherton from 1804, dated 17th November 1804 in manuscript inside.  It has a "DORCHESTER / 123" handstamp (52x12 mm, DT 218, in use 1805-10 according to the British County Catalogue so this is an early usage) and a manuscript "1/-" for postage.

Dorchester to Bridgwater (which was North Petherton's Post Town) is approximately 55 miles so the postal rate in the General Post would have been 6d (for 50-80 mile) - as this had an enclosure it would have been charged double rate or 1/-.

On the reverse is another manuscript mark which appears to be "1/3".  This may well be the total charge to the recipient including a local delivery charge of 3d. on top of the 1/- General Post charge.  There is some documentary evidence that either the Bridgwater Postmaster or a local carrier charged this sort of amount as evidenced by a visit of the Surveyor to the area in April 1834 following complaints of the lack of a Penny Post. He submitted a report recommending the establishment of a Penny Post walk to North Petherton, to include the hamlets of Hamp, Huntworth, Moorland, North Newton, St. Michael Church, Thurloxton, Binford, Boomer, and Road. In supporting the recommendation, Francis Freeling wrote to the P.M.G., 'I presume your Grace will authorize his proposition, which will release the inhabitants from the excessive charges of 3d. and 4d. on their letters ..... '.

If this manuscript "1/3" is the total charge including the unofficial local delivery then that might explain why the "1/-" on the front is not crossed out.

North Petherton

North Petherton and South Petherton in the county of Somerset are not adjacent, being about 20 miles apart by road:

According to Wikipedia (!), "North Petherton" may be derived from the area's location to the north side of the River Parrett, from the Latin Paradæ 'barge' and from the Old English nor tun.  "South Petherton" may come from the Old English word Pared meaning boundary and the Saxon word ton meaning settlement, forming ’Paredton’, with Sudperetone being the southern tun on the river Parrett (shown below).

Here is an entire sent in 1812 from Bristol to North Petherton and then redirected to London.

The entire has a manuscript "7" crossed out (Bristol to North Petherton is about 36 miles which would have cost 7d between 1812 and December 1839) and a manuscript "11" for the final charge of 11d for the total of 186 miles from Bristol to North Petherton to London.  The reverse has a red "BRISTOL / 122" handstamp that was only in use from 1812 to 1813.