Porlock skeleton, 1926

I have recently acquired this copy of the "PORLOCK / TAUNTON SOMT" skeleton, used on 11th May 1925 at the end of the known period of use.

When I measure it, I find a diameter of 29mm rather than the 30mm in "Skeleton Postmarks of England & Wales", originally by James Mackay but now maintained by Patrick Awcock.  I've raised this with Patrick and will see what he says.  Here is an enlarged and cleaned up image of the cancel above. 

Miscellany: Porlock, Staplegrove, Wells

Another random mixture starting with a registered cover from Porlock in December 1854 with "PORLOCK / MINEHEAD SOMERSET" single ring cancels.  Nothing very special about this cover other than it extended the date of usage in my draft Catalogue of Somerset Postal History.

Staplegrove is a Town Sub-Office of Taunton, but at the time of the card below (1904) it was a rural post office, becoming a TSO in 1938.

The envelope below would have been prepaid in the USA but being posted in the UK needed to be franked.  It was from the Mendip Hospital and has an English student number written on the front.

It is franked with three QEII 1/- Wilding stamps - I haven't managed to match this with the postal rates yet (help gratefully received).  The overseas Registration rate appears to have been 1/9d from 1st July 1963, leaving 1/3d for the postage.  There is no indication that it went Air Mail so using the surface rate from 1st October 1957 that matches a 9oz letter to an Empire destination.  If the letter was overfranked it could match  a 3oz Foreign letter at 1/2d.

UDCs: Porlock, Stogumber, West Quantoxhead, Wrantage

A few more UDCs, starting with one from Porlock in September 1851.  The Porlock UDC was issued in September 1845 under Taunton, and the example below is currently the only recorded example.

The UDC below from Stogumber in December 1846 is rather faint - it has been labelled as yellow but I think it may have been red.  Determining colours is always tricky and rather depends on the lighting and on how the postmark has aged.

The West Quantoxhead UDC below is definitely in red and is dated April 1856.  The UDC was issued on September 1851 under Bridgwater.  One example in black is known in October 1851 and one example in red (this cover).

And finally an UDC from Wrantage used in January 1859, currently the latest recorded example.  The UDC was issued in June 1852 under Taunton.

A selection of Postcards with Postage Due for different reasons, from Bridgwater, Porlock and Taunton

All the postcards below incurred postage due for different reasons (two which had the same reason are displayed together).

The postcard below from Bridgwater to Ilminster in June 1921 has a large 1d postage due mark and postage due stamps.  The 1d postage due mark is currently known used from 1903.  The Postcard Rate increased 10 days before the postcard was posted so the postcard was insufficiently franked.

The next postcard is from Porlock in 1930 and was posted without a stamp.  It has 2d charge marks from both Dunster and Taunton and a postage due stamp.

The next two postcards, sent in March 1905 to the same addressee from Taunton, both had glitter on the picture side (not allowed at Postcard rate, only at Letter rate).

The final postcard, sent from Taunton in 1930, incurred postage due because the postcard was a novelty one with an opening with pictures and had more than 5 words of message.  This meant that it needed to be paid for as a Letter rather than Printed Matter (which was the same rate as Postcards).

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.

The Somerset Coast ... Minehead and Porlock

And finally one gets to Minehead and Porlock.