Portishead Parish Magazine, May 1875

The following have been scanned from a copy of the Portishead Parish Magazine of May 1875, concentrating on some social history aspects (as opposed to the religious contents).

The inside covers and back cover bear a number of advertisements.

It is good to see that Mr Helyar, surgeon dentist of College Green, Bristol employed anaesthetics for the painless extraction of teeth.

For those of an enquiring disposition, a "Millpuff" mattress (bottom of the middle page above) is a mattress stuffed with 'millpuff'', which is a coarse type of wool 'flock' (reference found on the Old Manuscripts blog along with a very interesting explanation).

Apart from the advertisements, the other thing that caught my eye was the updates to the Parish Register (Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials).  Six of the deaths were children out of fifteen deaths in total.

 

Foreign mail from Portishead, and one to Bath

The envelope below went from Portishead to Geneva in July 1852 and has nice clear "PORTISHEAD" udc in blue.  I do not know why it was charged 1/4d rather than 1/5d.

The next cover is from Portishead to Ceylon sent in August 1865, with a "PORTISHEAD" single ring dated mark on the reverse.

The Portishead single ring is known used from 1862 to 1937;  here is another example from 1871 going to Bath.

Portishead and Highbridge

First a double circle double-arc "PORTISHEAD / BRISTOL" cancel from 1936, although the circles are not clear.  The envelope was addressed to "The Hospital, Amsterdam" but the addressee was not found so it was returned to Portishead.

Next a Field Post Office registered envelope to Portishead with a "PORTISHEAD / BRISTOL" single ring receiving mark from 1946.  The sender was in Schleswig Holstein.

And finally a BT Maritime Radiotelex envelope from Portishead Radio, Highbridge, with a "HIGHBRIDGE / SOMERSET" meter mark from 1989.

Portishead Sub-Offices: Port Marine, Redcliff Bay, West Hill

This post is on the subject of Portishead sub-offices, but first here are some postcards with views of Portishead.

Portishead has had three sub-offices; Port Marine opened in 2012.  The certificate of posting below has a Port Marine self-inking datestamp (SID) from 2013.

The Redcliff Bay sub-office opened in 1930 and closed in 2005.  The registered cover below is to Canada in 1937.

The certificate of posting below has a Redcliff Bay Portishead SID from 2002.

The West Hill sub-office opened in 1900 and closed in 1916.  It reopened in 1929 and closed in 2005.  The parcel post below has a West Hill Portishead Bristol double circle double-arc ('Dulwich') handstamp from 1964.

Skeletons (4) - Portishead, Street, Watchet.

This skeleton from Portishead is currently the latest known example, dated 18th June 1918.

Here is an example of the "STREET SO / SOMERSET" skeleton, known from June to August 1907.

And an example of the "WATCHET / TAUNTON" skeleton from 26th May 1923, the first day of its known usage.

First Day Cover 10th May 1937

A Registered envelope from Redcliff Bay, Portishead dated 10th May 1937, the first day of issue of the GVI definitives on the envelope.

The Somerset Coast ... in Postcards and Postmarks

This and the following few posts illustrate the Somerset Coast in postcards, ideally with the appropriate postmarks too.  Firstly a map ...

 I've started with Avonmouth, not in Somerset, but the postcard is a fine photograph of the docks.

 Then starting in Somerset proper are a couple of cards from Portishead.