Wrong Postcard Rate in 1922

The postcard below dated 3rd May 1922 was only franked at 1d, rather than the 1½d rate that had been in force from 13th June 1921.  The rate reverted to 1d from 29th May 1922.

The postcard has a framed "Inadmissable at .... Rate / 864" cachet with a manuscript "1d" inserted.

This contrasts with the items below which received "Liable to Letter Rate / 864" cachets because the postcards were invalid (material stuck on the front, concertina picture postcard).  The concertina postcard could have been sent at the printed matter rate if there was little or no message written. 

Another Miscellany - Wiveliscombe Druids, Weston-super-mare, Wells

Another miscellany starting with an illustrated envelope from the United Ancient Order of Druids sent from Wiveliscombe to Taunton in 1905.

Here are a couple of items from Weston-super-Mare, firstly a Souvenir Card addressed to Canada in 1932 with a Weston-super-Mare Hey-Dolphin machine cancel ... 

... and secondly a Newspaper wrapper for the Weston-super-Mare Gazette with an unclear postmark, maybe 1937.

Finally an entire from Wells to Chard with a circular mileage mark.  The entire is dated October 1827 inside and requests an annual sum to be sent - apparently a year pension of £1-0-0.

Wells Cross Post 1710

The entire below is dated 11th March, and is believed to be from 1710 (a couple of other examples are known from 1709).  It has a rare "WELLS / X" cross-post handstamp, one of a series used for mail that was going on the Exeter - Bristol route without going via London.

The entire is from the same correspondence as other cross-post letters from  Croscombe to Plymouth.  This letter is asking why the correspondent hasn't had any reply.

Wells Parcel Post 1896-1900

The sheet below has three Parcel Post Labels (PPLs) used at Wells, in 1896, 1897 and 1900.  The top PPL has a large handstruck "3" for the parcel post charge - 3d was the minimum parcel rate, for a 1-2 lb parcel.  The second PPL has a triangular "WEJ" handstamp used on telegraphs and "WELLS SOMERSET / M.O & S.B" circular handstamps (Money Order & Savings Bank), while the third PPL has "WELLS / SOMERSET" circular handstmaps.

 

Some mail to / from abroad

Here are a number of covers to or from abroad, starting with one going by airmail from North Curry to Australia in 1946.  Apart from the high franking value of 1/3 there is nothing odd about the cover - though as it was from before the introduction of a general scheme for airmails in January 1947 it's difficult to know what the correct postal rate would have been.

 

This next cover is from Antigua to Wells in 1841.  The letter was charged 1/-.  The contents relate to shipments of sugar.

And finally the letter below was sent to Cyprus Poste Restante from Weston-super-Mare in August 1960 but was not claimed so was returned and was charged based on it being underfranked at 6d rather than 9d.

Wellington and Wells - Money Order Savings Bank cancels

Here are two examples of Money Order & Savings Bank cancels, from Wellington and from Wells.  The first, from Wellington is a postcard from November 1912.

The second, a registered and fragile envelope is from Wells in June 1901.  The blue diagonal lines mean 'Fragile' and that the letter should not be transferred by railway T.P.O. equipment.

Both Wellington and Wells had to have the county name (or an abbreviation) in their cancels, to distinguish from Wellington (Shropshire) and Wells (Norfolk).

Wells 1976-1978 and 2022

A large Post Office like Wells had a number of different handstamps in use at its counters, as shown by this sheet that has six different ones in use in 1976 and 1978.

However by August 2022, the Post Office at Wells was in a portacabin and didn't use a Wells handstamp at all !

The main post office building in Wells was sold in 2021, so the post office moved to the tourist information portacabin at the bus station, then, soon after, it moved to the back of a pet shop.  In July 2022 the owner of the pet shop died so it went back to the cramped portacabin at the bus station (extremely hot in the summer of 2022), using a "CONTINGENCY BRANCH 34" self-inking datestamp rather than a Wells cancel.

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.

A commercial card from Wells in 1895 - Marsh & Adlam Cheese Factors

The card below has been sent from Wells to Birmingham by Marsh & Adlam, English Cheese Factors, Wells in 1895.  They had premises at the Old Passenger Station, Priory Road, Wells.

Earlier examples of "AXBRIDGE" and "WELLS.S / Penny Post" Handstamps, December 1816

The entire below from Axbridge to Crediton in December 1816 bears earlier examples of the "AXBRIDGE" handstamp, SO 20 (previously known from 1818) and the "WELLS.S / Penny Post" handstamp, SO 935 (previously known from 1817).  The Axbridge handstamp is not crisp and clear like I would expect an early example  to look, but it is definitely an example of SO 20 rather than the earlier and shorter SO 15 "AXBRIDGE (I scanned and overlaid examples of both handstamps to check which matched).

The contents appear to be from a land agent to the owner and include a list of disbursements claimed by one of the tenants.

"WELLS-S / 129" Circular Mileage Mark, 1824

 The "WELLS-S / 129" circular mileage mark was known used from 1825 to 1829.  The example below from November 1824 brings the earliest date known forward.

Axbridge in the Wells Penny Post, 1825

A pair of covers from September and December 1825 sent from Axbridge to London, going via the Wells Penny Post.  Axbridge had a boxed "No.5" receiving house handstamp but mainly used the straight-line "AXBRIDGE" handstamp.  It as also receiving house "No.1" in the Cross Penny Post.

Wells letter send Free to Chard 1826 with apparent Franking abuse

 The entire below is from one solicitor, Mr Parfitt of Wells, to another, Mr Clarke of Chard and has been sent Free, which would appear to be an example of Franking abuse.

Wells Penny Post boxed "No.11" going to London in 1842

The envelope below is going via Wells to London in February 1842, bears a reddish boxed “No.11” receiving house handstamp in addition to the Maltese Cross cancel and a “WELLS SOMERSET” circular cancel dated 14^th February 1842.

Where was the boxed “No.11” handstamp used ?

• No boxed “No.11” is recorded for Wells.
• The boxed “No.11” in the Bristol Penny Post was in use at Bedminster. Post from there to London would not go via Wells.
• A boxed “No.11” is recorded in the Bath Penny Post; this is thought to have been used at Doynton in Gloucestershire. Again, post from there to London would not go via Wells.
• A boxed “No.11” is known used in the Cross Penny Post, probably at Hutton.
• No boxed “No.11” is recorded used in the Bridgwater Penny Post, only an unboxed “No.11” used at Burrowbridge in 1839. As boxed handstamps pre-dated unboxed ones, it is unlikely that a boxed “No.11” was in use there in 1842.
• A boxed “No.11” was in use at Creech St Michael in the Taunton Penny Post. As Creech St Michael is under 4 miles east of Taunton, mail from there would almost certainly go via Taunton. The handstamp used at Creech St Michael also has larger serifs than the minimal ones visible above.

The most likely candidate would therefore appear to be the boxed “No.11” used in the Cross Penny Post, probably at Hutton.

Albino "WELLS" handstamp, 1721

The entire below, from Wells to London, has an albino "WELLS" handstamp on the reverse, known in use 1716-1722.

Extended date for "WELLS-S / 129" Handstamp (SO 917)

The "WELLS-S / 129" handstamp was known in use from 1802-1808.  The partial example below extends the usage to 1810, with the replacement "WELLS / 129" handstamp known from 1811.

Axbridge in the Wells and Cross Penny Posts

Here are two examples of post from Axbridge, the first in 1827 is in the Wells Penny Post, and the second in 1832 is in the Cross Penny Post.

 

The Cross Penny Post came into being in 1827 as a result of the establishment of a mail coach from Bristol to Bridg(e)water.  Cross took over receiving houses from Bristol (Hutton, Uphill, Weston and Worle) and from Wells (Axbridge and Cheddar).

Wells to Tunbridge Wells in 1758

The entire below was sent from Wells, Somerset to Tunbridge Wells, Kent in 1758.  As it was addressed to "The Right Reverend The Lord Bishop of Bath & Wells" it went free in the General Post, and has been marked "P" for Privilege to indicate that no postage charge was due.

The "WELLS" handstamp is crisp and clean and matches SO 893 (30x6 mm, previously known 1759-1766), an example of which from 1765 is shown below.

This extends the usage earlier by one year.  SO 889 (31x7 mm) is known used 1754-1758, but unfortunately I don't have an example to compare with.

Milverton and Wells mileage marks

Two recent acquisitions, a very clean "MILVERTON / 172" mileage mark from April 1806 (soon after its issue), and a "WELLS.S / 129" mileage mark from May 1820 franked by the Bishop of Bath and Wells.

Wells Registered Letter, 1849, 6d in cash

Registration was introduced in 1841 with a fee of 1s which had to be paid in cash.  On 28th March 1848 the registration fee was reduced to 6d, still required to be paid in cash.  From June 1850 Postmasters were instructed to affix stamps to letters to denote the paid Registration Fee.