Climax Rubber Handstamps - overview

Climax Rubber Date-Stamps were first issued in 1885 to small post offices that were not Money-Order Offices, to date-stamp the recently introduced postal orders.  Later, they were also used by these offices to date-stamp Parcel Post labels and ordinary mail.  Although much cheaper than steel hand-stamps they were very much less durable, and from about 1916 they were gradually replaced by the more economic steel hand-stamps.

From their introduction in 1885, the rubber datestamps were necessarily used with a special violet water-based ink, because the normal post office black ink contained oil that would damage the rubber.   In December 1910 a new black ink suitable for rubber handstamps was introduced.  Because of this, a Post Office Circular of 20^th June 1911 now permitted the cancellation of stamps with the Climax datestamps at non-Money Order Offices - a practice that had actually been in operation for about seven years.  The Circular still expected a Head Office transit stamp to be added - a practice that had been abandoned for many years, and an instruction that continued to be ignored.  Violet ink was banned from November 1912.

The particular characteristic of a Climax datestamp is that the month is always expressed as three letters, followed by a full stop. This distinguishes them from any 28 mm. steel skeleton handstamps.

There are three main types of Climax datestamp, the first of which comes in three varieties.

• Type Ia - Village name only, with long names split between top and bottom.  This Type was issued only in the first two years - a total of 27 handstamps from 26 post offices (Butleigh had two) - plus one which appears to have been issued to Catcott in 1912.

• Type Ib - Village + Head Office only.

• Type Ic - Village + Head Office + County.

• Type II - Inscription in three lines.

• Type III - Rubber Skeletons.  When a Climax rubber datestamp needed repair, the office was supplied with a 'skeleton' handstamp. From late 1905 until 1916, this was of a special kind with slots for loose rubber type. Impressions are generally very poor. Before and after this period, steel skeleton handstamps were supplied.  

How many different handstamps of this type were used in Somerset ?  The Somerset & Dorset Postal History Group has catalogued approximately 630, so allowing for ones not yet found there are probably 700-750 different handstamps.  A catalogue of these handstamps is available from the society website for download by S&DPHG members.

The next posts will illustrate these handstamps, grouped together by issuing head office.  The handstamps are not the most exciting but do extend the breadth of Offices covered quite considerably.  A number of the handstamps do not appear in the Proof books so just have known dates of usage which are often extended as new examples of a handstamp come to light.

Avonmouth, Bristol and Thorncombe, Dorset

Here are a couple of cancels from Avonmouth, Bristol - Avonmouth being just north of the River Avon does not fall into my definition of Somerset but here are the cancels anyway !

Thorncombe in Dorset is obviously also not in Somerset but the cancel is for "THORNCOMBE / CHARD.SOMERSET" so does fall within my definition of Somerset.

Chard and Congresbury Skeletons

Two examples of the "CHARD" skeleton from 1920.

And two examples of the "CONGRESBURY / BRISTOL" skeleton from 1905.

Bridg(e)water, Crewkerne, Dulverton, Taunton

A few not too exciting entires, firstly a "Bridgewater / Penny Post" handstamp with a manuscript "To Late" [sic] inscription on the front, from 1833.

Another example of the "No.1" Receiving House handstamp from Beaminster in the Crewkerne Penny Post, from 1834.

An undated example of the "DULVERTON" double-arc undated handstamp which has to come from 1830-39:

And finally a nice example of the "TAUNTON" dated circular handstamp with the mileage erased from 1829.

Bristol

Some more recent acquisitions, this time from Bristol starting with a straight line handstamp from 1782 with a bishop mark and charged double rate.

Next an entire with a single-arc "BRISTOL" handstamp and an unframed "TOO LATE" handstamp from 1831.

Here's another example of the "Redland / PennyPost" handstamp, this time from 1849.

And finally a skeleton from St George, Bristol (not to be confused with St George's Somerset) from 1925.

Wells

Three items associated with Wells, firstly an entire from 1844 with a boxed "No.3" Receiving House handstamp which was from Banwell.

Then two examples of the "BANWELL / S O" skeleton handstamp from 1920.

And finally a postal stationary letter postmarked "P.O.W. CAMP / GREAT BRITAIN / NO.107" which was located at Wookey Hole Road, Wells.

Bristol Postage Due Handstamps and Other Cachets

Here are a few Postage Due and other cachets from Bristol (Post Office number 134), starting with an envelope with a ½^d stamp cancelled with a "BRISTOL" continuous machine cancel, with a triangular "134" handstamp (an inspector's mark ?) and a framed "1^D / TO PAY / LIABLE TO LETTER RATE" cachet.

Next here is a postcard with a black "1D/134" handstamp from December 1921.  This was because between 13th June 1921 and 29th May 1922 the Postcard rate went up to 1½^d from 1^d.

Next an example of a red "1^D / TO PAY / 134" handstamp - the postcard was posted without a stamp but was only marked as 1d to pay so appears to have been treated as Printed Matter (the rate was ½^d for up to 2 oz. from 1923 to 1940, so would be double rate or 1d postage due) despite the writing on the back.

Then an envelope with a red "2D/134" handstamp and a red framed "More to pay / above ____ oz / 134" cachet.

And finally an envelope that was underfranked with a cachet from Reading where it was posted, but then when it got to Bristol it received a framed "Not to be Found / 134" cachet and a boxed "UNDELIVERED FOR REASON STATED / RETURN TO SENDER" cachet.  One wonders if the recipient, Plymouth Philatelic Auctions, refused to accept the letter and pay the Postage Due ?

A Newspaper posted to Pensford in 1877

Below are images of the front and back of  a page of "The Local Government Chronicle and Knight's Official Advertiser" which was sent to "All Boards of Guardians and Sanitary Authorities" which was published weekly.  As stated on the front cover this had been "Registered at the General Post Office as a Newspaper".

From 1870 each copy of a periodical registered as a newspaper with the Post Office could be sent at a special rate (initially this was regardless of weight).  From 1870 to 1915 this rate was ½d each - but this posting of a registered newspaper for some reason did not take advantage of the rate, being franked with a 1d stamp.

The front bears a 1d red plate 189 cancelled with a "BRISTOL / 134" 4-bar vertical oval duplex cancel dated 14th February 1877, with a single ring "PENSFORD" cancel also dated 14th February but with no year visible.

As can be seen and as was normal for newspapers of the time, the front consists of commercial advertisements aimed at the target audience of sanitary engineers and guardians who managed the workhouses or poor houses.  The reverse of the page has "official" advertisements for Medical Officers, Schoolmistresses, Nurses and other posts associated with the workhouses.

See here for the Wikipedia article on Workhouses.

Shepton Mallet

In November last year I posted about the Shepton Mallet / 135 handstamps here - but unfortunately I did not have an example of the last type, with the spelling corrected and the mileage erased.  I've managed to obtain an example at last (the handstamp is only known used in 1830) and here it is.  One can clearly see the line from below where the mileage was.

New Year Miscellany: Chard, Dulverton, Highbridge, Somerton, Wellington

A Miscellany of items for the New Year, in alphabetical order starting with a Chard mileage mark from 1829 with a crossed-out inspector's mark and charge correction.

An item from Dulverton to Mr Hancock (the solicitor) near Wiveliscombe with a Tiverton Penny Post handstamp.

An Airgraph sent to Highbridge for Christmas 1944.

A rather messy entire from Somerton to Yeovil with a blurred Maltese Cross and a blurred double-arc dated handstamp from 1841.

And finally a Wellington two-bar vertical oval obliterator, not in Parmenter, used to cancel a wrapper that was probably sent to Weston-super-Mare as Printed Matter.