A few more Bristol Special Event cancels from 1978-1985

Here are a few more event cancels starting with one for Lewis's Department Store (not John Lewis) in 1978

As part of the celebrations of the two hundred year anniversary of the first Mail Coache in 1784, Interlink had a special cancel in 1984.

The Red Maids' School in Westbury on Trym commemorated their 350 year anniversary in 1984.

    

 In June 1985 there was a special Event cancel commemorating the Plimsoll Line ....

... and also GWR celebrated 150 years in 1985.

 

Some Bristol Special Event Cancellations from 1973-1976

Here are a few Bristol special event cancellations, starting with one celebrating W.G. Grace used in 1973.

The cancel below was used in 1974 for a Fire Brigade Open Day.

The Methodist Conference in Bristol in 1974 also had a special cancel - it was at this conference that women first became Methodist presbyters.

HMS Bristol was awarded the freedom of the city of Bristol in 1974 ...

.... and Bristol City had a special cancel in 1976 when they were promoted to Division 1 after a gap of 65 years.

 

Milverton - 1827 and 1841

The entire below has a straight line "MILVERTON" that is probably the "MILVERTON / 172" boxed mileage mark, with the mileage not showing.  It is dated July 1827 inside.  As the mileage mark is known used until 1833, it is probably just a bad strike of the handstamp.

The part entire below is part of a return from Milverton to Taunton concerning Lunatics, sent in September 1841. 

"TOO LATE" from Bristol in 1827

The entire below was written by Rev. John Rees Mogg at Cholwell House but was posted too late to make the mail, hence the "TOO LATE" handstamp.  The letter would probably have gone to Cardiff via the ferry at Aust.

 

Yet more Registered envelopes - Radstock, Rowbarton, Stoke St Michael, Stratton on the Fosse, Winscombe

Yet more Registered envelopes, starting with one from Radstock to Wellington in August 1912 with a large unattributed registration etiquette with a violet "RADSTOCK" handstamp.

Next is a registered envelope from Rowbarton, Taunton to London in December 1939 with a "TAUNTON 1" registration etiquette.

Back to registered letters to the Rating Officer, Shepton Mallet, this one is from Stoke St Michael in July 1940 ....

.... and another from Stratton on the Fosse in January 1938.

Finally a registered envelope from Winscombe to Bridgwater in September 1918.

 

Some random Registered covers - Midsomer Norton, Musgrove, North Cadbury, Oakhill, Parbrook, Pilton

Here are some random Registered covers, starting with one from Midsomer Norton in July 1949 to the Ratings Officer at Shepton Mallet.

This OHMS cover from Musgrove, Taunton in April 1960 contained a strychnine permit from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Another registered envelope to the Rating Officer, Shepton Mallet, this time from North Cadbury in December 1937 ....

... and another from Oakhill in January 1939 ....

... and from Parbrook in December 1940 ....

... and one from Pilton in January 1940.

 

Yet another Taunton Miscellany

Yet another Taunton miscallany, starting with a letter from London to Taunton Castle in 1699 which bears a large "S" London receiver mark.

Zipping ahead 260 years, the reused envelope below was sent to the Regimental Paymaster at Nuffield Camp, Taunton in May 1960, with a violet "REGIMENTAL PAY OFFICE / TAUNTON / Infantry Southern Command" receipt mark.

The faded letter below explains why the FDC has had the date crossed out in June 1967.

The commercial envelope below from May 1968 is for the Somerset County Gazette.

And finally a Post Office Redirection Form franked with £13 and cancelled with "TAUNTON SOMERSET" self-inking datestamps in March 1999.

 

Postal Stationery 1913-1919

Here are a few examples of George V postal stationery, starting with a Post Card from 1917 and then three Letter Cards from 1913, 1918 and 1919.

 

Harry and Ewart Hebditch, Martock Poultry Farmers

Harry and Ewart Hebditch were poultry farmers in Martock, expanding their business into selling poultry housing.  This first invoice is from Harry Hebditch in September 1915.

In December 1917 the commercial envelope was in use, postmarked Christmas Eve.

The commercial envelope below was from Ewart Hebditch in 1958, advertising "Trapnesting".

Forestry Commission cachet, 1940

The OHMS registered envelope below was sent from Alma Vale, Bristol to the Forestry Commission, Exeter in November 1940 and received a Forestry Commission cachet, either on despatch in Bristol or on receipt in Exeter.

As was common during WW II, the envelope was reused, with an address label stuck on the front.  Below is another OHMS envelope from March 1946 with a blurred Forestry Commission cachet.  The page also shows an image of handstamps from a ledger of essays and specimens of certifying handstamps for British official mail.

FORESTRY COMMISSION

Before 1919, Britain had no State forest policy in any accepted sense of the term.  Previous action in relation to woodland had been taken ad hoc in relation to specific problems arising in relation to the Crown forests or to the provision of oak for naval purposes.  When this requirement petered out, the country reverted to a laissez faire policy encouraged by a vista of apparently infinite cheap imports from overseas.  The necessities of the 1914-18 war drew the Government's attention to the danger of undue reliance on timber imports.  Following a report by the Acland Committee, and Interim Forest Authority was set up in 1918 and a Forestry Bill passed in 1919.  This Act established the Forestry Commission and gave it wide powers to acquire and plant land, promote timber supply and forest industries, undertake education and research, make grants and give advice to woodland owners.  For Great Britain, the long-term target was to bring into production all the then felled and devastated land in addition, to increase the conifer woodland area by approximately 720,000 ha to an overall total of 1,930,000 ha.

 

Since its inception, the Forestry Commission has been the main driving force in the UK behind forestry refurbishment and expansion in the twentieth Century.  Its programme of afforestation coupled with effective staff training and a programme of applied research has given it a standing of international renown.  The target identified initially by Acland and renewed in 1943 of 5 million acres (ie. 2 million ha) of productive forest by the end of the century was achieved with a few years in hand.  There was only a small net change in the gross woodland area of Great Britain in between 1913 and 1939.  Since then however, the total area has nearly doubled.  The net area of privately owned woodland did not increase however until after 1965.  What increases in woodland area there were until 1965 can be attributed to the activities of the Forestry Commission - the State forest service.  The handstamps for the Interim Forest Authority (1919) and the Forestry Commission (1920, 1926, 1944 and 1947) are from a ledger of essays and specimens of certifying handstamps for British official mail (1901-1964).