Somerset & Bristol Postal History

The boxed "No.3" receiving house handstamp was used at Walcot/Grosvenor.  The first recorded use was in 1816, it is then known from 1823 to 1830, and finally in 1840.  It may have been in continuouse use through this period but not too many examples are known.

The entire below is from 17 Beaufort Buildings to Westminster in May 1830.

Some more bits of Bath starting with a fairly early boxed No.3 receiving house handstamp from June 1816.  The boxed "No.3" handstamp was in use at Walcot.

This next part entire has a 3-line Bath Penny Post handstamp with just the year, 1837 (no day, month),  as the date.  I've only found such handstamps from 1837.

Here is another Bath Penny Post item, from December 1837 with an unboxed "No.1" receiving house handstamp.  The address inside of "Chatley near Beckington" reinforces the assignment of the "No.1" handstamp to either Beckington or to Norton St Philip 3 miles to its north.  Chatley is actually closer to Norton St Philip than to Beckington and Norton St Philip has the "No.1" receiving house handstamp in the Frome Penny Post.  Unfortunately I don't have an example of the "No.1" handstamp in the Frome Penny Post to compare.

Next a couple of fairly ordinary Bath double arc handstamps, code C, from 1840.

And finally a 1d pink envelope from 1850 with a black "HARLEY-ST" handstamp on the reverse.  A "HARLEY.ST / BATH" two line handstamp had already been in use, known from 1842 to 1850 in black, 1851-1852 in blue and 1853 in yellow, so the usage of the handstamps appears to overlap.