The History of the Postmarks of the British Isles from 1840 to 1876

204 Pages·2009·6.29 MB·English

by  Hendy, John G

CORNELL
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
THIS BOOK IS ONE OF A
COLLECTION MADE BY
BENNO LOEWY
1854-1919
AND BEQUEATHED TO
CORNELL tJNIVERSITY
Cornell University Library
HE6185.G78 H492
+
The history of the postmarks of the Brit
3 1924 030 133 536
olin Overs
Cornell University
K
Library
'/-"//
"•^y.
The original of tiiis book is in
tine Cornell University Library.
There are no known copyright restrictions in
the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030133536
tCbe IDistor^ of tbe
POSTMARKS
OF THE
British Isles
From 1840 to 1876
compiled chiefly from official records
BY
The late JOHN G. HENDY
CURATOR OF THE RECORD ROOM, GENERAL POST OFFICE
Alsopublishedasa Supplementto "GibbonsStamp Weekly"from March6 to Aupisl 14, igog
LONDON
STANLEY GIBBONS, LIMITED
391 STRAND, W.C.
NEW YORK
STANLEY GIBBONS,
Inc.
BROADWAY
rgS
1909

CONTENTS
Page
Preface
. . . . . ..8i
Introduction
. .
LONDON CHIEF OFFICE
...
CHAPTER
I
-14
Inland Office
CHAPTER
II
Paid Letter.s and Official Correspondence 25
.
CHAPTER
III
Registered Letters and Bankers' Parcels 28
.... . .
CHAPTER IV
-32
Newspapers and Books
CHAPTER V -39
Returned Letter Branch
. .
CHAPTER VI
London District . . . 43
CHAPTER VII
Foreign Branch . . . • 54
CHAPTER VIII
'59
Coloniai, and Foreign Packet Service
. .
....
CHAPTER IX
Ship Letters 66
.....
CHAPTER X
Navy Post Office 69
... ...
CHAPTER XI
Travelling Post Office 70
CONTENTS
iv
CHAPTER XII
— Page
Country Post Offices England and Wales 75
CHAPTER XIII
Home Packet Service 87
CHAPTER XIV
Scotland 97
CHAPTER XV
Ireland 108
.
CHAPTER XVI
Postage Stamps
CHAPTER XVII
CON'CLUSION 127
APPENDICES
A. List of Penny Posts in 1839 . . . • '31
B. List of Principal Places in the Suburban Delivery, with the
Sorting Offices from which they were served, 1857 147
C. List of Obliteration Marks, with their Numbers 154
.
D. Inland Rates of Postage, 1840 to 1885 178
. .
E. Postage Stamps Issued.from.Some.rset.House., 1840 to 1876 180
F. List of Papers Issued by the Mercantile Committee, etc.,
1838 and 1839 .183
G. List of Colours for Colonial Postage Stamps, 1861 184
THE POSTMARKS
OF THE
BRITISH ISLES
FROM
1840.
PREFACE.
The general interest taken in the subject of postmarks and postage stamps, and the
favourable reception and reviews accorded to my work on the early postmarks of the
British Isles,*has abundantly proved that, in spite of a world of books, there is still a
sufificient demand forsuch a publication. This fact has, to a great extent, influenced my
present venture in producing a companion volume continuing the history of British post-
marks from the pointwhere the first volume ceased down to 1876. In revising forpubli-
cation in book form the articles which have already appeared in The Bazaar^ Exchange,
andMart, the arrangement of the contents has followed as closelyas possible the lines
of the earlier volume. In rewriting the work opportunity has been taken to add some
particulars of the sections ofthe postal service where the various postmarks were in use.
A chapteron postage stamps, without which a work of this description could hardlybe
considered complete, has been included, and the opportunity has also been taken of in-
troducing some notes and types of postmarks that should have been included in the
earlier work. Figs, i and 2 are date stamps of the London Chief Office, introduced at
Figs.1and2. LondonDate-marks.
the end of 1786 or the beginning of 1787. This particular type, with the month printed
in full or nearly so, was apparently in use for a very short time, and will be generally
found in the earlier months of the year 1787 ; in the later months of the same year the
type was changed,as shown in Fig. 3 on page 4 in the earlyvolume,an abbreviated form
of the yearbeing added. I have seen these marks with the letter ".Al" in the centre, as
well as "B."
* The History 0/ the Early Postmarks of the British Isles, l.y John G. Hendy. London:
L. Upcott Gill.
i
THE POSTMARKS OF THE BRITISH ISLES FROM
2 ISJfO.
It is regretted that, in describing the many changes in connection with the London
Penny Post, the Act of Parhament 4 George II. c. 33 was inadvertently overlooked.
This omission makes it necessary for mc to supplement myformer remarks on page 55
by the following explanation. The Act of Anne merely provided that letters by the
Penny Post should be charged apenny, and was silent on the subject of the second or
delivery penny. The Act 4 George II. c. 33, of 1731, made the delivery pennylegal.
The Act of 1794 made prepayment optional, and imposed a postage of 2d. in either
direction on letters to or from parts beyond the cities of London and Westminster, the
Bprough of Southwark, and their suburbs but letters from one part of the cities of
;
London and Westminsterand Borough of Southwark to anotherpart of the town were,
until the year 1801, only charged onepenny.
Another matterthat has been brought to my notice in connection with the London
Penny Post is the useofthree marks not shown in the earlier volume. These postmarks,
gtMASON
Fig.3. Fig.4. Fig.5.
Figs. 3,4,and' London Penny Po->tVaricdes.
which are fairlyrare, should be included at page 60. As alre.idypointed out, the London
Penny Post receivers used no stamp or mark previous to the year 1794. As regards
Fig. 3, a correspondent surmises that "Mason" kept the Penny Post Office at West-
minster. This surmise is not quite accurate. The mark shown was probably taken from
aletterof the year 1787. I have one bearing the date '•Nov. 8. 1787" posted at Edin-
burgh for delivery at Battersea Rise. This letterbears the two marks shown in Figs. 4
abuntdt5h,iswictohvetrhibseaexrcsepntoionna,mtehastucthheassm"alMlassotn.a'm'p isUp"o5no'icnlqouicrky",ihnoswteeavdero,fI"f1i0ndo'tchlaotcokn"e;
Daniel Mason was, in the year 1787, chief sorter at the Temple Branch Office of the
Penny Post. I am unable to say whyor for what purpose his name was impressed on
the letter. A regul;irpostmark was in use at the Temple Office in 1704, Fig. 6.
Fig. 0.
The chief office of the Penny Post was removed, in 17;^, from Throgmorton Street
to Post Office Yard, Lombard Street.
Many types of postmarks which, according to date, should have been included in
the earlier volume have been brought to my notice by friends who are desirous that they
may now be included in the companion volume, and accordingly they are inserted here,
with notes attached where such is possible or necessary. The two "Free" marks are
particularly good. Fig. 7 is an entirely new type to me. In Fig. 8 the "S" in the centre