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"Wessex" cancels in Somerset ?

Posted: Thu May 12, 2016 8:59 pm
by leamphil
As I understand it, at the end of the use of the Maltese Cross as a cancel, an experiment was carried out by stamping the stamps with dated datestamps within the “Wessex” region only. I believe they are known from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and a few are known in Hampshire & Wiltshire. The idea was not taken up and the 1844 type numeral cancels were introduced in early 1844.

Can anyone please tell me which towns in Somerset had "Wessex" cancels, or which book I should look for to find out ?

Re: "Wessex" cancels in Somerset ?

Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 5:17 pm
by admin
IIRC volume 3 of the Rockoff & Jackson books on the Maltese Cross have a listing of known examples of town datestamps being used as cancellers.

(That includes a lot of non-Westcountry ones though. AFAIK the idea of an official "Wessex cancellation experiment" seems to be one of those philatelic theories that everybody started assuming was fact, like the "experiments to remove bluing" on the penny red -- but which aren't supported by the archival evidence.)

Re: "Wessex" cancels in Somerset ?

Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 8:03 pm
by leamphil
Thanks - I'll track a copy down.

I take your point about the "experiment" in the absence of any archival evidence.

Re: "Wessex" cancels in Somerset ?

Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 3:14 pm
by leamphil
Having borrowed a copy of Rockoff & Jackson's Maltese Crosses Vol.3, I can say that the answer to my question is Bath (6), Bridgewater (2), [Bristol (2)], Chard (8), Crewkerne (1), Frome (1), Ilminster (1), Taunton (3), Wellington (2), Wells (1), Weston-super-Mare (1), Wincanton (16) and Yeovil (2).

The numbers in brackets are the number of examples known to R&J, and I included Bristol because I collect Bristol too.