SHOW MENUSuburban Receiving Houses of London (or: District Office Cancels)
Introduction
This display is dedicated to the use and places of use of the suburban postmarks issued to them, there are 3 basic issue dates 1844, 1861 and 1870's each differing in some way (see below examples).
Certain numbers were sent to offices for their use on locally sent mail and mail that could be placed on the mail routes outward bound from London, this was to assist in reducing the amount of mail being passed to the Chief Office in central London.
Numbers 1-42 and 49 from the 1844 series was the first undertaking and is the basis for all office listings in the following 2 series of office numbers including the Town receiving offices.
Numbers 43-48 of the 1844 series were allocated to central letter receiving offices or Town receiving offices.
Numbers 1B-52B from the 1861 series, 2 basic types as illustrated above: note the addition of a letter, generally "B", and on occasion "C". These were needed as the increase in mail volume required more letter receiving offices to reduce the volume of mail being handled and the increase in size of London due to numbers of people and the spread of the suburbs.
Numbers 1-76 from the 1870's series, often described as "killer cancels" due to them having thick lines and generally heavily struck.
There were a few offices that received replacement cancellers due to damage or wear. If you look at the whole period there are anomalies and repetition of types that do not follow the basic pattern as stated above, some being re-cuts of originals and others being completely newly made, this is difficult to illustrate in a limited amount for this display but I hope to give an overall view of the types of cancel used and an outline of their use.
I refer on occasion to author's works and they are:
J. Parmenter – Barred Numeral Cancellations of London 1999
Dubus – London Cancellations 1969
Hugh Feldman – Letter Receivers of London 1999
Some items are from noted collections:
Maximus
Dubus
