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Great Britain - The Imperforate Issues (1840-1853)
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Introduction of the Barred Numerals (English and Welsh Provincial Post Towns)
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Home
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20.3
As shown in the introduction to this section, in April 1844, numbers 1 to 942 were allocated although certain numbers were not used as when viewed upside down they would appear to have originated from a different location - a total of 911 uniquely number cancellers were sent to English and Welsh Post Towns.
As these were simply a direct replacement for the Maltese Crosses already in use, a number of very small locations received one of the new format despite the fact that there would be an insufficient volume of outgoing mail requiring to be cancelled. Consequently, 21 numbers have never been recorded in use and a further 192 are very rare.
This map shows the location of the 30 towns known to have used the barred numeral on the first day, 1 May 1844, and illustrates the even geographical spread of their introduction - examples from the 6 towns indicated in red are included within this display.
148 other Post Towns are known to have used a barred numeral cancellation at some later date in May 1844 and a selection from these are contained here; all of these represent the earliest known use of each cancellation.
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Clitheroe, Lancashire
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[PE] plate 41, on entire dated 30 April 1844 from Clitheroe to Preston
cancelled with a black maltese cross.
Last day of use of the maltese cross in England and Wales.
A cover bearing the 207 numeral cancellation of Clitheroe dated 1 May 1844 is known
and is in the RM Phillips collection, in the British Postal Museum and Archive.
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Taunton, Somerset
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[AD] plate 3, on entire from Taunton to Wells dated 30 April 1844,
cancelled by a black Taunton maltese cross.
Last day of use of the maltese cross in England and Wales.
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[QK] on entire from Taunton to Wellington, dated 1 May 1844,
cancelled by black 776 numeral (Taunton).
First day of numeral cancellations in England and Wales.
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Liverpool, Lancashire
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[BE] from Liverpool to Newtown, dated 30 April 1844,
cancelled with a blackMaltese cross
Last day of use of the Maltese Cross
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[MG] plate 45, on large dated piece from Liverpool to Lancaster, dated 1 May 1844,
cancelled by black 466 numeral (Liverpool).
First day of numeral cancellations in England and Wales.
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Ipswich, Suffolk
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[BA, CE, NA-NE] plate 3, on letter sheet from Ipswich to North America, dated 1 May 1844,
cancelled by seven black 405 numerals (Ipswich).
First day of use of the numeral cancellations in England and Wales.
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Bath, Somerset
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[EB] plate 39, cancelled by black numeral (53 Bath)
on folded lettersheet from Bath to Cheltenham, dated 1 May 1844.
First day of numeral cancellations in England and Wales.
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Leeds, Yorkshire
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[LI] from Leeds to London, dated 1 May 1844,
cancelled with a blacknumeral (447 Leeds)
First day of the numeral cancellations in England and Wales
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Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland
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[QK] on wrapper from Newcastle to Durham, dated 1 May 1844,
cancelled with black numeral (545 Newcastle on Tyne).
First day of numeral cancellations in England and Wales.
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[?L, ML] two singles, from Lancaster to Kirkby Lonsdale, dated 1 May 1844,
cancelled with blacknumerals (436 Lancaster)
First day of numeral cancellations in England and Wales
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Dereham, Norfolk
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[PH] on mourning envelope from Dereham to Wymondham, dated 1 May 1844,
cancelled with black numeral (245 Dereham).
First day of numeral cancellations in England and Wales.
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318 Bletchingly (2 May)
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[RI] on wrapper to East Grinstead dated (internally) 1 May 1844,
cancelled the a black numeral (318 Bletchingly).
The rear bears strikes of the undated circle of Bletchingly and Godstone date-stamp of 2 May 1844.
The arrival date-stamp of East Grinstead is dated 3 May 1844.
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Later Uses of the Numeral Cancellations during May 1844
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591 Oldham (2 May)
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[GK] plate 42, on entire to Bakewell dated 2 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (591 Oldham).
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313 Lea (3 May)
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[RH] on wrapper to Exeter dated 3 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (313 Lea).
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523 Merthyr Tydfil (4 May)
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[IC] plate 34, on wrapper from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff dated 4 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (523 Merthyr Tydfil).
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444 Leamington (4 May)
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[PI] on letter from Leamington to London dated 4 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (444 Leamington).
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449 Leicester (4 May)
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[QE] plate 35, on entire from Leicester to Chaddesdon dated 4 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (449 Leicester).
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423 Kirby Lonsdale (6 May)
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[AK] on wrapper to Kendal dated 6 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (423 Kirby Lonsdale).
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242 Derby (6 May)
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[GF] on letter from Derby to London dated 6 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (242 Derby).
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459 Kirton Lindsey (7 May)
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[TG] plate 33, on letter to Derby dated 7 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (459 Kirton Lindsey).
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Newspaper Article
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Additional items - not in display
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Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
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[MF and ME] plate 44, on entire dated 30 April 1844 from Hemel Hempstead to Southampton
cancelled with a black maltese crosses.
Last day of use of the maltese cross in England and Wales.
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Totness, Devon
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[FJ] from Totness to London dated 30 April 1844,
cancelled with a black Maltese Cross
Last day of use of the maltese cross in England and Wales.
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Taunton, Somerset
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[CK] from Taunton to Langport dated 30 April 1844,
cancelled with a black Maltese Cross
Last day of use of the maltese cross in England and Wales.
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Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland
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[LD] plate 42 on dated piece from Newcastle to Hamburg dated 30 April 1844,
cancelled whilst in transit through London with Red Tombstone on 1 May 1844 [e].
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535 Stow (3 May)
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[RH] on wrapper to Salisbury dated 3 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (535 Stow).
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447 Leeds (5 May)
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1d red on wrapper to Wakefield dated 5 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (447 Leeds).
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342 Hastings (6 May)
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[JG] plate 36, from Hastings to Battle, dated 6 May 1844,
cancelled with a blacknumeral (342 Hastings)
Earliest recorded usage of this numeral
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75 Birmingham (7 May)
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[AL] on entire to Derby dated 7 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (75 Birmingham).
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98 (in error) Blackburn (9 May)
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[DB (pl 44) and PA (pl 41)] two singles on entire to from Blackburn to Selby dated 9 May 1844,
cancelled with black 98 (in error) numerals of Blackburn.
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708 Shrewsbury (9 May)
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[NL] on entire to Shrewsbury dated 9 May 1844
cancelled by a black numeral (708 Shrewsbury).
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776 Tanuton (9 May)
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[BC] on dated piece from Taunton to Dulverton dated 9 May 1844
cancelled by a black numeral (776 Taunton).
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927 Yarmouth (10 May)
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[DJ] on entire to Wymondham dated 10 May 1844
cancelled by a black numeral (927 Yarmouth).
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922 Worksop (10 May)
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[LB-MC] plate 42, block of four on entire to Retford dated 10 May 1844
cancelled by a black numeral (922 Worksop).
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498 Manchester (10 May)
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2d blue [BC] plate 3 on wrapper to London dated 10 May 1844
cancelled by a black numeral (498 Manchester).
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720 Somerton (11 May)
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[FD] plate 41 on entire to Yeovil dated 11 May 1844
cancelled by a black numeral (720 Somerton).
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30 Ashby de la Zouch (13 May)
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[SI] on entire to Derby dated 13 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (30 Ashby).
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376 Honiton (13 May)
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[RF] on entire to Exmouth dated 13 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (376 Honiton).
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831 Wakefield (13 May)
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[LK] on wrapper to London dated 13 May 1844,
cancelled by a black numeral (831 Wakefield).
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274 Ellesmere (14 May)
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[HH] plate 40, on envelope from Ellesmere to Great Ness dated 14 May 1844
cancelled with a black numeral (274 Ellesmere).
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930 York (14 May)
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[ME] on entire to Oldham dated 14 May 1844
cancelled by a black numeral (930 York).
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475 Loughborough (16 May)
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[GE] plate 42, on entire to Leicester dated 16 May 1844
cancelled by a black numeral (475 Loughborough).
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415 Kidderminster (17 May)
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[NI] on entire to Bromyard dated 17 May 1844
cancelled by a black numeral (415 Kidderminster).
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240 Deal (26 May)
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[NE] on entire to Henley on Thames dated 26 May 1844
cancelled by a black numeral (240 Deal).
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511 Market Harborough (29 May)
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[DD] plate 39, on wrapper from Market Harborough to Buckingham dated 29 May 1844,
cancelled by black numeral (511 Market Harborough).
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390 Hungerford (30 May)
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[LE] on wrapper to Windsor dated 30 May 1844,
cancelled by black numeral (390 Hungerford)
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[??] from Cheltenham to Ludlow, dated 13 May 1844,
cancelled with a blacknumeral (177 Cheltenham)
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[JC] from Hurst Green to Lewes, dated, on arrival, 14 May 1844,
cancelled with a blacknumeral (428 Hurst Green)
also has Burwash Penny Post
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[RC] plate 38, from Ulverstone to Penrith, dated 3 May 1844,
cancelled with a blacknumeral (824 Ulverstone)
This is the earliest recorded usage of the 824 numeral
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[HG] from Birmingham to Sheffield, dated 16 May 1844,
cancelled with a blacknumeral (75 Birmingham)
Registered - Manuscript “6” in red denotes the 6d fee paid in cash
Probably the earliest registered cover cancelled with a barred numeral
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[BB] from Ashburton to Derby, dated 17 May 1844,
cancelled with a blacknumeral (29 Ashburton)
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