London Inland Office Branch (GB)

From Stamps of the World
GPO Inland letter office ILN 1845
Pre-stamp to 1899 1900-1999 2000-Present
The office came into existence with the end of the Two Penny Post in 1844

The Main office itself was generally known as E.C.D.O.,St.Martin’s-le-Grand, the Inland Office being a department therein.
This was a Post Office from Sept.1829
The Money Order Office was noted as being in Aldergate Street in the PO guide of 1858
Telegraph Office 1870. Code used = SM

By 1907 ‘London Chief Office’ had moved to King Edward St, EC1

Closed 22 April 1994

CURRENT PAGE 1843 -1852 INLAND OFFICE (IO)
1852 -1855 PAGE TWO IO
1857-1860 PAGE THREE IO
1860 PAGE FOUR IO
1861 -1864 PAGE FIVE IO

London Inland Office Branch Cancels on the Imperf Plates a short collection up to 1855


The Inland Office (IO) which later became the Inland Branch (IB), was one of the main departments of the early developing stages in the GPO.
When the London Postal system was developing during the large increase in post, that came from Rowland Hill's Postal reforms.

The Inland Office was set up to handle mail going outside of London to the Counties and Countries of Great Britain, whilst what was the London Two Penny Post became the Other Main department at the GPO - the District Post, handling mail in and around London.

12 in Cross on Plate 29 block QFRG

At its inception this new office was given it's own set of numeral Maltese cross cancellation devices, followed a year later by the numeral in diamond hand-stamps.

All the numeral Maltese Cross devices has a cross at the top, however, the cross on top of the hand-stamp number 3 was damaged very early on in its history and remained in use without the cross until the Inland numerals in diamonds were introduced.

1843 Maltese Crosses

The first series of distinctive cancellations used at the London Inland Office were the numbers in Maltese Cross with crosses at the tops. MORE IMAGES

Number 1
Number 2
Number 3
Number 4 on Plate 40 GK
Number 5
Number 6
Number 7 on Plate 20 HA
Number 8
Number 9
Number 10
Number 11
Number 12

1844 - 1847 14 or 16 Bars

The first series was a set of Oval Diamond cancels issued in 1844 numbered 1-20. These had 14 or 16 Bars surrounding the oval.
Before the issue of the second series a cancel numbered 22 was issued to the Ship Letter Office This had 24 Bars.

For a complete run from the first issue see here >> 1844 Inland Diamond Series

14 Bars
2-10-10-2 bars
16 Bars
3-10-10-3 bars
14 Bars
2-10-10-2 bars
GB 1d Red Plate 46 AL.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1844 7.jpg
Number 8
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1844 10.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1844 11.jpg
GB 1d Red Plate 46 AH.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1844 16.jpg
GB 1d Red Plate 46 EK.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1844 19.jpg
File:London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1844 22.jpg
Issued in April 1847 to the Ship Letter office with 24 Bars.

1844 16 Bars - later issue

2-12-12-2 bars
August 1844 - April 1845

1844 15 Bars - later issue

2-11-11-2 bars
September 1844 - December 1846

1845 14 Bars - later issue

2-11-11-2 bars
June 1845 - February 1847

1846 13 Bars - later issue

2-9-9-2 bars
27 April 1846 #4
2-9-9-2 bars
27 April 1846 #20

1847 12 Bars

The second series was a set of Oval Diamond cancels issued in 1847 numbered 1-22. These had 12 thinner Bars surrounding the oval.

March 1847 - January 1849
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 2n.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 3.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 4.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 5.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 7.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 8.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 9.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 10.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 11.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 12.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 13.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 14.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 15.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 16.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 17.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 20.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 21.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 22.jpg

1847 - 1850 12 Bars

Between 1847 and 1850 the numbers were extended beyond 22 (to 31)

London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 26.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1847 29.jpg

1850 9 Bars

Believed to have been a full set issued in 1850 These 9 Bar cancels are very difficult to find.
Numbers known in the GPO records are 4,5,9,19 & 22, but others have been seen.

Number 3
Number 4
Number 5
Number 10
Number 19
Number 22
Number 25
Number 28
Number 36
Number 41
Number 42
Number 43

Some numbered cancellations were comprised of two or three impressions to cancel multiple stamps at one time

Number 46 double

1851 - 11 Bars

30 January 1851

1851 - 13 Bars

September 1851 - June 1852
July 1851 - May 1852
July 1851 - May 1852

1852 - 13 Bars

April 1852 - 27 May 1852

1852 - 1853 12 Bars

In July of 1852 the numbers were further extended to number 37

GB 1d Red Plate 162 DF.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1852 36.jpg

1853 11 Bars dated duplex

In the summer of 1853 a new double, (duplex,) handstamp was introduced which for the first time, (since the introduction of postage stamps), had a box containing the date and year. The numeral was 38. It had a square boxed date portion and only 6 copies are known, 3 on cover, 3 on piece. It was replaced after about a month with a box with chamfered corners.

1853

1853

1853
Plate 27 1856
1857

Often said to be used on letters requiring a late fee, but there are many examples where there is no evidence of a late fee being paid.

1852 11 Bars singles

By the end of the year the numbers had been extended yet again to include up to number 44 and any replacement devices of the earlier numbers were done in this format

Replacement numbers

13 March 1852

New numbers

London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1852 38a.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1852 39.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1852 40.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1852 41.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1852 42.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1852 43.jpg
London Inland Office Branch (GB) 1852 44.jpg


NEXT PAGE 1852 -1855 Page 2

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