B is for Bishop Marks
These are the first known postmarks to be handstruck rather than handwritten, and were introduced in 1661 in the General Post Office in London, to counter complaints about delays in the post.
The name ‘Bishop Mark’ used by collectors refers to Colonel Sir Henry Bishop, Postmaster General from 1660-63, who described them as follows: ‘A stamp is invented, that is putt upon every letter shewing the day of the moneth that every letter comes to this office, so that no letter Carryer may dare to detayne a letter from post to post; which before was usual’.
The earliest recorded date of use is 19 April. Early Bishop Marks are however very rare as, until 1663, they were used only on letters incoming to London, many of which were subsequently filed away in business houses in the City, and thus burnt up in the Great Fire of London in 1666. After this they were struck on mail posted in London as well, and are thus seen on a large number of prestamp letters.
The handstamps themselves were made of hardwood and had a very simple design – a circle divided in half, with a two-letter abbreviation for the month in the top part and the day below (the positions were switched in 1713). They were almost always struck in black ink, although this tends to turn brownish with age. Many different stamps were used, but as the year was not included, it is not possible to be precise about the date they were struck unless the letter itself is dated. Bishop Marks were later extended to Dublin in 1670, Edinburgh in 1693, and even North America before the American Revolution.
The London Bishop Marks were replaced in 1787 with new handstamps that included the year, although use continued to 1795 in Dublin and 1806 in Edinburgh.