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   BEL103  

Irish Post Offices & Postmarks

Strandtown,
Baile na Tra (Baile Mhic Cuaruisigh) / Belfast.

The post office opened in 1857-9 and has a recorded numeral 536 from 1892. It also has single ring english datestamps. The double ring and skeleton mark below are previously unrecorded.

Strandtown Undated Name Type Kane 4C

Earliest known date - 6 Nov 1859
Latest known date -
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring with no date or code. Undated single ring used as a dispatch mark.


Codes Known -

SR (20mm)
Strandtown UDC 6NOV1859      

From cover dated 6 NO 59

      

Strandtown Belfast SR

Earliest known date - 12 SEP 1873
Latest known date - 13 Nov 1886
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring with code at top. Date on 2 lines as MM DD / YY. Used both as a dispatch and arrival mark.


Codes Known - A,B,C

SR (22mm)

Is the last example missing a 'D' or is it a poor tracing?
       
11 DEC 1877   3 Ap 1881  
2 Ju 1875   8 Nov 1880  
Tracing PRONI ED1/19/121 No8   Tracing PRONI ED1/20/121 No126  
12 SEP 1886   13 NO 1886  

Tracing PRONI ED1/20/136 21mm

   Tracing PRONI ED 1/19/81 21mm  

Strandtown 536 Duplex

Earliest known date - 1 NOV 1887
Latest known date - 11 AUG 1898
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring with code at top. Date on 2 lines as MM DD / YY. 536 diamond forming the duplex as a 4-3-4. 536 is first recorded in the Brumell list of 1892.


Codes Known - A,B,C

SR (23mm)
11 AUG 1898      
1 Nov 1887      
Tracing PRONI ED 1/19/21 No5      

Strandtown

Earliest known date - 29 JAN 1901
Latest known date - 25 APR 1904
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring with time code on two lines as PM/ 6 15 / at top. Date on 2 lines as MM DD / YY


Codes Known - PM 615

SR (27mm)
29 Jan 1901   12 JUN 1902  
23 DEC 1903      

Strandtown Belfast

Earliest known date - 8 APR 1905
Latest known date - 19 FEB 1916
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring with time code on two lines as PM/ 6 15 / at top. Date on 2 lines as MM DD / YY. Differs from above as addition of Belfast at base.


Codes Known - PM 615 / AM 1115 / PM 245 / AM 1145 / AM 815

SR (26mm)
7 DEC 1905   16 DEC 1906  
13 Jun 1907   22 MAY 1908  
3 JLY 1909   12 AP 1912  
13 SEP 1913      
       

Strandtown Belfast

Earliest known date - 30 JUN 1915
Latest known date -
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring with time code on two lines as PM/ 6 15 / at top. Date on 2 lines as DD MM / YY. Differs from above as addition of Belfast at base and day before month. 1mm smaller ring at SR25mm.


Codes Known - PM 745

SR (25mm)
30 JUN 1915      
       

Strandtown / Co.Down Skeleton

Earliest known date - 12 DEC 1912
Latest known date - 23 DEC 1912
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring with time code at top on one line. Date on 2 lines MM DD / YY.

Prev recorded from 18 Dec 1912.

Codes Known - 11:45AM / 315 PM

SR (35mm)
12Dec1912      
23 DEC 1912      

Strandtown / Co.Down / Side Arcs

Earliest known date - 5 JUN 1918
Latest known date - 5 NOV 1918
Postmark type - Circle, Double Ring with time code as clock time at top. Date on 2 lines with English Month.


Codes Known - 12PM / 11AM

DR (27/15mm)
5Nov1918   5 JUN 1918  
       

Strandtown / Belfast / 1

Earliest known date - 20 MAR 1945
Latest known date - 19 OCT 1993
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring, Code 1 at base. Asterisk for code at top, date as DD MM / YY on two lines.


Codes Known - *

SR (23mm)
6 DEC 1956   19 Oct 1993  
       

Strandtown / Belfast

Earliest known date - 24 SEP 1957
Latest known date - 16 JAN 1958
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring, Symmetrical stype, less than 7mm from S of Strandtown to B of Belfast. Asterisk for code at top, date as DD MM / YY on two lines. Low bar on A.


Codes Known - *

SR (24mm)
No image available - do you have one?      
       

Strandtown Belfast Seal

Earliest known date - 20 SEP 1961
Latest known date -
Postmark type - Circle, Seal mark from impression book, sent to Belfast on date shown. Probably never used for counter work.


Codes Known - 11:45AM

SR (c30mm)
20 SEP 1961      
       

Strandtown Belfast &
Strandtown Belfast 4

Earliest known date - 1963
Latest known date -
Postmark type - Circle, SR23mm taken from 1963 Security Scrap Post 55/241

Codes Known -

SR (23mm)
23mm   24mm  
23mm   24mm  

Strandtown Belfast 4
Proof Book Entry

Earliest known date - 19 JUL 1963
Latest known date -
Postmark type - Circle, SR 24mm with hand written date. Taken from Issue Book Post 55/80


Codes Known -

SR (24mm)
Issue Book 1963      
       

Strandtown / Belfast / 4

Earliest known date - Apr 1966
Latest known date -
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring. Code 1 at normal position of year. Date as YY / MM / DD on three lines. Or is this a code 1 were the year should be? Could this be an April Fool Prank?


Codes Known - 1?

SR (24mm)
1 AP 1966      
       

Strandtown / Belfast

Earliest known date - 1 FEB 1988
Latest known date - 5 OCT 1998
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring. No Code. Date as DD MM / YY on two lines. Symmetrical, 8mm from S to B. Letters spaced over 1mm from rim.


Codes Known -

SR (24mm)
19 OCT 1993   5 OCT 1998  
       

Strandtown / Belfast

Earliest known date - 1990
Latest known date - 19 Oct 1993
Postmark type - Circle, Single Ring. Code 1 at top. Date as DD MM / YY on two lines. Lop sided appearance resulting from removal of district number after Belfast..


Codes Known - 1

SR (24mm)
19 OCT 1993      
       

Strandtown / Belfast / Parcel Post

Earliest known date - 8 JUL 1994
Latest known date -
Postmark type - Rectangular, with horizontal shading in three corners. Date as DD MMM YYYY with full year.


Codes Known -

Rectangular (64 x 33mm)
8 JUL 1994      
       

Strandtown Post Office Locations.
Map 1      
Map 2      
StrandtownMap      

Strandtown Photos Top Circa 1922,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Middle, Strandtown in Aug 1993. Bengal is Nr 131 or 153?.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom, Strandtown Belmont Road c1935

 
Strandtown      
Aug 1993      
1935      

Strandtown Photos Top New PO at Nr34, Feb 1996,

 

 

 

 

Middle, Strandtown in Aug 1993. Belmont Road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom, Strandtown PO 27Mar1996

 
Feb1996      
Aug 1993 Belmont Road      
27Mar1996      

2 May 1859. The PO Archive minute, P62 shows Sydenham redesignated as Strandtown.
The PO Guidelines 10 May-Jun 1859 seem to show that Strandtown replaced (or was renamed) Sydenham. Both offices are listed as 2½miles from Belfast.

Thoms Almanac list neither PO in the 1858 edition (published Dec 1857). The 1859 list lists Sydenham but no name for a PM and the 1860 list has Strandtown.
All the early references are fragmentary. The local directories 1860 (p.415) and 1861-2 (P.450) list Strandtown PO but there is no mention of the Post Master or location. In 1865 the post office is listed as vacant.

The following are the locations and post masters from the directories thereafter:-
1868 & 1870 :Belmont Terrace, Mr D. McIlroy, 25 April 1866, PO Arch Min P336 Proposed.
1880 - Belmont Terrace (page 318)
1884 - PO Vacant
1887-1914 - Belmont Terrace (numbered 225 Holywood Road, c.1901)
1887-1911, Mrs H. Perry
1912-1914, Mrs Caldwell
1 Nov 1923, PO Circular advised transfer from County Down to Belfast
1915-1963, 221-3 Holywood Rd (Renumbered 159-61 around 1938)
1915-1947, Mrs Walshe
1950, Lt Col J. McCutcheon
1951-1963, Samuel McDowell
1964- Wed 18 Oct 1995, 39 Belmont Road BT4 2AA, OS Map ref J 373 745
1964-1975, M.Bingham
1976-1989, A.S. Johnson, (no name listed from 1990)

PO Guides show MO/SB Jan-Jun 1872, Telegraph Open Apr-Jun 1878

19 Oct 1995, 34 Belmont Rd, BT4 2AN, OS Map Ref J 373 745

 

 

 

 

  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
       
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