Townfoot Camp, Denny, Stirlingshire

[Michael Dobbs]

I have received the following enquiry from Canada:

[color=maroon]Hello, I wonder if you can help with an enquiry on the TOWNFOOT CAMP, Denny, Stirlingshire? I found reference to it in the R.A. Kingston book "Camp Postmarks of the United Kingdom" (1971) published by the Forces Postal History Society. However, no information other than location is given. Did the Townfoot Camp have its own postmark and what was the duration of use ?

I have been unable to find any information on this Camp from the local Archives of Stirlingshire (Stirling) or in Falkirk (which includes Denny in its coverage area) nor the National Archives, Kew.
Any help would be much appreciated.[/color]

Can anyone assist in any way please ?

Many thanks, Mike  :)

[Chris Weddell]

Mike,

      The only thing about Townfoot camps is this "Volunteer/TF Annual Camp possibly near Drymen". I could not find anything else out about the camp. I do have a note of having a real photo postcard of some tents and men from the camp c1911 a few years ago. The postcard was unused so no postmark.

                                                    Chris  ;)

[Michael Dobbs]

Thanks Chris, but did you mean to attach anything to your response ?

Mike

[Michael Johnston]

Mike,

Some years ago Robert Murray, a well-known Edinburgh stamp dealer and auctioneer, sold a 1910 comic military postcard with a very fine strike of TOWNFOOT CAMP/JY 21/10/DENNY c.d.s. among a number of postal history lots relating to Scottish military camps.

Michael

[Michael Dobbs]

Michael

Many thanks for the information - most useful.

Mike  :D

[Chris Weddell]

Hello Mike,

                I was going to add a scan of the postcard as I kept an image for my records but I can not find the scan at the moment. As soon as I find it I will post it.

                                    Cheers

                                      Chris.

[Michael Dobbs]

I visited The Postal Museum today and went to the archives section to look through various Post Office Circulars.  I found the following entries in the Post Office Circulars for 1910:

[u][i]Post Office Circular of 19 July 1910[/i][/u]

Under the heading [b]"Townfoot Camp, Denny, Stirlingshire"[/b]

"A temporary Post Office for the transmission of all classes of Postal and Telegraph business was opened at the above Townfoot Camp on the 13th July and will be closed after the 30th July, 1910.  The hours of attendance are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on week-days, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays.  The designation of the Office is Townfoot Territorial Camp, Denny, Stirlingshire, and letters and parcels should circulate via Denny.  (The Telegraph Transmitting Office will be Glasgow)."


[u][i]Post Office Circular of 9 August 1910[/i][/u]

Under the heading [b]"Townfoot Camp, Denny, Stirlingshire"[/b]

"The temporary Post Office at the above camp is now closed."

I found no reference to Townfoot Camp in the Post Office Circulars for 1908, 1909, 1911 or 1912 - it appears that the Camp was only in existence in 1910.  I did find another reference to Townfoot Camp in the archives and the archive staff are trying to identify and trace this for me - it is possibly a copy of a cover or postcard with an impression of the datestamp.

Mike  ;D

[Michael Dobbs]

Thanks to The Postal Museum I am now able to illustrate the Townfoot Camp postmark - a day earlier than that quoted by Michael Johnston below.  So now we have two known dates.

Mike  ;)