Help Needed In Reading The Writing

I found a reference in "The Penny Post" by Frank Staff giving the postal rates in 1812.

The postage for a single letter 30 to 50 miles was 7 pence.

According to Google, the current distance by road from Lugwardine via Hereford to Ludlow is about 27 miles. Perhaps it was a different, longer road in those days.

Jan

Can you imagine the road in 1812 ?
A muddy, cloying, disaster of a thoroughfare,
probably with ruts inches deep, and frozen in mid winter.

7d well spent in my book.

The advent of the coach and 4, hastened the improvements of the roads.

In medieval England, it was fortunate if roads were paved /cobbled, within 1 mile either side of town.
Iron rimmed wagons were oft banned from town.

I recall seeing huge ruts in the cobbles in Pompeii ?

Mercantile, perhaps?

It might have been carried via Bristol in those days.

Perhaps the word is "merc'r" and links to Mrs Barrols, rather than Hereford, ie an abbreviation of mercer/mercier.

I would go with GeoffHa's explanation.

Two observations:
It appears to be Merc'er, not Merc'r.
The word appears to start with a capital.

Think away the apostrophe and you have a common English name Mercer.

The apostrophe may be just an ink blob, a transfer from ink that the hand picked up.
Writing frequently in Spanish, I sometimes write a tilde when there is no reason to do so. Even if it is an apostrophe, it might be spurious.

It, also, could be Mercier.

There's a heritage-listed building in Hereford named Barrol House. Maybe this is where he was supposed to leave payment.

Actually, does it not read Mrs. Harold Mercer?

ignore that

Also, there is a commemorative stone in Hereford Cathedral for Richard Barroll (Draper) died 1810, and his wife Anne, died June 24 1812 aged 68 years.

Amazing research,
this thread just keeps giving.

Also in Hereford Cathedral
Under "Monuments and floor slabs"
wooden tablet with painted inscription and cartouche-of-arms; (55) to William Barroll, . . ., and Mary his wife, 1698,