Thank you for the digi pics that you sent direct to me but it seems that Jim's post above made this unnecessary.
I note in the top picture that this shows a post with circular saw conversion marks and according to Keith Wilbur's - Home Building and Woodworking in Colonial America - this method of conversion did not appear until 1840 so your date range might be a bit early or alternatively this might be a replacement post.
Don't get too hung up on England being short on long timber. Even if long timbers were available it would be more than likely that scarfed ties would be employed to help ensure good alignment and facilitate phased construction.
This form of debased timber frame design is a simplified building method when compared with earlier continuous (including scarfed) top plate wall frames and as such is likely to be later in date than the continuous plate barns that you have encountered.
Jim,
The Farnham example given above has the post intersecting directly into the underside of the principal rafter and it was for this reason that the wall plates were interrupted. This is rather a special design feature and tends to be found where large arch braces connect the posts to pricipal rafter and then principal rafter to collar to form an open arch frame. If its on interest I can post a photo.
