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Auction: 26066 - Historical Documents, Autographs and Ephemera
Lot: 1075

Cromwellian Passports
1655 and 1656, two 'passport' documents:

1655 (28 Feb.) "Signed in the Name and by order of the Counsell. He:[nry] Lawrence Presd:" "To the Commissioners of the Customs and all others whom the may Concerne" reading: "These are to will and require you to permit and suffer Richard Earle of Dorsett & Mr. John Fennings with their servants, Henry Mattock and John Davies to transport themselves to France, without any Lotts [?], Hinderances, or Molestations, they carying with them nothing preiudicall to the State". A further note at foot, perhaps by a scribe, reads "Copyed this Pass at London 22nd March 1656 Tho:[mas] Reynolds"

1656 (20 July) passport and deed of banishment issued to William Franckland of Ellerker in the County of York, Walter Dalton upon Tees and Michael Humble of Aldwark who are "owing and firmly bound unto his Highness the Lord Protector & his successors in the whole & just sum of one thousand pounds of current English money ... the condition of this obligation is such, that whereas the above ... hath liberty to pass beyond the seas: if therefore the said William Franckland do, within six weeks time from the date hereof, depart the Commonwealth of England, Scotland & Ireland ... & do not return into any of them without licence first obtained by his Highness the Lord Protector & the Council; and do not, either before or after his departure, act or consent to the acting of anything prejudicial ... [and that the said] Walter Lister, Michael Humble ... do, within fourteen days after the said Mr. Franckland's shipping himself to the Commissioners for surveying the ports for the County of York, bring a certificate under the hand of the Chief Customs Officer of the port where he did embark, of the time of his departing, & that he did really and actually depart the Commonwealth - then this obligation to be void, or else to remain in force and virtue."

Signed by Frankland, Lister and Humble; as well as John [?] Stephenson, William Hurd, and a Richard [?], with marks of where their seals would have been placed.

A remarkable duo.

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Estimate
£600 to £800

Starting price
£450