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Evolution of the British Franking System

Introduction

Background

The Franking System allowed Parliamentary, Departmental and other Official mail to be carried free of postage. Until 1652, when the Franking System was introduced, this mail could be carried in several ways including by private messenger and by the Court Post. In effect the Franking System provided a means of bringing all such mail under control of the Post Office {PO). Some postal features established before 1652 were retained, while some which evolved during the System were kept after it ended. Complementary systems developed; one used in the Ship Letter Office and the other marked To Be Delivered Free to bypass some of the Regulations imposed.

Departmental mail comprised three broad groups: Government Departments which existed before the Restoration of the Monarchy (Army, Navy, Exchequer); those created by Acts of Parliament {Office of Works, Registrar General); those established by the Privy Council (Board of Trade, Education). All appeared on the General Franking List. In addition, privileg was granted by Special Franking Acts, Treasury Minutes or by having special arrangements allowing use of the PO frank.

The steady increase in the number of franks was to an extent controlled by regulations passed by Act of Parliament. Nevertheless by 1839, the last full year of the Franking System, about 5.2 million franks went through the postal system, they represented 8% of the total number of letters carried.

The Exhibit

Frames are arranged as shown below. Illustrations for clarification are included where appropriate. Data based on personal research such as rarity statements, numbers recorded and early or late usage are provided in red italics.

Frame 1 – Establishing the Franking System

Illustrates ways in which Official Mail was carried before 1652. Private messengers and the Court Post were gradually incorporated into the Franking System. With Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 Acts introduced during the Commonwealth period were rescinded. This included the Franking Act. There followed a time of confusion where some official letters went free and others did not.

Frame 2 – Indication by Sender that a letter should be Free of Postage

Includes development of OHMS, ways in which Government Departments annotated their mail and how MPs modified their signatures so that a signed, otherwise blank piece of paper (an abuse of privilege), could not be used for fraudulent financial gain. Bishops' franks consisted of first name or initial followed by traditional or modern name for the See.

Frames 3 and 4 – Acceptance of Privilege by Inspectors

This is shown from manuscript marks and Inspector's handstamps through to different types of FREE handstamp used by London, Dublin and Edinburgh for nearly 150 years.

Frames 5 and 6 – Breaches of Regulations and Abuse of Privilege

Ways in which the system could be abused are shown. A new descriptive classification has been used for Failed Free handstamps: L, E, D for London, Edinburgh, Dublin; P Privilege, N Number, W Weight and miscellaneous; all chronological.

Frames 7 and 8 – The system in use

To be Delivered Free handstamps, India Ship and Ship Letter Office handstamps, the system working beyond the British Isles, Local Charges, Money Order Office, Par Pro, undeliverable free franks, Newspapers and Sunday posting are all illustrated. The Franking System ended with the Postal Reforms of 1840. This was welcomed by those not having the privilege but not by those who did. In 1857 a suggestion was made in Parliament that the Franking System should be re-instated.

Bibliography

Brumell G. A Short Account of The Franking System in the Post Office: 1652-1840. Bournemouth Guardian Ltd, 1936
Scott JGS. Official Franking 1800-1840. The Postal History Society, 1983
Bottomley, F. The Franking System in the Post Office 1652-1840. Presidential Display, Society of Postal Historians, April 1988
Lovegrove JW. "Herewith My Frank .... " 2nd Edition. Continuing the Study of the Free Franks. KB Printers Ltd, Bournemouth, 1989 (and supplements}
Galland RB, Colton J. Great Britain: Failed Free Handstamps of the Franking System. The Stuart Rossiter Trust, 2014
Galland RB. The British Franking System: Acceptance of Privilege by Inspectors. The Stuart Rossiter Trust, in press

(link)

Frame 1

  1. Introduction and Forerunners
ESTABLISHING THE FRANKING SYSTEM
  1. The Court Post
  2. Postal features established before 1652 that were retained: Private Messengers or Carriers
  3. Retained features: Official Express Letters
  4. Restoration of the Monarchy
  5. Retained features: Private Messengers or Carriers
  6. Rationalisation of the Franking System
  7. An early attempt to clarify the Franking System
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Frame 2

INDICATION BY SENDER THAT A LETTER SHOULD BE FREE OF POSTAGE
  1. Original Endorsement
  2. Use of "their Maties"
  3. Government Departments
  4. Government Departments
  5. Treasury Minutes and Special Arrangments
  6. Bishops and Archbishops
  7. Modification of Normal Signature when used for Franking
  8. Requests to Change Signature used for Franking
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Frame 3

ACCEPTANCE OF PRIVILEGE BY INSPECTORS
  1. Signature or Manuscript "P"
  2. The First Handstamps
  3. FREE in a circle, with or without a letter designating the Office of origin
  4. London FREE in a circle with letters of equal size
  5. Horizontal FREE in a circle with letters of equal size and a letter designating Office of origin
  6. Free with Inspector's initial, undated, Type 1
  7. Free with Inspector's initial, undated, Type 2
  8. Free with Inspector's initial, undated, Type 3
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Frame 4

ACCEPTANCE OF PRIVILEGE BY INSPECTORS (cont)
  1. Three-Ringed dated handstamps of London with Inspector's initials
  2. Ringed dated handstamps without inspectors' initials
  3. Experimental handstamps of 1799
  4. "Apple" handstamps
  5. Crown-Circle Free handstamps of London
  6. Mermaid FREE handstamps of Dublin and Mermaid-removed handstamps
  7. Crown-Shield and Crown-Circle Free handstamps of Dublin
  8. Supplementary Crown-Circle Free handstamps of London
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Frame 5

BREACHES OF REGULATIONS AND ABUSE OF PRIVILEGE
  1. London Above Privilege
  2. London Above Privilege
  3. Edinburgh Above Privilege
  4. London Above Number
  5. London Above Number
  6. Dublin Above Number
  7. London Above Weight
  8. London and Dublin Above Weight
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Frame 6

BREACHES OF REGULATIONS AND ABUSE OF PRIVILEGE (cont)
  1. Incorrect, Altered or Absent Date of Posting
  2. Counterfeit signatures
  3. Miscellaneous
  4. Abuse was widely perpetrated
  5. Abuse by Royalty and Bishops
  6. Abuse: Waiting for and Obtaining a Frank
  7. Abuse and Regulations
  8. Abuse
(link)

Frame 7

THE SYSTEM IN USE
  1. TO BE DELIVERED FREE System
  2. TO BE DELIVERED FREE System
  3. TO BE DELIVERED FREE System
  4. Beyond the British Isles
  5. Mail To and From the Channel Islands
  6. Free India Ship and Ship Letter Office handstamps
  7. Franked Letters were not exempt from Local Charges
  8. Franked Letters were not exempt from Local Charges
(link)

Frame 8

THE SYSTEM IN USE (cont)
  1. House of Commons Wrappers
  2. Newspapers
  3. Parliamentary Proceedings
  4. Undeliverable Free Franks
  5. Sunday Posting
  6. Notices of the Franking System
  7. Postal Reform
  8. The end of the Franking System