Archibald Philip 5th Earl Rosebery 1894

Archibald Philip Earl Rosebery

Here comes a beautiful British passport issued 1894 in London issued to Mr. W. Eccles (probably William Henry Eccles FRS (23 August 1875 – 29 April 1966) a British physicist and a pioneer in the development of radio communication). The travel document is in excellent condition, well protected by a leather wallet with golden imprint. The document itself is strengthened by an additional linen layer. 2 visas are on the document, from Turkey and from Italy, both from 1894. The white pages of the included visa booklet are empty and so is the small folder in the leather cover. Also, the small pencil is missing (mostly the case). I’m not 100% sure if Rosebery’s signature on the document is original or printed. However, this is an excellent collectible for any British collector.

The passport was issued by The Right Honourable Archibald Philip 5th Earl of Rosebery in January 1894. Just two month later he will become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Historians judge him a failure as foreign minister and as prime minister.  Rosebery is reputed to have said that he had three aims in life: to win the Derby, to marry an heiress, and to become Prime Minister. He managed all three.

Rosebery died at The Durdans, Epsom, Surrey, on 21 May 1929, to the accompaniment, as he had requested, of a gramophone recording of the Eton Boating Song. Survived by three of his four children, he was buried in the small church at Dalmeny. His estate was probated at £1,500,122 3s. 6d.; (the equivalent of £63 million today) and he was thus the richest Prime Minister ever, followed by Salisbury, then by Palmerston.

Read more about Earl Rosebery…

Archibald Philip Earl Rosebery

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