The Medieval Ancestor of Today’s Passport

I randomly found a great article on passport history written by Jenny M. McHugh from the Lancaster University, titled “The Passport’s Medieval Forebear: Grants of Safe-conduct in Medieval Britain”.

The Misconception of the first British Passport Medieval Ancestor Today’s Passport

The article handles the misconception regarding the origin of the ‘British passport’ often points to a 1414 Act of Parliament during Henry V’s reign, and it’s a pleasure to share an excerpt of the article here, as it is an important topic on passport history.

In these historical accounts, it is commonly asserted that the term ‘passport’ finds its etymological roots in the French expression ‘laissez-passer,’ signifying safe-conduct, and is purported to have made its inaugural appearance within the context of the 1414 Act. It is crucial to acknowledge, however, that these licenses of ‘safe-conduct’ significantly diverged from the contemporary notion of a passport and had been regularly dispensed by the English authorities well before the fifteenth century.

Yet, before going into an examination of these safe-conducts, it is imperative to recognize another pivotal aspect: the genesis of the British passport cannot be convincingly traced back to 1414 due to the absence of a cohesive political entity known as ‘Britain.’ Scotland and various regions of Ireland remained beyond the dominion of English monarchs throughout the latter part of the medieval era, notwithstanding concerted endeavors to assert control over these territories. Medieval Ancestor Today’s Passport

Consequently, it would be factually incorrect, at least until the enactment of the Act of Union in 1707, if not later, to label any such document as ‘British,’ rather than ‘English.’

Safe Conducts and Passports are not the same Medieval Ancestor Today’s Passport

Safe-conducts, to be precise, diverged from passports in that they did not serve as instruments for defining or substantiating an individual’s nationality or citizenship. Rather, these safe-conducts extended protection and specific privileges to foreign travelers during their journeys or stays within a realm, granted at the discretion of the reigning monarch and their governing authority.

A Significant Distinction

between a passport and a medieval safe-conduct was that the latter exclusively pertained to a specific political domain. Individuals venturing beyond these boundaries had to secure multiple safe-conducts to navigate the various borders they would encounter. Given that these documents were subject to the monarch’s discretion, the guarantee of safe passage could swiftly be jeopardized by international conflicts with other realms, rendering them somewhat akin to the contemporary concept of a visa.
Here is an early 15th Century Safe Conduct

Assets of Diplomatic Negotiations

Moreover, safe-conducts assumed a role as valuable assets during diplomatic negotiations for establishing peace. After or amid peace talks, a surge of approved requests for safe passage typically made their appearance within the records of the English administration. In the context of Anglo-Scottish relations during the fourteenth century, the English authorities sanctioned numerous safe-conducts starting in 1357, primarily for distinguished individuals, both nobility and clergymen alike.

In that same year, 1357, Edward III of England and David II of Scotland formalized the Treaty of Berwick, effectively bringing an end to the hostilities that had endured between the two kingdoms since 1332. This newfound accord paved the way for increased mobility between the territories, affording medieval Scots secure pathways through England’s borders, whether by land or sea, enabling travel to England, Ireland, and the distant continent. Medieval Ancestor Today’s Passport

Examples of early English/British safe conducts/passports

James V, King of Scots, 1529
Elizabeth I., Queen of England, 1565
King James I. of England, 1610
English passport 1640 with twelve signatures
Bishop of London-William Juxon, 1640
General John Churchill – 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1710
British Ship’s Passport – Island of Jersey, 1753
King George III. 1781 (in German)

Read the detailed article of Jennifer, here…

 

Tom Topol | Passport History Expert & Author.
Featured in media incl. CNN, BBC, Newsweek. Awarded by the U.S. Department of State.
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