John Owen, Member of Parliament for Pembroke Boroughs, 1809-12 & 1841-61 and Pembrokeshire, 1812-31 & 1831-41. John Owen of Orielton, Pembrokeshire and Taynton House, Gloucestershire, 1776 - 6 February 1861. Styled Sir John Owen, 1st Baronet, 1813. AN ORIGINAL PRE 1840 FREE FRONT; BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY FREE FRANK PANEL.
London: Houses of Parliament, Pre 1840. Very Good Condition. Item #365926
Free franks are hand stamped British parliamentary mail, issued from the 1650s to 1840. The free franking privilege was removed from parliamentarians in 1840 when Rowland Hill's postal reforms brought the postage stamp into use. Free franking had been intended to allow MPs to send letters free of charge, but the system was abused by MPs and fell into disrepute due to being used by friends and business associates of the Members. During the early 19th Century there was a mania for collecting these panels, which was accomplished by cutting the address panel from the envelope. The Free Front here is presented with a neatly prepared A4 data-sheet showing the details of the MP it is connected with. Category: Ephemera; Free Frank Panels.
Keywords: BZDB395 Ephemera; Free Frank Panels. John Owen : AN ORIGINAL PRE 1840 FREE FRONT; BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY FREE FRANK PANEL. John Owen, Member of Parliament for Pembroke Boroughs, 1809-12 & 1841-61 and Pembrokeshire, 1812-31 & 1831-41. John Owen
Price: £14.95