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Free Frank
A Free Frank was a mark applied by means of a hand-stamp to parliamentary mail in Britain to indicate that the mailed item did not require postage. The privilege of free franking was granted to four different classes: Members of Parliament; peers sitting in the House of Lords; office-holders, largely as stipulated by Acts of Parliament; and to archbishops and bishops sitting in the House of Lords. Requirement for free franking were that the mailed cover (letter or packet) had to be signed by the official sender. As a result, free franks were avidly sought during the first three decades of the nineteenth century for autograph collections. This was accomplished by cutting out the front panels of the envelope which carried the inscriptions which were required under the use of this privilege. These panels are referred to by collectors as ''free fronts''.
In 1840 as a result of various abuses and excesses that had plagued the British Post office for many years, Rowland Hill's reforms brought an end to the Free franking privilege in 1840 when he introduced the postage stamp to Britain.〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher=County Carlow Genealogy IGP )〕
== Origins and use ==
Under the ''Parliamentary Franking System'', members of the British Parliament (MPs) were able to send letters free of charge, the cost being borne by the taxpayer. The origin of the system was a decree of the Council of State of 1652 〔Alcock R.C. & Holland F.C. ''British Postmarks: A Short History and Guide'', R.C. Alcock Ltd., Cheltenham, 1977, p.53.〕 confirmed by an ordinance of 2 September 1654 〔Robinson, Howard. ''The British Post Office: A History'', Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 1948, p.44.〕 during the Cromwellian period. Letters that were "for the service of the Commonwealth" were free of charge.〔Robinson, p.113.〕 Originally all that appeared on letters was the addressee, the word ''Frank'' or ''Free'' and the signature or seal of the sender. In the eighteenth century special marks started to be used, first in Dublin in 1706, and later in London and Edinburgh. The date of posting was introduced and more elaborate marks came into use.
抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』
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