As the passport is such an integral part of
travelling the world I thought I would tell the history of the earliest
passport from England in 1414 AD.
In England, the earliest surviving reference to a "safe conduct"
document appears during the reign of Henry V, in an Act of Parliament
dated 1414. At that time, documents like these could be issued by the
king to anyone, whether they were English or not. Foreign nationals even
got theirs free of charge, while English subjects had to pay. Needless
to say, the monarch did not - and still does not - need a safe conduct
document.
From 1540, the granting of travelling papers became the business of
the Privy Council. By this point the term "passport" was being used,
although whether it originated with the idea of people passing through
maritime ports or through the gates in city walls ("portes" in French)
remains a matter for debate. A passport from this period, issued on June
18 1641 and signed by Charles I, still exists.
From 1794, the office of
the secretary of state took control of issuing passports, a function
that the Home Office retains today. Records remain of every British
passport granted from this time, although they continued to be available
to foreign nationals and were written in French until 1858, when the
passport first acquired its role as a British identity document.
Nevertheless, passports were not generally required for international
travel until the first world war.
It was in the early 20th century that passports as we would recognise
them today began to be used. The first modern British passport, the
product of the British Nationality and Status Aliens Act 1914, consisted
of a single page, folded into eight and held together with a cardboard
cover. It was valid for two years and, as well as a photograph and
signature, featured a personal description, including details such as
"shape of face", "complexion" and "features". The entry on this last
category might read something like: "Forehead: broad. Nose: large. Eyes:
small." Remarkably, some travellers claimed to find this dehumanising.
Following an agreement among the League of Nations to standardise
passports, the famous "old blue" was issued in 1920. Apart from a few
adjustments to its duration and security features, the old blue remained
a steady symbol of the touring Briton until it gradually began to be
replaced by the burgundy-coloured European version in 1988.
The passports of other countries are, on the whole, remarkably
similar to Britain's, although some do have their quirks. The new
Nicaraguan passport, for instance, boasts 89 separate security features,
including "bi dimensional bar codes", holograms and watermarks, and is
reputed to be one of the least forgeable documents in the world. The
Israeli passport, through no flaw in its design, must be one of the most
useless, as it is not accepted by 23 different Muslim countries, nor by
Cuba or North Korea. The Vatican, incidentally, has no immigration
controls, but it does issue passports. The Pope, among his other
honours, always carries "Passport No 1".
The passports of the future will feature embedded microchips and
biometric data, such as photographs, fingerprints and iris patterns.
Malaysia was the first country to introduce this technology, and
Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, the UK, the US, Germany, the
Republic of Ireland and Poland, among others, have recently followed.
English Passport History Timeline
Date
Event
1414
A reference is made to 'Safe Conducts' (the earliest passports) in an Act of Parliament during the reign of King Henry V.
1450
The Privy Council Register begins, leaving us a record of Privy
Council business. According to the Register, this includes granting
passports.
1641
A passport from this date still exists. It was issued on 18 June and signed by King Charles I.
1644 -1649
References in the Commons Journal show that both the House of Commons
and the House of Lords grants passes to foreign and British subjects
during these years.
1772
Until this date, passports were written in Latin or English. From this date onwards they are written in French (but see 1858).
1794
From this date, all passports are issued by the Secretary of State
and their issue is recorded. (Before this date some passports were
issued and signed by the king or queen.)
1858
From this date, passports are restricted to United Kingdom nationals.
(Before this date a 'passport' could be issued to a person of any
nationality as a promise of 'safe conduct' from the King or Queen.)
Passports start to be written in English again from this date, having
been written in French since 1772.
1914
Start of the First World War. By this point, British passports are
printed on paper and contain a photograph of the passport holder. The
British Nationality and Status Aliens Act is passed. Around the
world, countries start issuing passports as a way of distinguishing
their citizens from others they think of as 'foreign nationals'.
1915
The first modern UK passport is issued. It is a folded one-page document valid for two years.
1918
End of the First World War.
1920
The League of Nations International Conference on Passports agrees on a new book format for passports.
1954
UK passports no longer show the name of the Secretary of State.
1961
The British Visitor's passport is introduced. It is available from
Crown Post Offices and can be used for visiting western Europe.
1968
The first 10-year UK passports are issued.
1972
Passports are changed slightly, for example, the paper used now has a special watermark for security.
1973
A 94-page passport is introduced for frequent travellers.
1975
Passport photographs are now laminated for security - it is harder to change the photograph.
1981
An overprint is added to the laminate to further increase security.
1984
Occupation and country of residence details are no longer included on passports.
1988
'Family' or 'joint' passports are no longer issued.
The first
burgundy-coloured machine-readable UK passports are issued. A common
format is introduced for European Community member states' passports.
1995
The British Visitor's passport is discontinued.
1997
The first UK passports with references to the European Union are issued.
1998
New security measures include the use of a digital facial image
rather than a laminated photograph and intaglio or raised printing on
the inside on the front and back covers is introduced. Children under 16
can no longer be included on new adult passports but must have a
separate child passport.
2006
26 October: Passports featuring electronic chip and antenna introduced.
2010
October: New passport design includes strengthened security features and iconic images from across the nation.
The Chinese call Britain 'The Island of Hero's' which I
think sums up what we British are all about. We British are inquisitive
and competitive and are always looking over the horizon to the next
adventure and discovery.
Author,
Paul hussey
