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British P.M. William E. GLADSTONE SIGNED free frank
Signed and dated June 28, 1835.
This is a \"free frank\" -- a mark applied by means of a hand-stamp to parliamentary mail in Britain to indicate that the mailed item did not require postage. Free franks were required to be signed by the official sender. Therefore, they became highly prized by autograph collectors during the 19th century.
The free frank was addressed to Rev. H.E. (Henry Edward) Manning (1808-1892). Manning converted to Roman Catholicism in 1851 and ultimately became a cardinal in 1875. At the time he signed this, Gladstone at age 25 was already into his third year serving in parliament.
Some staining as shown. Small patch on reverse as shown. Measures about 2 3/4\" x 4 1/2\".
William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898) was a British statesman and politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four terms beginning in 1868 and ending in 1894.
He also served as Chancellor of the Exchequer four times, serving over 12 years. Historians recognize him as one of Britain\'s greatest father was a bibliophile who collected rare books, letters, and ephemera for more than 60 years.
For now and into the foreseeable future, we will be listing rare paper items from his estate.
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