Border crossings

Published on Saturday 30 September 2006 00:59

In researching my family history it would appear that one of my ancestors travelled a lot, presumably on business. Would he have had to have a passport and if so where might I find details of this? I Wood (by e-mail)

• British passports, in the modern sense, were not introduced until 1915. Before this there were few practical restrictions on individuals who wished to travel abroad.

Documents similar to passports were issued by the Scottish crown (prior to the Union of Crowns in 1603) and by burghs, senior churchmen and noblemen. These were letters of introduction or safe conduct for individuals travelling in Europe. Examples of these precursors of the modern passport can be found in collections of private family papers deposited in Scottish archives and libraries, and looking at these will give you an idea of how passports developed from the 17th to the 20th century.

Seventeenth-century passes appear to have been rudimentary documents, often in Latin. However, by the early 19th century some travellers appear to have carried more elaborate folders containing a passport issued by the Foreign Office.

In 1846 regulations were drawn up regarding applications for passports issued by the Foreign Office. These passports were issued to British-born subjects for a single journey and could be used for any subsequent journey only if countersigned afresh by the ministers or consuls of the countries which the holder intended to visit.

Records of passports issued by the Foreign Office can be found in The National Archives (TNA) in London. They have records of passports for the period 1795-1948 (indexed for the periods 1851-1862 and 1874-1898) in the Foreign Office records they hold (TNA reference: FO610-611). Visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

For passports issued in Scotland before the 18th century, you should first try published sources, such as the register of the Privy Seal (Registrum secreti sigilli regum Scotorum), the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, and the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland (Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum), or published minutes or acts of the burgh concerned.

The family papers of the individual concerned might be with the National Archives of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland, or a local archive, or even held privately. You should ascertain from the National Register of Archives for Scotland where the relevant family papers are held. You might also search the National Archive of Scotland's electronic catalogue (www.nas.gov.uk) for examples occurring in family papers.