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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ydars" data-source="post: 4566712" data-attributes="member: 62992">I think the term passport came from papers that people had to have to enter or leave a port during time of war. They were certainly in use in the 1400s as there is a reference to "letters of safe conduct" in a document from the time of Henry V in 1414 and in also in the play "Henry V"; "He that hath no stomach for this fight, let him depart! His passport shall be made and crowns for converse put into his pocket." The earliest one we have from the UK is this from the reign of Charles I and here is the text of it. CHARLES BY THE GRACE OF GOD, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith etc; To all our Mayors, Justices of the Peace, Bailifs, Customans (?), Comptrollers, Searchers; And more particularly to our Admirals, Vice-Admirals, Captains of the Forts Ships and our other Ministers and Officers both at land and Sea whom it doth or may concerne Greeting. Whereas wee have given and by these presents doe grant leave and license to our Trustie and Wellbeloved Servant Captain William Bradshagh Esqre one of the gentlemen of our Privie Chamber to transport himself and his familie into the parts beyond the Seas. Wee doe therefore will and require you and every of you to suffer and sayd Captain in Bradshagh quietly to passe by you and to embarque himself together with his Wife Margaret Bradshagh two Mayds and two men Servants with their trunks of apparells and other necessaries not prohibited at any of our ports; giving them rather all furtherance and assistance for their safe and speedie passage than any trouble lett and molestation. And hereof you may not faile as you to render our pleasure and this shall be as well unto you and every one of you as unto the said Captain Bradshagh sufficient warrent on this behalf. Given under our Signet at our palace of Westminster the Eighteenth of June in the Seventeenth year of our reign - 1641."  There are also references in the bible to Moses giving Abraham such a safe conduct letter as well.</blockquote>

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