Step back into the dawn of the Edwardian era with this remarkable piece of financial history! This original hand-written promissory note, dated March 4, 1901, captures a private £10 agreement between Rebecca Blowers and Albert Henry Franklin of Oxford.
The document features a beautiful, crisp orange-red embossed "Two Pence" Revenue Stamp—a "Bill or Note" duty stamp required by the Stamp Act of 1891 to make the debt legally binding. It was issued at "Fern Lea" on Southmoor Road, a prestigious neighborhood in North Oxford that still carries its Victorian charm today.
The penmanship is classic, elegant, and perfectly legible, showcasing the formal legal phrasing of the time, including the specified 5% interest rate.
A quick word of advice: If you’re planning on using this to collect the £10 from Mr. Franklin’s descendants, just be warned—they might try to pay you back in 1901-era buttons and pocket lint!
This is a fantastic addition for collectors of Oxford history, British revenue stamps, or anyone who appreciates the tangible "paper trail" of the early 20th century. The document is in excellent condition for its age, with only minor toning and the expected folds from historical storage.
This document is a Promissory Note dated March 4, 1901, originating from Oxford, England. It represents a private financial agreement between two individuals at the very beginning of the Edwardian era.
Rebecca Blowers (The Borrower): The signatory of the note. She "promises to pay" the sum of ten pounds.
Mr. Albert Henry Franklin (The Lender): The recipient of the note, listed with an address in Oxford.
While these names do not immediately register as "famous" figures on a global historical scale, they represent the middle-class professional or property-owning demographic of Oxford at the turn of the century. In 1901, £10 was a significant sum—equivalent to roughly £1,100–£1,300 ($1,400–$1,650) in today's purchasing power.
The note identifies the address as "Fern Lea, Southmoor Road, Oxford."
Southmoor Road is a well-known residential street in North Oxford, characterized by Victorian and Edwardian architecture.
Historically, this area was populated by academics, university officials, and successful tradespeople. The house name "Fern Lea" is typical of the period's naming conventions for villas.
The most distinctive visual element is the orange-red embossed stamp in the top left corner. This is not a postage stamp, but rather an Impressed Revenue Stamp.
Type: "BILL OR NOTE" Revenue Stamp.
Value: TWO PENCE.
Function: According to the Stamp Act of 1891, legal financial documents like promissory notes and bills of exchange were required to have a "duty" paid to the government to be legally enforceable in court.
Details: The "11-5-00" within the design indicates the date the stamp die was created or the tax was recorded (May 11, 1900), which aligns perfectly with the March 1901 handwritten date on the note.
The primary value of this document lies in its status as a social and financial artifact rather than its connection to a celebrity.
Private Lending Customs: It illustrates how individuals handled credit before the modern banking era. The note specifies an interest rate of "five pounds per centum per annum" (5%), a standard fair-market rate for the time.
The Death of Queen Victoria: The note is dated March 1901. Queen Victoria had died only weeks earlier, on January 22, 1901. This document exists in the very first months of the reign of King Edward VII, capturing a moment of significant national transition.
Legal Formalism: The specific phrasing—"In Demand I promise to pay..." and "for value this day received"—follows the strict legal requirements of the Bills of Exchange Act 1882.