Lot 46008 - 1753 (February 26th) Folded entire from Sir John Freke MP for Baltimore Co. Cork to Thomas Dillon in Dublin, showing a straight-line town mkg of LISMORE in black, and in manuscript alongside a forged signature of "Free/J

1753 (February 26th) Folded entire from Sir John Freke MP for Baltimore Co. Cork to Thomas Dillon in Dublin, showing a straight-line town mkg of LISMORE in black, and in manuscript alongside a forged signature of "Free/John Freke", on detection in Dublin the straight-line COUNTERFEIT was applied, rate "4", a wonderful exhibition item.

Note: John Redmond Freke entered the Irish House of Commons in 1727 as MP for Baltimore, County Cork, shortly before succeeding to the baronetcy in 1728. He represented this family-controlled pocket borough until 1761. A member of the Protestant landed establishment, his parliamentary career largely reflected the patronage-based politics of eighteenth-century Ireland.