Officer's parole card, 1812

This parole card was issued to Lieutenant J Whitley of the 9th (The East Norfolk) Regiment of Foot on 30 December 1812. He was a prisoner at Verdun in France during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). As an officer, Whitley was allowed to leave his prison during the day as long as he promised to return! Photography had not yet been invented, so a detailed description of each prisoner's appearance was written down to make sure that no one had escaped.