Rare letters signed by Mary Queen of Scots up for sale
Rare letters signed by Mary Queen of Scots are to go under the hammer in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
The letters, which could fetch between £10,000 and £15,000, were part of appeals made by the Queen to a Highland family urging them to keep the peace in and around Inverness, during a period where rival families and clans were vying for control of land across Scotland.
Written almost 500 years ago, the documents are part of a collection of papers from Kilravock Castle, near Croy, that are being sold by auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull.
Five letters in the auction are signed by Mary Queen of Scots, who visited the castle in 1562 when, as a 20-year-old, the Queen was received by Hugh Rose, the tenth Laird of Kilravock and an influential figure in the area, as she tried to garner support during her first trip north.
The letters, jointly signed by Mary's husband Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, are dated between September and October 1565, and came shortly before Darnley conspired with Protestant lords to murder his wife's trusted secretary, before he was murdered the following year.
It was the scandal around his murder that eventually led to Mary's arrest and eventual forced abdication in favour of infant son James VI.
The six letters he wrote which feature in the auction demonstrate his relationship with the Roses of Kilravock.
One of them, valued at between £2,000 and £3,000, excuses Hugh Rose from travelling to court and grant his eldest son's attendance instead and was signed by the young king when he was only 13.
In another, dated August 24, 1603, he signs a special warrant to the Privy Council, liberating the 11th Baron of Kilravock and his son from prison in Edinburgh where they had been interred for failing to apprehend rebel kinsmen.
Four documents signed by James V are also in the auction, including one just months before his death.
Cathy Tait, head of books and manuscripts at Lyon & Turnbull said: 'This in an unprecedented sale of historical of Scottish historical manuscripts.
'As an auctioneer you tend to come across a letter signed by Mary Queen of Scots every once in a while.
'To find five of her letters in the same collection, alongside others by members of her family, makes this a truly unique and amazing find.
'This series of documents and manuscripts, penned during a tumultuous time in Scottish and English history, gives a fascinating insight into both ordinary, and extraordinary, events during the times in which the writers lived.
'As you can imagine I'm really looking forward to being the rostrum for this particular auction – we expect it will generate a great deal of interest.'
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The National
3 hours ago
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Rare historic letters signed by Mary Queen of Scots sold at auction
The historic letters were part of the appeals made by the Queen to a Highland family urging them to keep the peace in and around Inverness during the time rival families were fighting for control of land across Scotland. The written documents date back almost 500 years and include a selection of letters and other forms of documents signed by Mary Queen of Scots, her father, James V, son, James VI and I, and mother, Mary of Guise. Described as one of the 'most important' collections of historical Scottish manuscripts ever offered for sale, the rare documents are part of a collection of papers from Kilravock Castle, near Croy. READ MORE: Scottish council says 'cyberattack' behind major drop in council tax collection Five of the letters are signed by Mary Queen of Scots, who visited the castle as a 20-year-old in 1562 and was received by Hugh Rose, the tenth Laird of Kilravock, who was seen as an influential figure in the area, as the young Queen tried to garner support during her first trip north. The letters, jointly signed by Mary's husband Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, date between September and October 1565, and came shortly before Darnley conspired with Protestant lords to murder his wife's trusted secretary, before he was murdered the following year. (Image: Stewart Attwood) It was the scandal around his murder that eventually led to Mary's arrest and eventual forced abdication, renouncing the throne, in favour of her infant son James VI. Cathy Tait, head of Books and Manuscripts at the auctioneer Lyon and Turnbull, said there was a 'great deal' of interest from a wide range of collectors. She said: 'We are absolutely delighted with the results of the archive from Kilravock Castle. 'There was a great deal of interest from a wide range of collectors, both private and institutional. 'The documents sold today comprise a range of very old and important items, illuminating Scotland's history, and we are pleased that they have found good homes.' A letter from Mary, Queen of Scots to the Laird of Kilravock, appointing him Sheriff for Inverness and dated 26th September 1565, fetched the highest price from the collection as it sold for £15,120. In the same sale, a collection of original drawings by one of the most celebrated and best-loved children's authors, Roald Dahl, sold for £23,940. (Image: Stewart Attwood) The sketches were produced by Dahl in black ballpoint pen for his memoir, Boy (1984), in which he describes his experience of growing up. In the book, he writes about his childhood exploits, including playing a prank with his friends on the local sweetshop owner, Mrs Pratchett, by putting a dead mouse in a gobstopper jar. To accompany this tale, Dahl drew a mouse lying on top of the sweets with its legs in the air. The drawings were found in an envelope marked Dahl's drawings and odds and sods, which belonged to Ian Craig, the former art director at the author's publishing firm, Jonathan Cape, in London. The sketches were sold as part of the production archive from the late Craig's estate and included Craig's own designs, as well as the publisher's original page layouts and correspondence. (Image: Stewart Attwood) Dominic Somerville-Brown, Lyon and Turnbull's rare books and manuscripts specialist, said: 'This archive is unique in the Roald Dahl canon – it's very rare to find material by his own hand. 'This is reflected in the price achieved which also demonstrates the enduring popularity of his children's stories 35 years after his death.'
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STV News
4 hours ago
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Rare letters signed by Mary Queen of Scots up for sale
Rare letters signed by Mary Queen of Scots are to go under the hammer in Edinburgh on Wednesday. The letters, which could fetch between £10,000 and £15,000, were part of appeals made by the Queen to a Highland family urging them to keep the peace in and around Inverness, during a period where rival families and clans were vying for control of land across Scotland. Written almost 500 years ago, the documents are part of a collection of papers from Kilravock Castle, near Croy, that are being sold by auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull. Five letters in the auction are signed by Mary Queen of Scots, who visited the castle in 1562 when, as a 20-year-old, the Queen was received by Hugh Rose, the tenth Laird of Kilravock and an influential figure in the area, as she tried to garner support during her first trip north. The letters, jointly signed by Mary's husband Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, are dated between September and October 1565, and came shortly before Darnley conspired with Protestant lords to murder his wife's trusted secretary, before he was murdered the following year. It was the scandal around his murder that eventually led to Mary's arrest and eventual forced abdication in favour of infant son James VI. The six letters he wrote which feature in the auction demonstrate his relationship with the Roses of Kilravock. One of them, valued at between £2,000 and £3,000, excuses Hugh Rose from travelling to court and grant his eldest son's attendance instead and was signed by the young king when he was only 13. In another, dated August 24, 1603, he signs a special warrant to the Privy Council, liberating the 11th Baron of Kilravock and his son from prison in Edinburgh where they had been interred for failing to apprehend rebel kinsmen. Four documents signed by James V are also in the auction, including one just months before his death. Cathy Tait, head of books and manuscripts at Lyon & Turnbull said: 'This in an unprecedented sale of historical of Scottish historical manuscripts. 'As an auctioneer you tend to come across a letter signed by Mary Queen of Scots every once in a while. 'To find five of her letters in the same collection, alongside others by members of her family, makes this a truly unique and amazing find. 'This series of documents and manuscripts, penned during a tumultuous time in Scottish and English history, gives a fascinating insight into both ordinary, and extraordinary, events during the times in which the writers lived. 'As you can imagine I'm really looking forward to being the rostrum for this particular auction – we expect it will generate a great deal of interest.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
