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November 15, 2007
Export Licenses and national heritage
Now this seems like something worth keeping in England - a contemporary copy of the death warrant for Mary Queen of Scots.
The two-page copy of the warrant, dated 1586/7 was one of five made by Robert Beale, principal clerk to the Privy Council of Elizabeth I, for sending out to the commissioners responsible for organising the trial and execution.The commissioners were instructed to “repair to our Castell of Fotheringhay where the said queene of Scottes is in Custodie and cause by your commaundement execution to be don vppon her person.” In Beale’s copy, certain passages have been underlined to emphasise the responsibility of the commissioner.
The document was retained by Henry Grey, 6th Earl of Kent, who may well have referred to it during the execution. It then passed on to the antiquary and jurist John Seldon (1584-1654) and stayed in the family of his executor, John Hale, until the 1930s. Since then it has been held by several collectors and was last sold at Sotheby’s in 1996.
Sometimes one wonders - I mean, how does some 18th Century grand tourist's purchase of an Italian painting make it part of the national heritage? - but this seems keepable.
Read the article at 24 Hour Museum.
Posted by CrankyProfessor at November 15, 2007 4:31 PM