WITH DOCUMENTS SIGNED BY JAMES I
[A bound collection of his correspondence and papers, amongst others, from the archives of the Graham family].
[s.i., vs.].
[s.n.], 1570-1700
Folio.
48 separate letters and documents; manuscript on paper. Mounted on stubs with small, numbered, printed labels either affixed directly to the documents, or to the blank leaves behind which they are mounted nineteenth-century half-Russia, neatly rebacked (original spine laid down) and recornered, with new marbled paper covering boards. Recent photocopies of much of the text of ‘Some letters and correspondence of George Graeme, Bishop of Dunblane and of Orkney, 1602-1638.’, edited by L.G. Graeme from the documents contained within this volume variously tipped/laid in. Inscribed 'From Sir Thos. Phillipps' Collection of Mss, sold by Sothebys, 1895' in ink to blank fly. A clipping from a Quaritch catalogue from June 1895 (No. 151) supplies a brief description (mentioning just 44 documents).
A remarkable archive of documents, apparently collected in the nineteenth-century and only partially researched, relating to George Graham (1565-1643), Church of Scotland prelate, Bishop of Dunblane (1603-15) and Orkney (1615-38); great-grandson of William, Lord Graeme, first Earl of Montrose (1464-1513) amongst the first of Scottish clergy to accept the episcopal prelacy as instituted by King James VI (and later I of England). Following the disputes over the governance of the Church of Scotland, Graham was deprived of his see - alongside all other Scottish bishops - on 18th November 1638; he renouncing his claims on the same in the following February, thereby avoiding excommunication or confiscation of his barony of Gothie.
As L.G. Graeme notes in his article exploring this archive, the letters contained herein display him as 'a genial, shrewd, kindly man, with a capacity for business, a vein of quaint expression, and a sense of humour which give an interest to his letters'. The collection,
Included are;
I) Several family letters, largely relating to the purchase of the Barony of Gothie in Strathearn in the 1620s (with printed reference numbers)
(1) A.L.S. (undated, with significant loss of ink) to Patrick Smythe of Braco, referring to the recent death of Mr Patrick Coupar, Bishop of Galloway (d.1619).
(2) A.L.S. (dated 11th March) to his son, David Graham of Guthrie, referring to monetary matters but also noting great distress in the country.
(3) A.L.S. (dated 2nd March) to the same, replying at length to a letter, relating to the purchase of the Barony of Gothie, which has gravely offended the bishop.
(4) A.L.S. (dated 8th January 1630) to the same, replying to his son's pressing for the dower of his sister Marion to be devoted to the purchase of the Barony of Gothie, and explaining that the price asked (71,000 marks) was too high, and that payment to his ministers in Orkney was in arrears.
(5) A.L.S. (dated April 16th) to the same, showing the Bishop as more averse to the purchase, and explaining that he had dispatched his son in law, Patrick Smythe of Braco, South - in order to counsel his son relating to the purchase,
(6) A.L.S. (undated, but crossing the above) from the Bishop's son to the Bishop, displaying an all consuming desire for the purchase to be pressed head with; remarkably annotated in what the earlier editor described as 'trite and saracastic' marginal responses, with numbered references added to the text of the son's original letter.
(7). A.L.S. (undated, but apparently subsequent to a reply to the Bishop's returning the annotated letter (6) to his son) from the Bishop to his son; something of a homily on, amongst other topics, avoiding unpleasantness with old friends.
II) Three documents relating to the state of the Bishop's affairs, and his intentions at death, drawn up around the time of his accepting the Bishopric of Orkney:
(8) Autograph document, signed by the bishop; an inventory of his estate before the introduction to his new bishopric, in 1616.
(9) Autograph letter will signed by the bishop (dated 15th Jan. 1617).
(10) Autograph detailed instructions to accompany a testament, signed by the bishop (also dated 15th Jan. 1617), 'to be opened in presence of The Earl of Montroiss, the L. of Scone, the B. of Dunkel, and the Laird of Inschbraky; more plane Informatione for clearing thir thingis will be hed fra Pat Smyth'.
III) Various official letters regarding the Bishop and his see:
(11) Document signed by Thomas Hope from 'The Generall Assemblie of the Comissionairse from the Presbytioris of the Kirk of Scotland haldin at haly rood hous...Sexth Sessione 6, 15th Novembris 1602' relating to the appointment of commissioners of the provinces
Three documents (12), (15) and (34) signed by James VI and I, the former also signed by Lord Balmerino and David Scone relating to Graham's position as Bishop of Dunblane; the latter awarding the Bishop a thousand marks given the small and dilapidated state of his bishopric
A Precept Controller from D. Scone, Comptroller referring to the bishop, to Thomas Hendersone (24)
IV) Letters to the Bishop from other Scottish bishops and politicians:
Including (as Bishop of Dunblane) from Peter Rollok, dated 13th June 1604 (20), from Dunkell (21), from James, Lord Colvill of Culros, dated 27th December (22); to George Graham from David, Lord Scone (23); and (after his resignation) to Graham as the Laird of Gorthie from J. Grahame of Balgoune, dated 20th August 1642 (30);
V) 28 other letters and documents:
Including a documents signed by, inter alia, Lord Ruthven (38) and James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose (47).
Whilst the Quaritch catalogue description for this item (priced at £7 10s) suggests that this collection of documents 'all from the archives of the Graham family, two of them bearing signatures of James I and others....a valuable collection...was probably part of the family papers of the Duke of Montrose', the article by L.G. Graeme for the Miscellany of the Scottish History Society, Vol. II, Scottish History Society, First Series, 45 (1904) refers to the papers coming into his 'hands on the dispersion of the late Sir Thomas Philip's (sic) collection of manuscripts'. Given the quantity of manuscript material which even the first decade of periodic sales of Phillipp's collections would have put into the market, this is far from unlikely; perhaps this collection was Phillipps Ms.18976 'Graham Letters. thin Fol. wh. bds. ch. s. xix.'.
£ 9,500.00
Antiquates Ref: 23954
As L.G. Graeme notes in his article exploring this archive, the letters contained herein display him as 'a genial, shrewd, kindly man, with a capacity for business, a vein of quaint expression, and a sense of humour which give an interest to his letters'. The collection,
Included are;
I) Several family letters, largely relating to the purchase of the Barony of Gothie in Strathearn in the 1620s (with printed reference numbers)
(1) A.L.S. (undated, with significant loss of ink) to Patrick Smythe of Braco, referring to the recent death of Mr Patrick Coupar, Bishop of Galloway (d.1619).
(2) A.L.S. (dated 11th March) to his son, David Graham of Guthrie, referring to monetary matters but also noting great distress in the country.
(3) A.L.S. (dated 2nd March) to the same, replying at length to a letter, relating to the purchase of the Barony of Gothie, which has gravely offended the bishop.
(4) A.L.S. (dated 8th January 1630) to the same, replying to his son's pressing for the dower of his sister Marion to be devoted to the purchase of the Barony of Gothie, and explaining that the price asked (71,000 marks) was too high, and that payment to his ministers in Orkney was in arrears.
(5) A.L.S. (dated April 16th) to the same, showing the Bishop as more averse to the purchase, and explaining that he had dispatched his son in law, Patrick Smythe of Braco, South - in order to counsel his son relating to the purchase,
(6) A.L.S. (undated, but crossing the above) from the Bishop's son to the Bishop, displaying an all consuming desire for the purchase to be pressed head with; remarkably annotated in what the earlier editor described as 'trite and saracastic' marginal responses, with numbered references added to the text of the son's original letter.
(7). A.L.S. (undated, but apparently subsequent to a reply to the Bishop's returning the annotated letter (6) to his son) from the Bishop to his son; something of a homily on, amongst other topics, avoiding unpleasantness with old friends.
II) Three documents relating to the state of the Bishop's affairs, and his intentions at death, drawn up around the time of his accepting the Bishopric of Orkney:
(8) Autograph document, signed by the bishop; an inventory of his estate before the introduction to his new bishopric, in 1616.
(9) Autograph letter will signed by the bishop (dated 15th Jan. 1617).
(10) Autograph detailed instructions to accompany a testament, signed by the bishop (also dated 15th Jan. 1617), 'to be opened in presence of The Earl of Montroiss, the L. of Scone, the B. of Dunkel, and the Laird of Inschbraky; more plane Informatione for clearing thir thingis will be hed fra Pat Smyth'.
III) Various official letters regarding the Bishop and his see:
(11) Document signed by Thomas Hope from 'The Generall Assemblie of the Comissionairse from the Presbytioris of the Kirk of Scotland haldin at haly rood hous...Sexth Sessione 6, 15th Novembris 1602' relating to the appointment of commissioners of the provinces
Three documents (12), (15) and (34) signed by James VI and I, the former also signed by Lord Balmerino and David Scone relating to Graham's position as Bishop of Dunblane; the latter awarding the Bishop a thousand marks given the small and dilapidated state of his bishopric
A Precept Controller from D. Scone, Comptroller referring to the bishop, to Thomas Hendersone (24)
IV) Letters to the Bishop from other Scottish bishops and politicians:
Including (as Bishop of Dunblane) from Peter Rollok, dated 13th June 1604 (20), from Dunkell (21), from James, Lord Colvill of Culros, dated 27th December (22); to George Graham from David, Lord Scone (23); and (after his resignation) to Graham as the Laird of Gorthie from J. Grahame of Balgoune, dated 20th August 1642 (30);
V) 28 other letters and documents:
Including a documents signed by, inter alia, Lord Ruthven (38) and James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose (47).
Whilst the Quaritch catalogue description for this item (priced at £7 10s) suggests that this collection of documents 'all from the archives of the Graham family, two of them bearing signatures of James I and others....a valuable collection...was probably part of the family papers of the Duke of Montrose', the article by L.G. Graeme for the Miscellany of the Scottish History Society, Vol. II, Scottish History Society, First Series, 45 (1904) refers to the papers coming into his 'hands on the dispersion of the late Sir Thomas Philip's (sic) collection of manuscripts'. Given the quantity of manuscript material which even the first decade of periodic sales of Phillipp's collections would have put into the market, this is far from unlikely; perhaps this collection was Phillipps Ms.18976 'Graham Letters. thin Fol. wh. bds. ch. s. xix.'.
