Egerton MS 1818

A collection of letters and papers relating to Scottish affairs.

ff. 1r–v: Cardinal David Beaton (Archbishop of St Andrews) to 'my lord secretare', Paris, 26 November [1541?].

ff. 2r–v: Mary of Guise, (Queen Dowager of Scotland and James V's widow), taking Patrick, Lord Gray, into the service of her daughter Mary (Queen of Scots), Dunbarton, 23 March 1547.

ff. 3r–v: Order from James Hamilton (Earl of Arran, Regent of Scotland] to the President, Clerk Register and Lords of Council, to expedite a suit of Patrick, Lord Gray, 16 February 1549, St Andrews.

ff. 4r–v: Licence from the Regent Arran to Patrick, Lord Gray, and others, to absent themselves from the Queen's army, for the defence of the town of Dundee, 27 August 1548, Musselburgh, signed with seal.

ff. 5v–6v: Commission from James [Hamilton], Duke of Châtelherault and Earl of Arran, and 'remanent of the Nobilite and counsale of Scotland', to William Maitland, to treat with Queen Elizabeth or her commissioners, 24 December 1559, Stirling. Signed by, among others, James [Hamilton, Duke of Châtelherault and Earl of Arran], Ar[chibald Campbell, Earl of] Argyll, Alexander [Cunningham, Earl of] Glencairn, Alexander [Gordon, titular.] Archbishop [of Athens], Commendator of Inchaffray, James Stewart [afterwards Earl of Murray].

ff. 7r–8v: Questions proposed by the English Privy Council to the Lords of the Congregation of Scotland as to the means they possessed for co-operating with the English in an attack upon Leith, held by the Queen Dowager and the French, December 1559. For the answers, see Cotton MS Caligula B IX, f. 88.

ff. 9r–10v: Draft confirmation, with corrections, by Queen Elizabeth of the treaty concluded at Berwick between the Duke of Norfolk and the Lords of the Congregation of Scotland, 29 March [1560], Westminster.

ff. 11r–v: Mary of Guise to [Patrick], Lord Gray, 11 May 1560, Edinburgh.

ff. 12r–v: Mary [Queen of Scots] to [Patrick], Lord Gray, St Germain, 8 October [1560].

ff. 13r–16v: Two letters from James Stewart [Prior of St Andrews, and as Earl of Murray and Regent of Scotland] to Lord Robert Dudley [afterwards Earl of Leicester], 7 October and 26 December 1561, signed with seals.

f. 17r: Bond of James Stewart [1st Earl of Moray], William [Keith], Earl Marischal, and John [Stewart], Earl of Atholl, addressed to [William, Lord Grey de Wilton] Warden of the East Marches, pledging themselves for the parole of Patrick, Lord Gray, prisoner in England, 9 February 1561, Edinburgh.

ff. 18r–19v: Fragment of instructions to the Scottish ambassador to England [Thomas Randolph], chiefly related to the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots [1562/3].

ff. 20r–v: Commission from Mary, Queen of Scots, to William Maitland, to treat with the English government, 24 May 1562, Edinburgh.

ff. 21r–22v: James Stewart to Robert Dudley, 25 May 1562, signed with seal.

f. 23r–24v: [Mary, Queen of Scots] to [Thomas Randolph], English Ambassador, in answer to the advice of Queen Elizabeth concerning her marriage [c. November 1563].

ff. 25r–26v: Undated and imperfect letter with seal from Thomas Randolph to Robert Dudley, Edinburgh.

ff. 27r–28v: Signed letter with seal from Thomas Randolph to Robert Dudley, 13 December 1563, Edinburgh.

f. 29r–v: H[enry] Kyllygrew to [William Maitland, Laird of] Lethington; London, 18 December[1563?].

f. 30r–31v: Imperfect letter from [Lord Robert Dudley] to [William Maitland], [c. August 1564].

f. 32r–v: 'A device for therle of Lenox & his son towching ther possessions in Scotl.': statement of reasons why the Earl of Lennox should receive a new investment of his lands from the Queen of Scots and his eldest son be put in heritable fee [1564?].

f. 33r–34v: Imperfect letter from [William Maitland, of Lethington] to [Sir William Cecil], [18 September 1564].

f. 35r–36v: Signed letter with seal from Thomas Randolph to Sir William Cecil, 24 October 1565, Edinburgh.

ff. 37r–38v: Signed letter with seal from James Stewart to Robert Dudley, 2 December 1565, Newcastle.

ff. 39r–40v: Signed letter with seal from James Stewart to Robert Dudley, 7 December 1565, Newcastle.

ff. 41r–42v: Signed letter with seal from Thomas Randolph to Robert Dudley, 19 February 1565/6.

ff. 43r–44v: Copy of the answers to the instructions sent from the Earl of Morton to Mary, Queen of Scots, headed, 'To the answeris of ye erle of Mortoun brocht to ws be ye lord Boyd this is our mynd and declaracioun', 5 June 1567, signed by R[obert Boyd, Lord] Boyd [of Kilmarnock].

ff. 45r–46v: Copy of the bond of 16 June [1567], Edinburgh, entered into by the Earls of Morton, Atholl, and Mar, and others, to avenge the death of Lord Darnley.

ff. 46r–48v: Signed letter with seal from James Stewart to Robert Dudley, 16 February 1568.

f. 47r: fragment of a decoded cipher.

ff. 49r–v: copy of a letter from [James Stewart, Earl of Murray, Regent of Scotland] to [Queen Elizabeth], 13 July 1568, Edinburgh.

ff. 50r–51v: Signed letter with seal from James Stewart to Robert Dudley, 7 September 1568, Edinburgh.

ff. 52r–53v: Signed letter with seal from James Stewart to Robert Dudley, 19 October 1568.

ff. 54r–v: copy of a letter from [James Douglas, Earl of Morton] to [Sir William Drury], Marshal of Berwick, 3 June 1571, Dalkeith.

ff. 55r–v: Matthew [Stewart, Ear1 of Lennox], Regent of Scotland, to [? Patrick Gray, Lord Gray], 31 August 1571, Stirling, signed with seal.

ff. 56r–v: John [Erskine, Earl of Mar], Regent of Scotland, to [Patrick Gray] Master of Gray, 20 December 1571, Leith.

f. 57r: Elizabeth I's answer to French proposals received through Monsieur de Foix, relating to a truce and settlement between the contending parties in Scotland, signed by William Cecil, Lord Burghley, 28 June 1572.

ff. 58r–v: [?John Erskine, Earl of Mar], Regent of Scotland to [Sir William Drury], Marshal of Berwick, August 1572, Berwick.

ff. 59r–61v: Signed letter with seal of Thomas Randolph to [James Douglas, Earl of Morton] Regent of Scotland, 4 April 1575, London.

f. 62r: Signed letter with seal of [John Stewart, Earl of] Atholl, C[olin Campbell, Earl of] Argyll, J[ohn Graham, Earl of] Montrose, and [John Maxwell, Lord] Maxwell to [Patrick Gray] Lord Gray, 2 August 1578, Edinburgh.

ff. 63r–v: 'The Queenes Maiesties answere to certaine poyntes propounded by Mr Jeames Murray on the behalfe of the King his Soueraigne' [James VI], 29 July 1579. Signed by Francis Walsingham.

ff. 65r–v: Licence, with seal, from James VI to Patrick [Gray], Lord Gray, to export wheat, 22 March 1584, Holyroodhouse. Signed by the king, and countersigned by, [John Graham, Earl of] Montrose, and [Sir John, afterwards Lord, Maitland, of] Thirlestane.

ff. 66r–67v: Order from James VI of Scotland to Patrick, Lord Gray, to show reason for interfering with the property of Mary Stewart, Mistress of Gray, 21 June 1587, Falkland.

ff. 68r–v: Licence from James VI of Scotland to Patrick [Gray], Master of Gray, to return to Scotland, 21 August 1588, Edinburgh, signed with seal.

f. 69r: Undated draft grant from James VI of Scotland to William Ker of Newtown, of the ward and non-entry of the lands at Newtown, held by his father Robert Ker.

ff. 70r–v: Signed grant from James VI of Scotland to Patrick [Gray], Master of Gray, of 12,000 marks in consideration of his resigning the commendatory abbacy of Dunfermline in favour of the Queen, 6 July 1590, Holyroodhouse.

ff. 71v–72v: Return of English forces for the expedition against Cadiz under the Earl of Essex, 'the voluntaryes beinge excepted', 1595.

ff. 73r–v: Licence from James VI to Patrick [Gray], Master of Gray, to travel abroad for seven years, 20 July 1596, Falkland, signed with seal.

ff. 74r–75v: Holograph fragment of James I and VI's Declaration du serenissime Roy de la Grand' Bretaigne sur ses actions devers les Estats Generaux des Pais bas unis touchant le faict de Conradus Vorstius (London: Jean Norton, 1612).

f. 76r: 'A proiect for erecting of a newe dignitie betwen barons and knights...' [1611?].

f. 77r: 'A collection of some reason[s] for the proceedings of the baronetts bifor they take out lettres patents declaratorie of his Maiesties severall graunts vnto them' [c. 1611].

ff. 78r–v: Account of Charles II's birth and baptism, 29 May and 27 June 1630.