Death Warrant

I had the pleasure of photographing some seriously old scottish historical documents today, due to copyright issues I can't post a full image, but am able to post images that have been crops of the documents, this one was the death warrant for Mary Queen of Scots.

The execution warrant signed by Elizabeth I brought to an end the almost two decades of what was effectively house arrest for Mary and brought about her beheading at Fotheringhaye Castle, 70 miles north of London, on 8 February, 1587.

The document, though written in the most courtly language, makes Elizabeth’s wishes crystal clear. It instructs her commissioners to “...repaire to our Castle of Fotheringhaye where the said Queene of Scottes is in custodie of our right trustie servant and Counsellor Sir Amyas Poulet Knight, and then taking her into your charge to cause by your commandment execution to be done upon her person”.