McGill Libraries Uncovers Royal Bible Formerly Owned by King Charles I

The Cataloguing Team is part of McGill Libraries’ Collection Services and they process thousands of items each year, enhancing the searchability of the library materials. These materials include new acquisitions, as well as backlog collections. One backlog collection is the Cutter Collection in Rare Books and Special Collections, which is the original collection of the McGill Libraries. It is also where this Bible was located, until it was catalogued.

One component of rare book cataloguing is provenance—the origins, history, and ownership of an item. Uncovering the provenance of a rare book often leads to dead ends but, once in a while, the former owners helpfully document the provenance themselves.

This 1638 edition of the King James Bible was printed at the University of Cambridge and first owned by King Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland. It includes the 1604 version of the Book of Common Prayer, with updated litanies to include prayers to Charles I, his Queen and issue, and six additional thanksgivings. A note on an added title states that “This Bible belongs to the family of Kelhead and was originally the property of King Charles the 1^st.”

Anyone can claim their family hierloom was a gifted from a monarch, but there are several bits of information that support the Kelhead claim. Firstly, the Bible is bound in the Armorial binding of Charles I, including the Royal Arms of the Kingdom of England used from 1603-1649 and 1660-1689 with Crown and Garter. The motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter, closely associated with the British Royal Family, honi soit qui mal y pense, is seen in the Garter.

There are a couple letters laid in the item. They are from the 10^th Marquis of Queensberry, stating that the Bible was gifted to William Douglas, the 1^st Earl of Queensberry, by Charles I after he visited their castle in Scotland. As the book was printed in 1638 and William Douglas passed away in 1639 or 1640, it is likely Charles I gifted this Bible during the early stages of the First Bishop’s War in Scotland in 1639. Of William Douglas’ children, the Bible would pass between the descendants of his first son, James Douglas, the 2^nd Earl of Queensberry, and his second son, Sir William Douglas of Kelhead.

As seen above, the signature of” Sir John Douglas of Kelhead Baronet” is at the head of the engraved title page. John Douglas was the 3^rd Baronet of Kelhead, the great-great-grandson of the 1^st Earl of Queensberry. There is a second signature from a “Sir John Douglas” on the flyleaf preceding the engraved title page. It’s not clear which “Sir John Douglas” signed it but later John Douglas’ in that family inherited other titles. As seen in the simplified family tree below, the Douglas Baronets of Kelhead are a cadet branch of the Douglas Earls of Queensberry and the inheritors of this Bible.

On the back flyleaves, there is a detailed family tree on the back flyleaves beginning with the 6^th Marquess, Charles Douglas’ marriage to Lady Caroline Montagu (Scott) and all eight of their daughters. The family tree includes their daughters’ dates and places of birth, and their sponsors. The tree continues by breaking down each daughters’ husband, father-in-law, wedding date, wedding location, and officiant, as well as information about their children.

As the 6^th Marquess had no male heirs, the family tree continues with his brother, John Douglas, the 7^th Marquess of Queensberry, his wife Sarah, and their children. The family tree stops with the children of Archibald William Douglas, then Viscount Drumlaing and later the 8^th Marquess of Queensberry.

Finally, there are a collection of letters, notes, and a newspaper clipping pasted on the back endpapers. One sheet on the back pastedown lists the issue of an earlier Kelhead Baronet: William Douglas, the 4^th Baronet and Grace Johnstone. On the verso of the last flyleaf, there is a letter from a “Jane Goring” dated March 27, 1768. “Charles Douglas, Esq., Cecil Street” is written on the back of the letter, indicating that the letter was likely received by Charles Douglas, 3^rd Duke of Queensberry from 1711 to 1778.

Due to the state of the letter, it’s not clear what, exactly, the contents of the letter are but it appears to be a letter from a daughter to her father. If that is the case, she may be an illegitimate daughter as by 1768, the 3^rd Duke of Queensberry’s sons had all predeceased him without issue, as had this daughter-in-law, Lady Elizabeth Hope.

There is also an envelope containing two letters dated August 5 and August 7 1912. These letters are addressed to a “Mr. Burton” and signed “Queensberry.” These letters confirm the origin of the Bible—that it was first owned by Charles I, gifted to the 1^st Earl of Queensberry, and passed down to his descendants. Another note dated “London, 2^nd March 1900” indicates that this Bible was sold in 1900 for £5000 by Percy Sholto Douglas, 10^th Marquess of Queensberry from 1900 to 1920. This is equivalent to approximately $1 million CAD today!