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Funeral of Mary, Queen of Scots
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Funeral of Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots, was buried at Peterborough Cathedral on 1 August 1587 with a heraldic funeral, following her execution at Fotheringhay Castle on 8 February 1587. In 1612, her son James VI and I ordered her reburial at Westminster Abbey.
Mary's servants who were held at Chartley were brought to Fotheringhay in February after the execution. Much of the furnishings and silver plate from Mary's lodging were sent to London. Amias Paulet described this as the "best stuff". Mary had made verbal bequests of many of her jewels and other items to her gentlewomen and male servants. These were retained at Fotheringhay in the custody of Andrew Melville, Dominique Bourgoing, and Jane Kennedy. Paulet sent an inventory of these latter items to Francis Walsingham which survives in The National Archives (TNA).
Adam Blackwood wrote that Mary's body was kept in a chamber near the scene of execution at Fotheringhay, and after a time Mary's body and head were sealed in a lead casket. Some accounts mention that Mary's servants were able to peep through a gap in a partition and saw that the body was covered with a cloth from a billiard table.
Henry III of France organised a funeral or commemorative service at Notre-Dame de Paris in March. In June, the lead coffin at Fotheringhay was found to be ruptured and was mended by a plumber. The remaining servants petitioned for Mary's funeral to be held and their detention ended. John Mowbray of Barnbougle wrote to ask James VI if the body would be taken to Scotland for burial. Robert Melville replied that it was all "too recent" to ask the king. Melville trusted Elizabeth would soon release the servants.
John Fortescue, Master of the Wardrobe of Elizabeth I, was sent to organise the funeral at Peterborough. Mourning clothes were to be provided for Mary's household, who had remained at Fotheringhay. At first Mary's servants refused the new garments as they already wore mourning clothes and there was disagreement over the fashion of women's mourning hoods worn either in French or English style. A tirewoman, the wife of Hugh Rogers, was sent from London to make coiffures for the day of the funeral. She may have been the Elizabeth Rogers who made blackwork embroidery for Elizabeth.
Fortescue's account mentions "Paris heads" fashioned for the high-status female mourners, with "barbes and linen", "bongraces" and "kerchers" worn as headdresses and face-coverings. A "Paris head" was a close cap with two lappets hanging at the back, worn in England (but now a name associated with Mary's white mourning cap and veil). Paris heads were worn at the funerals of Elizabeth of York in 1503 and Anne of Cleves in 1556. These garments were worn at other Elizabethan funerals; at the funeral of Katherine, Lady Berkeley at Coventry St Michaels in May 1596, two knight's wives wore similar mourning with "round Parys heads, boungrace, and barbes of fine lawne". A "barbe" was a covering or veil over the mouth and chin, or worn bib-like under the chin. At Peterborough, one Scottish gentlewoman received a "large attire of lawn with a barbe", this was perhaps Barbara Moubray, the wife of Gilbert Curle, whose name is included in the order of procession. Some sketches of the funeral procession are held by the British Library (MS Add. 35324), these show conventional mourning dress.
Fortescue bought 1599 1/2 yards of black cloth in seven different qualities. The herald William Dethick arranged the building of a wooden hearse in Peterborough Cathedral. This hearse was a stationary architectural heraldic display, not a conveyance for the coffin. It was 27 feet high, covered with black velvet set with escutcheons, and decorated with gold fringes. Rooms in the Bishop's Palace and the nave of the cathedral were draped with black cloth and baize. Some of the baize was hired from a merchant, William Albany.
Mary's body was brought from Fotheringhay via Huntingdon to Peterborough on a chariot drawn by four horses at night on 30 July, a distance of 12 miles. William Dethick organised the procession. The coffin was interred near the resting place of Catherine of Aragon, without ceremony. One reason recorded for this was that the hot weather might cause the solder of the lead coffin to fail. The graves of both Queens were dug by Robert Scarlett. The official mourners arrived on 31 July. Bridget Russell, Countess of Bedford was the chief mourner and representative of Elizabeth I. Among the chief mourners was William Cecil's sister Elizabeth Alington, as a substitute for Susan, Lady Cromwell. The names of the mourners and banner holders vary in contemporary lists.
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Funeral of Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots, was buried at Peterborough Cathedral on 1 August 1587 with a heraldic funeral, following her execution at Fotheringhay Castle on 8 February 1587. In 1612, her son James VI and I ordered her reburial at Westminster Abbey.
Mary's servants who were held at Chartley were brought to Fotheringhay in February after the execution. Much of the furnishings and silver plate from Mary's lodging were sent to London. Amias Paulet described this as the "best stuff". Mary had made verbal bequests of many of her jewels and other items to her gentlewomen and male servants. These were retained at Fotheringhay in the custody of Andrew Melville, Dominique Bourgoing, and Jane Kennedy. Paulet sent an inventory of these latter items to Francis Walsingham which survives in The National Archives (TNA).
Adam Blackwood wrote that Mary's body was kept in a chamber near the scene of execution at Fotheringhay, and after a time Mary's body and head were sealed in a lead casket. Some accounts mention that Mary's servants were able to peep through a gap in a partition and saw that the body was covered with a cloth from a billiard table.
Henry III of France organised a funeral or commemorative service at Notre-Dame de Paris in March. In June, the lead coffin at Fotheringhay was found to be ruptured and was mended by a plumber. The remaining servants petitioned for Mary's funeral to be held and their detention ended. John Mowbray of Barnbougle wrote to ask James VI if the body would be taken to Scotland for burial. Robert Melville replied that it was all "too recent" to ask the king. Melville trusted Elizabeth would soon release the servants.
John Fortescue, Master of the Wardrobe of Elizabeth I, was sent to organise the funeral at Peterborough. Mourning clothes were to be provided for Mary's household, who had remained at Fotheringhay. At first Mary's servants refused the new garments as they already wore mourning clothes and there was disagreement over the fashion of women's mourning hoods worn either in French or English style. A tirewoman, the wife of Hugh Rogers, was sent from London to make coiffures for the day of the funeral. She may have been the Elizabeth Rogers who made blackwork embroidery for Elizabeth.
Fortescue's account mentions "Paris heads" fashioned for the high-status female mourners, with "barbes and linen", "bongraces" and "kerchers" worn as headdresses and face-coverings. A "Paris head" was a close cap with two lappets hanging at the back, worn in England (but now a name associated with Mary's white mourning cap and veil). Paris heads were worn at the funerals of Elizabeth of York in 1503 and Anne of Cleves in 1556. These garments were worn at other Elizabethan funerals; at the funeral of Katherine, Lady Berkeley at Coventry St Michaels in May 1596, two knight's wives wore similar mourning with "round Parys heads, boungrace, and barbes of fine lawne". A "barbe" was a covering or veil over the mouth and chin, or worn bib-like under the chin. At Peterborough, one Scottish gentlewoman received a "large attire of lawn with a barbe", this was perhaps Barbara Moubray, the wife of Gilbert Curle, whose name is included in the order of procession. Some sketches of the funeral procession are held by the British Library (MS Add. 35324), these show conventional mourning dress.
Fortescue bought 1599 1/2 yards of black cloth in seven different qualities. The herald William Dethick arranged the building of a wooden hearse in Peterborough Cathedral. This hearse was a stationary architectural heraldic display, not a conveyance for the coffin. It was 27 feet high, covered with black velvet set with escutcheons, and decorated with gold fringes. Rooms in the Bishop's Palace and the nave of the cathedral were draped with black cloth and baize. Some of the baize was hired from a merchant, William Albany.
Mary's body was brought from Fotheringhay via Huntingdon to Peterborough on a chariot drawn by four horses at night on 30 July, a distance of 12 miles. William Dethick organised the procession. The coffin was interred near the resting place of Catherine of Aragon, without ceremony. One reason recorded for this was that the hot weather might cause the solder of the lead coffin to fail. The graves of both Queens were dug by Robert Scarlett. The official mourners arrived on 31 July. Bridget Russell, Countess of Bedford was the chief mourner and representative of Elizabeth I. Among the chief mourners was William Cecil's sister Elizabeth Alington, as a substitute for Susan, Lady Cromwell. The names of the mourners and banner holders vary in contemporary lists.
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