Clothes and jewellery in a will of Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar

A will of Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar (died 1603), dated 16 November 1602 is held by the National Library of Scotland.[1] Various bequests detail her magnificent jewellery and costume. Annabell was the keeper of Prince Henry at Stirling Castle, and took part in the ceremony of his baptism in 1594. The will was written for her by a notary James Duncansone and she signed each page ‘Annabell Cwntes of Mar’.

She hoped some items would become memorials to the honour of the family (possibly these items related to the custody of James VI and Prince Henry), and asked for some clothes and memorial jewellery to be made. She left her drugs and distilling equipment to her servant Jonet Patersoune.

The following extracts in the original Scots (with some hints in brackets) illustrate her material culture:

Monuments of the house of Erskine

In the first, It is my will that my lord my sone having the use during his tyme of the Jowallis and plenissings underwitten, The same to keipit after his deceis by his airis and succesaris as monuments to the honour and serveice of his hous; that is to say;

Three principall Rings set with diamontiss;

Item, the purpor velvot bed, The chapell bed, The black velvet bed, The bed of green Inglish clayth and the two Scarlet beds, speciallie conteinit in inventar.

Item, two furringis of martrick sable, the one in my blak velvot gown, and the other unput in work.

Item a furring of lucearnis in my gown of black satein.

The rest of my jewels and plenishing by and attour the leagacies underwritten to be used at his pleasure and option.

Bequests to Marie Stewart, Countess of Mar

Item, I laive to his wyff my gude doghter, my buist [box] of gouldsmith work enamellit with reid, blew and grein, set about with threttein diamontis, nyne of them tabillit, and four of them trianglillit,

Item ane Ring sett with fyve emroidis inamellit [emeralds enamelled] with collores.

Bequests to John Erskine my ‘oy’

Als, I laive to him ane short cloik of fyne blak velvot plaine, The foir breists lined with fyne martrik sable borderit with a boird of black velvot, q[uhi]lk [which] I ordein to be keipit to the use of him and his airis.

Item, I leave to the said Johnne my oy [nephew] a taiblet with the piktur of ane agget [agate] inamallit with reid green and quhyt [white], with four table diamontis and a knop of sevin perllis left by my gude doghtir his mother to him.

The adamant pressed by hammers

Sic lyke [Such like], I laive to him ane tablet representing ane adamant and tua hammeris pressand (bot in vaine) to brek the same, desyring him to keip this jowell as a pledge of my love and ernest cair quhilk I have to his honour & weilfair bayth in saull & body, Exhorting him maist lovinglie at all tymes to remaine a constant servand to god, continewing in the trew religion presentlie professit within this realme quherein he hes bein brocht up.

Nixt to serve his king and prince faythfullie as becomes ane deutifull subject and nevir to band or covenant with uthers to prejudge his pleasur or esteat, and last to declair and expres his reverent obedience to his father and parent, leaving heirwith to him this my motherlie counsell that gif [if] evir any pres to withdraw him therefra, he nevir yield thereto for no occasione earthlie can occur, Bot evir remembering this my advyse, That lyk as the pressing hammers cannot brek the adamant, Na mair he suffer his oblist affectione and deutie to his god, his prince, & parent to be batterit or overcome, And that for na feir pleasur proffeit or preferment that is abill to provoik him thereto, And this my dear hairt faill not to do as evir you will luik for god his blessing & myne.

Bequests to Mary Erskine, her neice or step-daughter

Item, I laive to Marie Erskine my oy … Item, my chainzee [chain] inamallit with reid and quhyt conteining twentie fyve [25] bred lang lynkis and threttie three [33] round lynkis weighing ellevin [11 ounces],

Item, ane pair of garnesingis of goldsmith work back and fore [for a headdress, typically given as wedding gifts] inamallit with reid quhyt and green, conteining in pieces fourtie nyne and in weght six unces half unce,

Item, ane tablet of gouldsmyth work of Abraham and Isaak set about with rubies, diamontis, and perllis,

Item, ane purpur velvot goun figurit without slevis left be umquhill [the late] my lords first wyff [Her son’s first wife, Anne Drummond, Countess of Mar] to his lo[rdship’s] eldest begotin doghter.

Item, I laive to hir ane goun of reid Crammassie velvot wantand the slevis cordonit all over with gould,

Item, ane Mandell [a short cloak about neck and shoulders] with thrie piktures and ane hingand hed set about with twetie four rubeis inamallit with blak with ane pointed diamond in the mids.

Item, my Ryding cloik with the skirtt of fyne serge of Florence begareit [trimmed] with blak velvot and litill pasments, The foir breists therof broutherit [embroidered] with gould and set with garnets, Togither with my new foit mantill and the seat therto of fyne blak velvot frengyeit [fringed] with blak silk with the haill harness therto of fyne blak velvot, Item, moir, ane blak velvot goun lous and round taillit.

Bequests to Andrew Murray, her only brother

Item, I laive to Andro Murray my onlie brother onlyve tua hundreth Marks, and to Elizabeth my sister, ane hundreth marks with ane burret goun.

Bequest to Nicolas Murray

Item, I ordane ane new gown of blak damas [damask] to be boght to my sister doghtir Nicolas Murray, with the furnesing thereto of silkin cordonis and a Skirt aggreeable thereto.

Kinross of Kippenros

Item, it my will that there be made to the laird of Kippenross, ane pair of Breslats of gouldsmyth work with ane Cypher of my name thereupon of the weght of threttie crowns or thereby.

Bracelets with the cipher of Annabell to be made

Item, it is my will that ane peir of bracelets of goldsmith work be made to the Parson of Invernaghtie [James Elphinstone] with ane cypher of my name thereupon of twenty crouns weght or thereby and the like pair of bracelets of the same weght to James Murray father brother of the laird of Polmais, And a pair of the like bracelets to the gudeman of Balgony of xxx [30] crowns weght.

Alexander Paterson, a signet cipher of Annabell

Item, It is my will and I request my lord my sone (if it be his pleasur) that my servant Alexander Paterson … in recompence of his trew and honest service to me, and that ane signet be made to him with a cyphir of my name of the weght of twelve crowns or thereby.

William Murray, the king’s varlet

Item, I leave to William Murray, varlet [the king’s varlet, her kinsman], aught bolls meall.

Alexander Jull, signet cipher of Annabell

Item, it my will there be made to Master Alexander Jull, schoolmaster at Stirling a signet with the cipher of my name of weight of six crowns.

Jonet Patirsoune, servant

Item, to Jonet Patirsoune my servand the soum of fyve hundreth [500] marks, with the whole druggis extant in my possessione the tyme of my decease togither with my whole stellitures glasses leam pots and other furniture pertaining thereto whatsoever.

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[1] National Library of Scotland  MS Ch. 4031: noted in HMC 4th report: Erskine Murray of Alva, 526-7 for the ‘adamant jewel’.