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1681 Letter from the future King James II of England and VII of Scotland while in exile in Edinburgh
James Stuart, King of England & Scotland 1685-88 •
The Letter
James ( 1633 - 1701) was the son of King Charles I and
brother of King Chartes II. Transcript of James's letter with modem spelling and punctuation:
This letter was written by Prince James in 1681 when he
Edinburgh Aug : 20 :
was Duke of York in England, Duke of Albany and York
You must wonder if I have not sooner answered yours of the 2:, since I have had so much business upon
in Scotland, and heir presumptive to the thrones of
England, Scotland and Ireland. my hands ever since I received it, by reason of the sitting of the Parliament, for although a Parliament here
In 1681 he was the King's High Commissioner to be not so troublesome as the English ones have been of late, yet it takes up all one's time. I am velY glad
Scotland, in effect, ruling Scotland for King Charles. He
to find by yours that you had received some part of your money. As for news, things go ve1Y well here and
had been exiled to Scotland in late 1679 to try to reduce
most of the affairs of concern are past, I mean the giving of money to his Majesty for the keeping up of the
political tension in England. In the 1670's it had become
apparent that James had converted to Catholicism a troops. The Duchess and my daughter ride abroad almost evelY day. the weather being VelY good. I have
1
fact confirmed when the Pope acknowledged his
now no more to say to you but that you shall always find me to be your humble setVant ·J ·
conversion in 1676. This resulted in a number of
attempts by the English Parliament to prevent his
succession to the crown. Because of these attempts, References to historical events in the letter
Charles insisted that his brother should leave England,
first for Brussels and later for Edinburgh, and live in
'by reason of the sitting of the Parliament, for although a Parliament here be not so troublesome as the
exile. In Edinburgh, James lived in Hotyroodhouse. English ones have been of late, yet it takes up all one's time.'
As High Commissioner, James presided over the James is referring to presiding over a session of the Scottish Parliament which opened on 2e!' July 1681.
Scottish Parliament and succeeded in passing a Scottish The reference to the English Partiament being 'troublesome' relates to that partiament being unwilling to
Act making it high treason to alter the succession to the grant more funds for the army and possibly also to the attempts the English Partiament had made to
crown. 201t1 August 1681. Letter from James Stuart at prevent James succeeding Chartes as king.
James Stuart c.1681
the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh to the
The letter was written in the most momentous decade in James's adult life, a decade beginning Countess of Lichfield. Dated only 'Aug:20:', the 'things go very well here and most of the affairs of concern are past, I mean the giving of money to his
Majesty forthe keeping up of the troops.'
and ending in exile: contents date it with certainty to 1681.
1680 - James in exile in Edinburgh On the same day as James wrote this letter (i.e. 2ot11 August 1681}, he had achieved a major success in
For my Neice the Countesse of Uchtel7d ·J · the Scottish Parliament by getting passed into legislation a contnbution of 1,800,000 Scots pounds over
1682 - James returns to England
five years to support the army. The parliamentary proceedings record that the contribution was made in
1683 - Rye House Plot to assassinate King Charles and James fails
Although there is no indication as to how the view of 'the great danger the kingdom was under by seditious and rebellious conventicles and the
1685 - James becomes King of England, Scotland & Ireland on the death of his brother, Charles
letter was transmitted and delivered, it is necessity which then appeared to increase the forces for securing the government and suppressing these
1685 - Duke of Monmouth's (James's nephew) rebellion to replace James as king fails
reasonable to speculate that it was taken by the rebellious commotions'. On behalf of King Chartes, James had given the Act the Royal Assent.... he is
1688 - 'Glorious Revolution': Mary (James's daughter) & William of Orange depose King James
post from Edinburgh to London in the private bag recorded to have 'touched the Act for the supply with the sceptre'.
1689 - James in exile in France
for royal and state letters and delivered to The Duchess and my daughter ride abroad almost eve1Y day, the weather being velY good.'
Whitehall Palace. On arrival, the letter would
Charlotte Fitzroy, Countess of Lichfield
have been carried by royal messenger to the 'The Duchess' was Mary of Modena, James's second wife and 'my daughter' was Lady Anne, then aged
111
Charlotte was born 5t11 September 1664, the illegitimate Countess of Lichfield at the Earl of Lichfield's 16, who had arrived in Edinburgh on 19 July1681 and was to stay until May 1682. Lady Anne, James's
daughter of King Charles II by one of his most notorious residence which stood near Whitehall Palace in daughter by his first wife, Anne Hyde, was to become Queen Anne of England, Scotland and Ireland in
mistresses, Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine. The a location now occupied by Horse Guards 1702, the last of the Stuart monarchs.
King acknowledged Charlotte as his daughter and she Parade.
became probably his favourite child. She was also James's
It is rare to find a letter from James written and
favourite niece. Charlotte had a sweet nature and was liked by addressed entirely in his own hand.
all.
The letter is signed by James with his special. References:
Charlotte was just 12 when she married Edward Lee, Earl of The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
paraph · J · signature both at the end of the letter
Lichfield. By 1681, when James wrote her this letter, she was Acts of the Parliament of Scotland 1681
and on the address panel. Parliamentary Register (Scotland) tor 1681
16 and had already had three children. She had at least 18
-? (' Provenance:
children in all. She died in 1718. Frank Bottomley collection
inside letter: / • address panel: . ( •
