The A.M. Todd Rare Book Room at Kalamazoo College presents Game of Thrones: Murderous Plots & Rivalries in the Time of Mary Queen of Scots Game of Thrones: Murderous Plots and Rivalries in the Time of Mary Queen of Scots A.M. Todd Rare Book Room Exhibit Spring Term 2018 Curated by Lisa Murphy, College Archivist
In the exhibit the story of Mary Queen of Scots is brought to life through the text and images in 18th and 19th century works held in the A.M. Todd Rare Book Room.
From the time she was a week old, Mary Stuart was the target of schemes to control the Scottish throne and later the English throne. As the granddaughter of Mary Queen of Scots Henry VIII’s older sister Margaret Tudor, Mary had a strong claim to the English throne which resulted in the rivalry with her cousin Elizabeth I, the Queen of England.
Another rival was Mary’s illegitimate half-brother, James Stewart, Earl of Moray, a powerful noble who led a pro-English Protestant faction against her. Backed by her French Catholic relatives, she found herself in conflict with others such as the reformer John Knox and the Lord Chancellor, James Douglas, Earl of Morton.
Mary’s reign was also marked by conspiracies such as the assassination attempt against her at the French court, the killing of her secretary, and then the murder of her second husband, Lord Darnley.
Eventually, Mary was forced to abdicate, fled to England, and was imprisoned for nearly 20 years. It was ultimately a plot to overthrow Elizabeth in favor of Mary that led to the Queen of Scot’s untimely end. Timeline of Events
1542 (December 8) Birth of Mary Stuart (December 14) Mary’s father, James V of Scotland, dies after loss to the English at the Battle of Solway Moss
1543 Mary is crowned Queen of Scotland
1547 Henry VIII of England dies Betrothal of Mary to the French dauphin, Francis
1548 Mary sent to the French court
1551 Plot to poison Mary
1558 Marriage of Mary (age 15) and Francis (age 14) Elizabeth Tudor (age 25) becomes Queen of England
1559 Mary becomes Queen of France upon the death of King Henry II of France
1560 Death of Francis, King of France
1561 Mary leaves France for Scotland
1565 Marriage of Mary to Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley
1566 Murder of Mary’s secretary David Rizzio Birth of Mary and Darnley’s son James
1567 Murder of Darnley Marriage of Mary and James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell Mary is forced to abdicate the crown in favor of her son James
1568 Mary’s forces defeated at the Battle of Langside Mary escapes to England but is held as prisoner
1570 Assassination of Mary’s half-brother James Stewart, Earl of Moray
1581 Execution of James Douglas, Earl of Morton
1586 Babington Plot to put Mary on the throne of England
1587 Execution of Mary for plotting against Elizabeth Scottish Line of Succession
ARMS OF SCOTLAND BEFORE THE UNION.
James IV King of Scotland
Margaret Tudor (Henry VIII’s sister)
James V King of Mary of Guise Scotland
James Stewart Mary Earl of Moray Queen of Scots
James VI, King of Scotland James I, King of England Henry VII King of England
Archibald Douglas 6th Earl of Angus
Henry VIII King of England
Lady Matthew Stewart Margaret Earl of Lennox Douglas
Elizabeth I Queen of England
Henry Stewart Lord Darnley
James VI, King of Scotland James I, King of England All images from books in the A.M. Todd Rare Book Collection. Declaration in favour of Queen Elizabeth by Mary Queen of Scots January 5, 1586
The Queen of Scotland, Dowager of France, having heard that in order to obviate all attempts against the life of the Queen of England her good sister, there has been lately made a general Association between some of the principal Nobles of this Kingdom, - and being desirous in this as well as in all other matters, to give the said Queen of England her good sister every proof of her most entire affection and sincerity towards her and .... her most... in duty bound to assist in her preservation, has of her... and free will, declared and promised according to the said Association, and does declare and promise on her queenly word and upon her faith and honor, that she does now and will, from henceforth for ever, hold as her mortal enemies all those, without any exception, who by council, procuration, consent or any other act whatsoever, shall attempt or execute anything - which God forbid - to the prejudice of the life of the said Queen her good sister; and as such will pursue them by every mean to the end, without ever ceasing till she has caused full and exemplary justice, punishment and vengeance to be done therefore. In witness whereof and in confirmation of the said Association, to be notified to all whom it shall concern, the said Queen of Scotland has signed this present deed with her hand. At Winkfield the 5th day of January one thousand five hundred eighty and five. source and transcription: James, Colonel Sir Henry. Facsimiles of National Manuscripts from William the Conqueror to Queen Anne, Part 3. Southampton: Ordnance Survey Office, 1865. Books on Exhibit
Archer, Thomas. Pictures and Royal Portraits Illustrative of English and Scottish History, Vol. I. London: Blackie & Son, 1882.
Dibdin, Thomas Frognall. A Bibliographical Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in the Northern Counties of England and in Scotland. Vol. II. London: 1838.
Hume, David. The History of England under the House of Tudor, Vol. 3. London: 1759.
Hume, David. The History of England under the House of Tudor, Vol. 4. London: 1759.
James, Colonel Sir Henry. Facsimiles of National Manuscripts from William the Conqueror to Queen Anne, Part 2. Southampton: Ordnance Survey Office, 1865.
James, Colonel Sir Henry. Facsimiles of National Manuscripts from William the Conqueror to Queen Anne, Part 3. Southampton: Ordnance Survey Office, 1865.
Lawson, John Parker. Scotland Delineated. Vol. 1. London: E. Gambart, 1854.
Lodge, Edmund. Portraits of Illustrious Personages of Great Britain. Vol. I. London: Harding and Lepard, 1821.
Lodge, Edmund. Portraits of Illustrious Personages of Great Britain. Vol. III. London: Harding and Lepard, 1828.
Pollard, A.F. Henry VIII. London: Goupil, 1902. About the A.M. Todd Rare Book Room The A.M. Todd Rare Book Room houses a distinctive collection of rare and unusual books and manuscripts acquired by the college through the benevolence of alumni and friends. Taken together, the materials demonstrate the nature of intellectual inquiry over the past five hundred years and thereby reinforce the strength of the general library collection.
History of the Collection The Rare Book collection at Kalamazoo College began in the 1920’s with gifts from the library of Albert May Todd, a prominent Kalamazoo citizen and an internationally known book collector. Over the years, the collection gradually expanded through generous contributions of many donors, but it was not until the 1970’s that it attained its present scope and stature. Major bequests from A.M. Todd’s daughter, Ethel Todd Woodhams, and from Elizabeth Dewing Todd, the widow of Todd’s son Paul, brought together a major portion of the library originally collected by Mr. Todd. Today, the collection continues to be enhanced through the generosity of book lovers and friends of the library.
Support The Rare Book Room is supported by the A.M. Todd Rare Book Room Fund, a growing endowment created by friends of the college. The library welcomes contributions to this fund, which provides for the preservation, exhibition, and development of the collection.
Rare Book Room Staff Mallory Heslinger, Rare Book Room Curator p 269.337.5762 [email protected]