CAB129-45 — Page 338

Page 338

ANNEX

THE STONE OF DESTINY OR CORONATION STONE

Note by Dr. Henry Meikle, Historiographer Royal for Scotland

According to the well-known legend the Stone served as the pillow for the Patriarch Jacob at Bethel. It was brought to Scotland, so the story goes, by Scota and her followers from Egypt, found its way to Dunstaffnage, then to Iona, and finally to Scone. William Skene, Historiographer Royal in 1869, traced the history of the Stone and proved that it was never anywhere but at Scone," and that "first the Kings of the Pictish monarchy, and afterwards of the Scottish kingdoms which succeeded it, were inaugurated on this Stone." It had no connexion with the corresponding Irish Stone, the Lia Fail, at Tara, as is sometimes asserted. Accor- ding to James Geikie, the geologist, the Stone is of sandstone from the district of Scone.

The last King of Scotland to be "placed on the Stone" was John Balliol (1292). He rebelled against his overlord, King Edward I of England, who thereupon invaded Scotland. In August 1296 he was at Scone and sent the Stone to London to be placed in Westmister Abbey. To London he also sent certain Scottish muniments from Edinburgh Castle, and from Holyrood Abbey the Black Rood, believed to be a part of the True Cross.

As a result of the Battle of Bannockburn and subsequent victories, the English recognised the independence of Scotland by a treaty concluded at Edinburgh in March 1328 and confirmed by the English Parliament at Northampton in July 1328. It provided, inter alia, for the return of the Scottish muniments under certain conditions. Nothing, however, was done; and it was not until after the passing of the Public Records (Scotland) Act, 1937, that nine documents, identified as being among those sent to London by Edward I, were transmitted by the Master of the Rolls to His Majesty's Register House, Edinburgh.

No provision was made in the extant texts of the Treaty for the return either of the Stone or of the Black Rood. Some documents, however, may not have survived. But the English chroniclers refer to matters not found in the official records of the Treaty; and those relating to the Stone are confirmed by two writs issued under the English Privy Seal. The first, dated 1st July, 1328, directed to the Abbot of Westminster, states that the King and Council in the Parliament of Northampton had agreed that the Stone should be returned to Scotland, and orders the Abbot to hand it over to the Sheriffs of London for transmission to Isabella, the Queen-Mother. The second writ orders the Sheriffs to receive the Stone from the Abbot and to convey it to the Queen-Mother in whatever part of the North of England she may be. By this time the Queen-Mother had been entrusted with further negotiations with the Scots. In another document the Sheriffs, in reply to the King's writ, reported "that the Abbot and Convent of Westminster refused to give up the Stone until they had treated of the matter with the King and his Council." Two contemporary English chroniclers give different reasons for the Stone not being sent. According to Baker's Chronicle, the Abbot wrote to the King and Council that, since King Edward I had carried off the Stone after great exertions (magnis laboribus abductus) and had devoutly offered it to his church, he was neither able nor in duty bound (non posset nec deberet) to allow it to be taken away. On the other hand, the Chronicle of Lanercost relates that Edward III restored to the Scots that piece of the Cross of Christ which the Scots call the Black Rood. But the people of London would in nowise allow to be taken away from them the Stone of Scone whereon the Kings of Scotland used to be set at their coronation at Scone." The Treaty of Northampton had caused much resentment in England, where it was denounced as "The Shameful Peace," and doubtless there were demonstrations against it in London. The Stone was therefore not returned. In 1363 Edward III, as a result of his secret negotiations with David II, expected to become King of Scotland, and promised in that event to bring the Stone with him so as to be crowned in Scone. His expectations were not realised and the Stone remained in Westminster Abbey.

66

The Black Rood must have been returned to the Scots as they lost it at the battle of Neville's Cross (1346).

* Page 338 of 587