Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1892-12-08
QUEEN MARY'S HOUSE
AN HISTORIC OLD MANSION IN THE
ANCIENT TOWN OF JEDBURG.


There is one house in Jedburg to
which, above all others, strangers who
tisit the ancient town are sure to find
heir way, and that is the old and an
fque mansion known as Queen Mary's
house. Many will therefore be pleased
10 learn that steps are about to be taken
Tor tho better preservation Of this his
toric edifce, and for the improvement Of
Is surroundings. On Oct. s, 1856, Mary
left Hollywood TO hold assizes at Jed
burg, the magistrates having been pre-
viously instructed to prepare meat,
drink and lodgings for men and horses
snd she arrived next day. The queen
was accompanied by her ministers Of
gate, her law officers and by many Of
her mobiles, among whom were the Earls
q Moray, Huntly, Argyll, Rothes and
Caithness, and the Lords Livingstone,
Seton, Yester, Borthwick, Arbroath,
Hume and Somerville, besides a num-
Der of barons and bishops. What stir
there must have been in the old border
burg on that occasion, and what
Snxiety il would cost the worthy pro-
Yost and magistrates to keep up the
good name Of their town in the presence
d so many great personages, and even
royalty ITSELF
The assizes continued for six success
Ktve days, and terminated without
tugle execution. Mary presided at
frivy council held on the 10th, and at
snother held on the following day. On
the 10th, after the pressure of business
was over, she rode to Hermitage castle
10 see Boutwell,, who had been wounded
by Little Jock Elliott" of the park, a
xoted freebooter, and after comforting
with her wounded lieutenant for two
hours in presence of several of her
nobles who accompanied her on the
burney she returned to Jedburg the
game evening, having ridden more thar
prty-eight miles. Next day Mary waS
sttacked with an intermittent fever,
which kept her PROSTATE for over
fortnight. On the same day she took
Al the sum of six shillings was paid to
zane boy passing from Jedburg with
xne mass Of writings of our sovereign to
the Earl of Boutwell,"
The room in which Queen Mary lay
during her serious illness is, according
~ tradition, a small two Widowed
apartment in the turret, but Miss Strick-
land, in her Olives of the Queens Of
Scotland" says in reference to this point
chat "the spacious suite of apartments
on the opposite side of the staircase, one
Of which still bears the name of the
guardroom, is more likely to have been
occupied by royalty as anteroom, privy
chamber and bedroom" 1t is, however,
the small back apartment that is pointed
out to visitors as Queen Mary's bedroom,
and it was there, if we are to credit ira
dition, where she lay nigh unto death,
attended by her French physician
Charles Nan.
On the Goth she "lay for dead" three
hours-her limbs cold and rigid, her
eyes closed, her mouth compressed, her
feet and arms stiff, every one supposing
that the vital spark had fed Master
Sau, who was "a perfect man of his
craft" would not, however, give the
matter mp, but resorted to friction and
manipulation, which he continued for
come hours, until the queen recovered
again her sight and speech and got a
great sweating. When her illness had
assumed mortal tendency she expressed
Der willingness TO resign her spirit to
God. She wished to impress ON her
mobiles the necessity of living in unity,
and that they should do all in their
power to protect the infant prince-her
only tie to life, To Du Croix, the
French ambassador, she made a request
that he would ask his royal master ~
protect her dear son, and she also recon-
mended his protection to Queen Eliza
beth, as her nearest kinswoman.
On the 29th Darnley arrived in Jed
burg, but left again the next day, and it
Is not certain that he was ever allowed
TO see Mary. When she was recovering
the wearisome hours were beguiled by
one John Hume playing to her on the
Lutte and John Heron playing on the pipe
and "quhissil," The former receiving
forty shillings for his services, the latter
four pounds for his. AS thank offer
ing to God for her recovery she caused
twenty pounds to be given to the poor Of
the burg, and the same day she wrote
letter ordering materials for new
dress, which letter was to be sent to Ed
mburgh ''in all possible haste"
What curious Old World picture!
But the scene again changes. On Nov.
9-exactly a month after her arrival
Queen Mary left Jedburg, accompanied
by her mobiles, among whom was Both
well, and with an escort of thousand
hOrsemen, She arrived on the Goth at
Craigmillar castle, with sorrow, suffer
ing and captivity in the near future, and
IN the distance the bloody scaffold of
Fotheringay. -Four months after her
departure from our ancient burg" says
local chronicler, cher husband, Lord
Darnley, was murdered three months
more and she was the wife of Boutwell,;
yet twelve months, and she was lodged
as a prisoner in the Castle of Carlisle. As
time rolled on and the clouds of misfo=-
tune were rolling dark and thick around
her, she was often heard to exclaim, in
the anguish of "A wounded spirit, Would
that had died in .fa1 burop ~ SrptSYno,,