1821 Discovery of the Tomb of King Robert Bruce : Dunfermline Church Scotland

EXTRACTS FROM THE REPORT MADE BY HENRY JARDINE, ESQUIRE, HIS MAJESTY’S REMEMBRANCER IN EXCHEQUER, RELATIVE TO THE TOMB OF KING ROBERT BRUCE AND THE CHURCH OF DUNFERMLINE

Communicated to the Society on the 10th Dec. 1821

By Henry Jardine

This report has been bound in full leather with a gilt title to upper board. Hand-written title page has been bound in. Pagination starts at 436 and ends at 454. Illustrated with 4 full-page plates plus a couple of lined diagrams in text.

TAKEN FROM THE START OF THE REPORT
It was known that King Robert the Bruce was buried in the church of
Dunfermline; but owing to the length of time since that event, and the
ruinous state of the building since the Reformation, the precise place was
unknown. Though it appears that an elegant tomb, which was made at
Paris, was set over his grave, yet it had been destroyed, or entirely
removed, and no traces of it were known to exist.

The remains of the church, which had continued to serve as the place of
public worship for the parish, came at last to be in such a decayed state,
that the heritors of the parish of Dunfermline, and the Magistrates of the
burgh, resolved to rebuilt it; and got a plan and design from Mr. Burns,
architect, which are most creditable to that gentleman’s talents.
As the King is patron of the parish, the approbation of the Barons of the
Exchequer was necessary for executing the plan, who shewed a most
laudable anxiety to prevent any damage being done to some stones,
universally supposed to be the sepulchral monuments of the Kings of
Scotland from Malcolm III till Robert Bruce; and which they would not
allow to be removed. They were, therefore, included within the walls of
the new church.

It is thought proper to communicate to the public, in this collection, the
substance of the Report made by his Majesty’s Remembrancer in
Exchequer to the Barons, so far as respects the tomb of King Robert
Bruce.

CONDITION
In good condition. The leather binding is good with some rubbing and wear to the corners. Endpapers good. Pages good mthroughout.

(Location : Scotland, Top Shelf)