Great H of Scotland

The "H" was a pendant known as the 'H' because of its form, and was also called the 'Great Harry'. It appears listed in an inventory of jewels belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots made in France in the 1550s, as a French crown jewel, and two of its stones were mentioned, a large facetted lozenge diamond which formed the bar of the 'H' and hanging below this a large cabochon ruby.[1] It may have been the pendant of "incalculable value" which she wore at her wedding in 1558.[2] Later Scottish inventories also mention the great diamond and pendant ruby, and a small gold chain and other diamonds. Mary was allowed to keep this jewel after the death of her husband Francis II of France and brought it to Scotland.[3] In 1578 it was described as:

The jowell callit the greit Hary with the letter H contening a grit diament and a grit ruby.[4]

The jewel, as its name suggests, may have been a present from Henri II of France, and a similar jewel is listed in his inventory crown jewels made in 1551.[5] It has been suggested the Great H was a gift from Henry VII to Margaret Tudor, mother of James V of Scotland.[6] James V, Mary's father, owned a different 'H' jewel, a hat badge with a ruby and two figures with the letter 'H', possibly a gift from Henry VIII of England.[7]

Mary hoped to add the "H" to the crown jewels of Scotland in memory of her reign, in a list of potential bequests she made in childbed in 1566.[8]

After Mary's abdication, her half-brother Regent Moray brought the jewel to England hoping to sell it.[9] His agent Nicolas Elphinstone sold Mary's pearls to Queen Elizabeth. After Regent Moray was assassinated by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, his widow Agnes Keith retained the "H" for several years, despite requests from Mary Queen of Scots, and her agent, the Earl of Huntly, and Regent Morton. Eventually she returned it to Morton on 5 March 1584.[10]

After James VI came of age, in 1581 he ordered the treasurer, William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie to give several jewels from his mother's collection to his favourite, Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox including a gold chain of knots of pearls and diamonds,[11] a gold cross with diamonds and rubies, the "Great H", and other pieces.[12]

In 1585 the former royal favourite James Stewart, Earl of Arran was said to have embarked on a boat at Ayr carrying royal jewellery including 'Kingis Eitche', but he was forced to give his treasure up to George Home.[13] The jewels recovered from the Earl of Arran and his wife Elizabeth Stewart, Lady Lovat including the "H" were finally formally returned to the treasurer of Scotland, Robert Melville on 23 February 1586.[14] The governor of Dunbarton Castle, William Stewart of Caverston, had negotiated the recovery of the jewels, and delivered the "H" into the "king's own hands".[15]

James VI gave the 'H' to Anne of Denmark to wear. However, in September 1594 he pawned it with the jeweller Thomas Foulis for £12,000 Scots, or £2000 Sterling,[16] when it was noted that the large diamond was in the centre "the middis of the same H". James VI needed the money for his military expedition to the north of Scotland against the Earl of Huntly and the Earl of Erroll.[17] An English diplomat George Nicolson heard that Foulis had a breakdown in January 1598 when James reclaimed the jewel without payment.[18] Nicolson also heard that Anne of Denmark had offered the jewel to her friend Elizabeth, Countess of Erroll as recompense for the demolition of Old Slains Castle by James VI in 1594.[19]

In 1604 the jewel was dismantled and the large diamond was used in the new Mirror of Great Britain which James wore as a hat badge.[20]

The remaining components of the Great 'H' were mentioned in 1606 when George Home, Earl of Dunbar, gave up the office of Master of the Wardrobe and delivered to James Hay, master of the robes, the rest of the jewel including the chain and ruby.[21]

Arbella Stuart had an "H" of gold set with a rock ruby, among jewels bequeathed to her by her grandmother Margaret Douglas. Her mother's executor Thomas Fowler took these pieces to Scotland and died in April 1590 while James VI was in Denmark. The Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell obtained Arbella's jewels and seems to have delivered them to the king. This "H" may have belonged to Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, and wife of James IV of Scotland.[22]

King James gave an "old jewel" in the form of an 'H' from the royal collection to Frances Howard, Duchess of Richmond on 11 March 1623. This jewel had two pointed diamonds, six table cut diamonds, and three pendant pearls, and was kept in a crimson box in the secret jewel house of the Tower of London.[23][24][25] King James gave it to Anna of Denmark in 1607, and also she had another "H" jewel with rubies and diamonds.[26]

Prince Henry had yet another "H" jewel, described after his death as "a ballas ruby in form of an H with pearls upon every side, with a great pearl hanging thereto."[27][28] It is not clear if this was newly made for Henry or was another heirloom piece.

In 1540 Henry VIII gave Katherine Howard an "hache of gold wherin is vj feir diamondes" with an emerald and four pendant pearls, which differs from the pieces described above.[29][30] Among jewels with the letters "H" and "K" in a coffer marked as the "Queen's Jewels" in 1547 was an "H" with seven diamonds and three pendant pearls.[31]