Manuscript is up for auction
Plea for public ownership
A plea has been made for a rare 16th century manuscript to be bought by a public institution when it goes under the hammer today (Tuesday, May 18).
The document, known as The Chronicle of Fortingall, is penned in three languages Latin, Gaelic and Middle Scots.
Locals have raised hopes that it may be bought by the National Records of Scotland to keep it in public ownership.
The manuscript, which is valued at £20,000-£30,000, is a “just a few scrappy pages pasted into an old notebook, but it is priceless for the history of the area,” according to resident Neil Hooper.
He has called on it to be bought by a “national institution”.
Neil, who is part of the Fortingall Roots project and is honorary president of the Breadalbane Heritage Society, told the PA: “The Earls /Marquises of Breadalbane were the great landowners in this area from the 16th century until they sold up after the First World War.
“They seem to have kept a few things from their vast possessions which they are now selling off.
“Of particular interest to us here is the 16th century manuscript of the Chronicle of Fortingall in the hand of the Dean of Lismore’s curate.
“The Dean, a Macgregor vicar of Fortingall, is important as the first compiler of an anthology of Gaelic poetry, but he also started a chronicle of local and national events, which his curate continued, mainly in Scots as opposed to the Dean’s Latin and Gaelic.”
Culture Perth and Kinross confirmed it was not bidding on the item but a spokesperson for the National Records of Scotland refused to rule it out, saying: “We’re aware of the sale of this item, but we’re unable to say much more in advance of the bidding process.”
The item is one of over 40 from the Earls of Breadalbane and Holland being sold at live online auction at Edinburghheadquartered auction house Lyon and Turnbull.
The Lyon and Turnbull website describes the item, saying: “The work was compiled at Fortingall, at the mouth of Glen Lyon in Highland Perthshire, near the eastern end of Loch Tay.
“It is written in several hands. Compilation took place between 1554 and 1579, although it may have begun earlier.
“One of the compilers records that he said his first mass in 1531, began to serve the curate at the church of Fortingall in 1532, and acknowledged the chief of the MacGregors. He may be the principal compiler, and further identified with Dubhghall (Dougal) MacGregor, on record as vicar of Fortingall in 1544.
“The authorial perspective reveals continuing Catholic allegiance, and hostility to the Scottish Reformation brought into law in 1560.”