Seal of approval

An important 16th-century seal matrix has been acquired by National Museums Scotland. The object belonged to James Stewart, half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots and dates to the 1540s. Stewart was the eldest son among at least nine illegitimate children fathered by King James V, and the seal matrix indicates his position as Commendator of Melrose and Kelso Abbeys, a position bestowed on him by his father, the King. The seal matrix will be added to the Scottish History and Archaeology collections of NMS. nms.ac.uk

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