Search on for king’s lost tomb
● Universities join forces to hunt for the last resting place of James I
A team of academics are trying to uncover the final resting place of a 15th century Scottish king.
James I was only 42 when, in 1437, a gang of noblemen brutally murdered him as part of a conspiracy to claim the Crown.
A research project has been launched to recreate the final resting place of the ill-fated monarch, with a 3D visual representation of his lost tomb.
His death was brutal even by the standards of the House of Stewart, a royal dynasty no stranger to untimely demises.
James I was 42 when he was killed by a gang of noblemen on 21 February, 1437 while lodging at Blackfriars monastery in Perth – murdered as part of a conspiracy to seize the throne of Scotland.
The monarch is believed to have tried to flee his assassins by climbing through a sewer tunnel, only to discover it had been blocked to prevent tennis balls being lost from a nearby court.
Now a major heritage project has been launched 580 years after the king’s murder to locate and then recreate his final resting place.
James I was buried at the Charterhouse in Perth, a religious institution he had intended to become a royal tomb for the Stewart dynasty.
The University of Stirling, the University of the Highlands and Islands and Glasgow School of Art will work together with local heritage bodies to create an accurate 3D visual representation of the 15th century building.
Academics will try to pinpoint the exact location of the Charterhouse in Perth town centre. A Victorian memorial to James I, erected at the corner of King Street and Hospital Street, is a probable starting place.
A public showcase will be held this Saturday at Perth Museum to reveal more details of the ambitious project.
The Charterhouse, sometimes called Perth Priory, was established in 1429 and was Scotland’s only Carthusian monastery. It was ransacked by Protestant reformers in 1569.
Professor Richard Oram of the University of Stirling described the Charterhouse as a unique establishment in Scotland.
“James built it to be the spiritual focus of his dynasty and poured huge sums of money into it to create a splendid setting for his tomb,” he said.
“Medieval descriptions speak of the magnificence of the church, but nothing of it remains above ground to be seen today.
“Working with our archaeology colleagues and the wider community in Perth, we aim to locate the Charterhouse buildings and recover as much of their plan as possible to allow us to build a virtual reconstruction.
“Unearthing this almost forgotten building will transform understanding of Perth’s place in James I’s ambitions: locating the royal tombs within the church would be the icing on the cake.”
James I’s queen, Joan Beaufort, survived the attack and later had those responsible executed.
The couple were both buried at the Charterhouse. A century later, Margaret Tudor, the consort of James IV, was also buried there.
Dr Lucy Dean, of the centre for history at the University of the Highlands, said the Charterhouse’s importance reflected Perth’s medeival status as a royal capital.
“In the early 15th century Perth was at the geographical heart of the country, a few miles from the inaugural site of Scottish kings, it was the setting for parliaments, exchequers, church courts and a bustling hub for trade in the later 14th and early 15th centuries,” she said.
“The murder of James I was a pivotal moment that saw a rapid end to Perth’s status.”