Difference between revisions of "James VI and I 1566-1625"

Revision as of 03:29, 21 July 2020

James VI and I, 1566-1625

Biographical Note

Son of Mary, Queen of Scots; King of Scotland from 1567 and of England 1603-1625, succeeding Elizabeth I. He married Anne of Denmark in 1589, who gave birth to their first son, Prince Henry, in 1594 and to Prince Charles, future king of England, in 1600. James authored various works, including Daemonologie (1597) and Basilikon Doron (1599), and commissioned the King James Bible. He is noted for his commitment to peace policy, love of hunting, and interest in witchcraft.

Books

Armorial stamp of James VI and I (British Armorial Bindings).

George F. Warner estimates that by 1578 James’ personal library held around 600 volumes, a number that continued to grow as he accumulated part of his mother’s library and obtained books that were bought for him by his tutors. James acquired the library of John Lord Lumley in 1609, which he kept in a purpose-built room at St James’s Palace. James’ personal library includes books on hunting and hawking, witchcraft, tobacco, and the affairs of the Palatinate. He collected ephemera and was the first monarch to collect printed dossiers, including all books written by those who wrote against him. Birrell writes that the study of James’ library is ‘an essential adjunct to the study of the monarch himself’. He gave 228 books to St Andrews University, founding the King James Library there in 1612. King George II bequeathed the Royal Library to the British Museum in 1757; Birrell writes that 'a student working in the British Library on the political and religious thought of the Jacobean age will find that many of the books he is using, especially the more esoteric ones, are James's own copies'.

Characteristic Markings

British Armorial Bindings holds 35 examples of books with James’ stamps. The use of royal armorial binding does not necessarily point to personal royal ownership, and some of the stamps are noted to have also been used by Charles I and Charles II. He annotated a copy of the first English edition of his book on the Oath of Allegiance. C.45.d.230 (I).

Sources

British Armorial Bindings.
The library of James VI, 1573-1583, from a Manuscript in the hand of Peter Young, his tutor. Ed. with introduction and notes, by George F. Warner.
Birrell, T. A. English monarchs and their books, London, 1987. Maggs 1272 (1999)/12.
Durkan, J. & Ross, A. Early Scottish Libraries (Glasgow: John S. Burns, 1961).
Jayne, S. Library catalogues of the English renaissance. Godalming, 1983.
Wormald, Jenny. "James VI and I (1566–1625), king of Scotland, England, and Ireland." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

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 ====Books====
 [[File:JamesI1.png| thumb | 400px |Armorial stamp of James VI and I (British Armorial Bindings).]]
-George F. Warner estimates that by 1578 James’ personal library held around 600 volumes, a number that continued to grow as he accumulated part of his mother’s library and books that his tutors bought for him. James acquired the library of [[associates::John Lord Lumley]] in 1609, which he kept in a purpose-built room at [[organisations::St James’s Palace]]. James’ personal library includes books on hunting and hawking, witchcraft, tobacco, and the affairs of the Palatinate. He collected ephemera and was the first monarch to collect printed dossiers, including all books written by those who wrote against him. Birrell writes that the study of James’ library is ‘an essential adjunct to the study of the monarch himself’. He [[bequest::gave]] 228 books to [[beneficiary::St Andrews University]], founding the [[organisations::King James Library]] there in 1612. [[associates::King George II]] [[bequest::bequeathed]] the Royal Library to the [[beneficiary::British Museum]] in 1757; Birrell writes that 'a student working in the [[organisations::British Library]] on the political and religious thought of the Jacobean age will find that many of the books he is using, especially the more esoteric ones, are James's own copies'.
+George F. Warner estimates that by 1578 James’ personal library held around 600 volumes, a number that continued to grow as he accumulated part of his mother’s library and obtained books that were bought for him by his tutors. James acquired the library of [[associates::John Lord Lumley]] in 1609, which he kept in a purpose-built room at [[organisations::St James’s Palace]]. James’ personal library includes books on hunting and hawking, witchcraft, tobacco, and the affairs of the Palatinate. He collected ephemera and was the first monarch to collect printed dossiers, including all books written by those who wrote against him. Birrell writes that the study of James’ library is ‘an essential adjunct to the study of the monarch himself’. He [[bequest::gave]] 228 books to [[beneficiary::St Andrews University]], founding the [[organisations::King James Library]] there in 1612. [[associates::King George II]] [[bequest::bequeathed]] the Royal Library to the [[beneficiary::British Museum]] in 1757; Birrell writes that 'a student working in the [[organisations::British Library]] on the political and religious thought of the Jacobean age will find that many of the books he is using, especially the more esoteric ones, are James's own copies'.
 ====Characteristic Markings====