The trial of Mary Stuart at Fotheringhay Castle

In September 1584, in consequence of charges made against the Earl of Shewsbury, Mary Stuart
was removed from his custody and transferred to that of Sir Ralph Sadler. She quitted Sheffield,
and was confined for a time at Wingfield, and then again at Tutbury. In April 1585 Mary Stuart
was entrusted to the custody of Sir Amias Paulet, a man of great honour, but a stern and rigid
Puritan, and in every way hostile to the Queen of Scotland and her cause. On December 24 of the
same year she was transferred to Chartley Castle in Staffordshire.

On August 8 th 1586, Mary Stuart was transferred to Tixall in almost solitary confinement, while
her papers and other property were ransacked at Chartley. On August 30 she was brought back to
Chartley, and on September 25 she made her last trip alive to the fateful castle of Fortheringhay.
Meanwhile a commission was appointed by Elizabeth to examine the unfortunate Queen, whose
life was now at stake.

Mary Stuart was brought to trial in Fotheringhay Castle on October 14 and 15 before the Lord
Chancellor, Sir Thomas Bromley, the Lord High Treasurer, Lord Burghley, Chief Justice Sir
Edmund Anderson, Chief Baron Sir Roger Manwood, and various noblemen, gentry, the Earl of
Shrewsbury, Sir Ralph Sadlier and Sir Amias Paul, forty-four persons in all.

Her fate had practically been sealed beforehand, and sentence of death was passed on her at
Westminster on October 25. Elizabeth, however still shrank from signing the death warrant
although she rejected the appeals from the Kings of France and Scotland on behalf of Mary
Stuart. At last, on Ferbruary 1, 1586-7, the fatal warrant was signed, and the order despatched to
Peterborough the same day. Even the stern Sir Amias Paulet was shocked into disobedience, and
was supported by Sir Drue Drury, who had been appointed to share his task. On February 4,
Robert Beale was sent down to Fotheringhay with strict orders to Sir Amias Paulet. Three days
later the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Earl of Kent, accompanied by the sheriff of
Northamptonshire, Thomas Andrews, arrived at Fotheringhay and announced to Mary Stuart that
she was to die the next morning at 8 o’clock. The unfortunate Queen, after distributing her
property among her servants, passed the night in prayer and preparation for the end. At a quarter
to eight on the morning of February 8, 1586-7, the Queen of Scotland, accompanied by her
servants, came into the great hall of Fotheringhay Castle, where the temporary scaffold had been
erected. Here the execution took place.

An interesting sketch of the trial scene at Fotheringhay accompanies the account of the
proceedings drawn up by Robert Beale, the Clerk of the Council. The sketch shows the entry of
the Queen into the hall, her unrobing, and the actual beheading. Sir Amias Paulus was present,
and Sir Drue Drury, and they are shown sitting at the end of the hall, the Earls of Shrewsbury
and Kent were present as commissioners from the Queen and they are shown sitting on the
Scaffold. Thomas Andrews in his legal capacity as sheriff of the county, is leading the Queen
into the hall; and Robert Beale, was present as clerk of the Privy Council. Dr Richard Fletcher,
Dean of Peterborough, who had been summoned to assist with spiritual admonition, stand below
the scaffold.

The Queen had been permitted to take six of her own men and women, and had chosen from her
manservants her faithful servant Robert Melvin (or Melville) with “her poticary, surgeon, and
one other old man besides”. These four are shown standing at the far end of the hall. From her
women she selected “those two, that did use to lye in her chamber”, whose names were Jane
Kennedy and Elizabeth Curle; they are shown assisting the Queen with her dress.

source: "Notes on the authentic portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots", based on the researches of
the late Sir George Scharf 1903