Mary I's Map Volume, a Tudor Artifact, Offered for $1.6 Million at Book Fair
A 1555 edition of 'Anglica Historia' by Polydore Vergil, previously owned by Mary I, England's first queen, is now for sale at $1.6 million through Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps. This edition features four specially crafted maps of territories claimed by the English crown, including a 1558 map of Scotland, coinciding with the loss of Calais. Musicologist Peter Leech found the book in a Leicestershire manor library in 2024, and it was auctioned for £168,000 (approximately $237,000) at Dominic Winter Auctioneers in September 2024. Ruderman, HS Rare Books, and Clive A. Burden Ltd. acquired it. Historian Linda Porter emphasizes the cultural importance of the volume, which is subject to an export ban. The sale is scheduled for April 30 at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.
Key facts
- Volume is a 1555 edition of Polydore Vergil's 'Anglica Historia' owned by Mary I.
- Includes four custom maps of Scotland, Ireland, and English Channel holdings.
- Map of Scotland is dated 1558, the year Calais fell to France.
- Discovered in 2024 by Peter Leech in a Leicestershire manor library.
- Auctioned at Dominic Winter Auctioneers in September 2024 for £168,000.
- Now offered by Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps for $1.6 million.
- Book features Mary I's monogram and coat of arms.
- Under export ban; buyer must keep in UK or allow British institution to acquire.
- Maps show St. George's flag over Calais, asserting English sovereignty.
- Cartographer of the maps is unknown.
Entities
Artists
- Polydore Vergil
- Mary I
- Catherine of Aragon
- Henry VII
- Henry VIII
- Anne Boleyn
- Edward VI
- Elizabeth I
- James VI of Scotland
- Anne Rede
- John Fortescue
- Linda Porter
- Peter Leech
- Alex Clausen
- Anna Whitelock
Institutions
- Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps
- Dominic Winter Auctioneers
- HS Rare Books
- Clive A. Burden Ltd.
- New York International Antiquarian Book Fair
- Smithsonian magazine
- Cardiff University
- Royal Collection Trust
- British Museum
Locations
- Calais
- France
- England
- Scotland
- Ireland
- Leicestershire
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States
- Wales
- Bosworth Hall