Mary Queen of Scots 1905 1st Edn 2 Vol Set by T. F. Henderson Scarce Illustrated
 
Mary Queen of Scots: Her Environment and Tragedy by T. F. Henderson (1905, First Edition, Two Volumes, Illustrated)
 
Bibliographic Details
 
Title: Mary Queen of Scots: Her Environment and Tragedy
Author: T. F. (Thomas Finlayson) Henderson (1844–1923)
Publisher: Hutchinson & Co., Paternoster Row, London
Printer: Hazell, Watson and Viney Ltd., London and Aylesbury
Date / Edition: 1905 – First Edition (Two Volumes Complete)
Format: Hardback – Illustrated with 102 plates including two photogravures with tissue guards
Pagination: 690 pages in total across both volumes
Binding: Blue cloth boards with gilt crests to the front boards, gilt lettering on spines, and top edge gilt
Size: Each volume approximately 23.8 x 15.8 x 4.5 cm
Weight: Approximately 1.83 kg total
 
Contents of Volumes I & II
 
Volume I:
Preface
Chapter I. Childhood In Scotland
Chapter II. The Favourite Of France
Chapter III. The Widowed Queen
Chapter IV. Scotland And Elizabeth
Chapter V. Hamiltons And Gordons
Chapter VI. Matrimonial Intrigues
Chapter VII. The Darnley Marriage
 
Volume II:
Chapter VIII. The Murder Of Riccio
Chapter IX. The Death Of Darnley
Chapter X. Mary And Bothwell
Chapter XI. In Elizabeth’s Parlour
Chapter XII. Last Years
Chapter XIII. The Dénouement
Appendix A. Latest Phase Of The Casket Controversy
Appendix B. The Bill Of Supplication
Appendix C. Draft Of Crawford’s Declaration
Appendix D. Lennox To John Wood
Appendix E. Lennox To Cecil
Appendix F. Translation And Transcription Of Letter From Mary To Elizabeth
Index
 
Author
 
Thomas Finlayson Henderson (1844–1923) was a respected Scottish historian, author and editor. He was a noted authority on Mary Queen of Scots and Scottish history, contributing greatly to Victorian scholarship through his biographical and critical works.
 
Historical and Literary Context
 
Mary Queen of Scots: Her Environment and Tragedy (1905) is an in-depth biographical study of Mary Stuart (1542–1587), Queen of Scots. Henderson’s comprehensive two-volume work explores her life within the political and religious upheavals of 16th-century Britain and France. It remains one of the most detailed and respected accounts of her reign, capturing both her humanity and the complexity of her times.
 
Exterior Condition
 
The blue cloth boards are robust and intact with gilt crests on the front and gilt titles on the spine. The top edges are gilt and remain bright.
The covers display minor wear and rubbing consistent with age, including a few small marks and light stains, slight fading on the spines, and a small split in the cloth at the top of the spine of Volume I.
There are no dust jackets, as issued.
 
Interior Condition
 
The pages are lightly tanned with some light foxing, mostly confined to the preliminary pages. There are the occasional light marks and light creases, and a couple of pages with a small amount of rubbing (not obscuring text), but overall, the interiors are clean and neat.
Some page edges are roughly cut or uncut, a typical feature of books from this period, with several unopened leaves near the end of Volume II (from around page 619). These have been left uncut to preserve authenticity.
All plates and photogravures are present with their tissue guards intact.
There is no writing, inscription, or bookplate within either volume.
Bindings remain firm throughout with only light cracks in the gutter between a few pages. There are no loose or missing pages.
 
Features
 
First Edition, 1905
Complete in two volumes
Illustrated with 102 plates, including two photogravures with tissue guards
Top-edge gilt pages
Original decorative blue cloth bindings with gilt crests
A scholarly biography of one of history’s most fascinating monarchs
 
Dimensions and Weight
 
Each volume measures approximately 23.8 cm by 15.8 cm and 4.5 cm wide.
Combined weight: approximately 1,828 grams.
 
Rarity and Collectibility
 
This complete 1905 first edition, published by Hutchinson & Co., is now scarce in such well-preserved condition. Many surviving examples are found as single volumes or ex-library copies, often with missing plates or heavy wear. This matching two-volume first edition set, complete with all 102 illustrations, gilt crests, and original top-edge gilt pages, represents a notable collectible example of Edwardian historical biography. Henderson’s detailed and scholarly account remains a significant early 20th-century study of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots