A Jacobite Gazetteer - France

Paris - Scots College

The Scots College (Collège des Écossais), located at 65 rue du Cardinal-Lemoine, was for centuries the centre of Scottish Catholic life in Paris. Until 1793 the College was part of the University of Paris. Today it is the home of the Association Franco-Ecossaise.

In the main stairwell, one flight up from the ground floor, hangs a portrait of King James III and VIII by Alexis-Simon Belle. ¹ The painting was commissioned for the college in August 1703. It is a full-length portrait in which James wears armour and the sash of the Order of the Garter. He is standing on a shoreline and pointing across the water on which there are several ships sailing towards the cliffs of Dover. Behind James is a page dressed in Polish costume. According to Jane Margaret Strickland, the page is Roger Strickland (son of Robert Strickland, Vice Chamberlain to Queen Mary Beatrice); Roger was made Page of Honour, October 30, 1701, and Groom of the Bedchamber, November 29, 1706. ² The portrait of James was the model for a 1724 portrait by Belle of Louis, Duke of Orléans, now at Schloss Rastatt.³

James III and VIII with a page, by Alexis-Simon Belle

The chapel of the college is on the second floor. The entrance is immediately to the left of the portrait of King James III and VIII.

Exterior of the Chapel of the Scots College from the Courtyard

Interior of the Chapel of the Scots College

Over the altar of the chapel hangs a painting of the Crucifixion of Saint Andrew. In the background can be seen three ships flying red ensigns.

Detail of ships in the Crucifixion of Saint Andrew

The chapel contains a number of funerary monuments of Jacobite interest; while the monuments are still in good condition, almost all the remains of the deceased were lost during the French Revolution.

Among the monuments of Jacobite interest are those to:

1. King James II and VII
2. Queen Mary Beatrice
3. Princess Louise Marie
4. Mary, Duchess of Perth
5. James, 2nd Duke of Perth

6. James, 1st Duke of Perth
7. Dr. Andrew Hay
8. Frances, Duchess of Tyrconnell
9. John, Lord Caryll of Durford
10. Dr. Lewis Innese

Floorplan of the Chapel of the Scots College

King James II and VII left instructions that at his death his brain should be preserved at the college. In 1703, James Drummond, Duke of Perth, erected a monument to house these remains on the left side of the chapel immediately across from the main entrance (no. 1 on the floorplan). The monument is of grey, black and white marble. Above a plinth stands a sarcophagus with the royal arms. Atop the sarcophagus is an obelisk on which formerly rested a gilt bronze urn which contained James' brain; the urn was lost during the French Revolution.

Engraving of the monument to King James II and VII
as it looked before the French Revolution

The monument to King James II and VII today

The plinth has a Latin inscription: ⁴

D. O. M.
MEMORIÆ
AVGVSTISSIMI PRINCIPIS
IACOBI IIDI MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ &C. REGIS.
ILLE PARTIS TERRA AC MARI TRIVMPHIS CLARVS, SED CONSTANTI IN DEVM FIDE CLARIOR, HVIC REGNA, OPES ET OMNIA VITÆ FLORENTIS COMMODA POSTPOSVIT, PER SVMMVM SCELVS A SVA SEDE PVLSVS, ABSALONIS IMPIETATEM, ACHITOPHILIS PERFIDIAM ET ACERBA SEMEI CONVITIA INVICTA LENITATE ET PATIENTIA, IPSIS ETIAM INIMICIS AMICVS, SVPERAVIT. REBVS HVMANIS MAIOR, ADVERSIS SVPERIOR, ET CÆLESTIS GLORIÆ STVDIO INFLAMMATVS, QVOD REGNO CARVERIT SIBI VISVS BEATIOR, MISERAM HANC VITAM FELICI, REGNVM TERRESTRE CÆLESTI COMMVTAVIT. HÆC DOMVS, QVAM PIVS PRINCEPS LABANTEM SVSTINVIT ET PATRIE FOVIT, CVI ETIAM INGENII SVI MONIMENTA OMNIA SCILICET SVA MANVSCRIPTA CVSTODIENDA COMMISIT, EAM CORPORIS IPSIVS PARTEM QVA MAXIME ANIMVS VIGET, RELIGIOSE SERVANDAM SVSCEPIT.
VIXIT ANIS LXVIII. RENAVIT XVI. OBIIT XVII
KAL. OCTOB. AN. SAL. HVM. MDCCI.
IACOBVS DVX DE PERTH PRÆFECTVS INSTITVITIONI
IACOBI III. MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ &C. REGIS
MOERENS POSVIT.

The inscription on the monument to King James II and VII

In 1883 workmen laying a pipe under the floor of the college discovered two lead cases one of which contained what appeared to be a human brain. The case was given to Monsignor Rogerson who died the following year. The executor of his estate, a British solicitor in Paris, had custody of the case until it was claimed by the Abbé Jouannin of St. Sulpice Seminary. In 1889 J.G. Alger wrote that, "a Scotch Catholic prelate has interested himself in the matter, and the relic will probably be reinstated at the college under an inscribed slab." ⁵ In 2001 Edward Corp wrote that, "it has never been heard of again." ⁶

In the floor immediately in front of the monument to King James II and VII is a stone slab with a Latin inscription recording this as the site where the entrails of Queen Mary Beatrice were laid (no. 2 on the floorplan): ⁷

D. O. M.
SUB HOC MARMORE
CONDITA SUNT
VISCERA MARIÆ BEATRICIS REGINÆ MAG. BRITAN.
UXORIS IACOBI II. MATRIS IACOBI III. REGIS.
RARISSIMI EXEMPLI PRINCEPS FUIT
FIDE ET PIETATE IN DEUM, IN CONJUGEM, LIBEROS EXIMIA,
CARITATE IN SUOS, LIBERALITATE IN PAUPERES, SINGULARI.
IN SUPREMO REGNI FASTIGIO CHRISTIANAM HUMILITATEM,
REGNO PULSA DIGNITATEM, MAJESTATEMQUE
RETINUIT;
IN UTRAQUE FORTUNA SEMPER EADEM,
NEC AULÆ DELICIIS EMOLLITA
NEC TRIGINTA ANNORUM EXILIO, CALAMITATIBUS,
OMNIUM PROPE CARORUM AMISSIONE
FRACTA
QUIEVIT IN DOMINO VII. MAII AN. MDCCXVIII.
ÆTATIS ANNO LX.º

Monument to Queen Mary Beatrice

In the floor immediately in front of the inscription to Queen Mary Beatrice is a diamond-shaped stone slab with a Latin inscription recording this as the site where the entrails of Princess Louise Marie (daughter of King James II and VII and Queen Mary Beatrice) were laid (no. 3 on the floorplan): ⁸

D. O. M.
HIC SITA SVNT
VISCERA PVELLÆ REGIÆ
LVDOVICÆ MARIÆ,
QVÆ IACOBO II. MAIORIS BRITANIÆ REGI
ET MARIÆ REGINÆ DIVINITVS DATA FVERAT,
VT ET PARENTIBVS OPTIMIS PERPETVI EXILII
MOLESTIAM LEVARET,
ET FRATRI DIGNISSIMO REGII SANGUINIS DECVS,
QVOD CALVMNIANTIVM IMPROBITATE DETRAHEBATVR,
ADSERERET.
OMNIBVS NATURÆ ET GRATIÆ DONIS CVMVLATA,
MORVM SVAVITATE PROBATA TERRIS,
SANCTITATE MATVRA COELO,
RAPTA EST NE MALITIA MVTARET INTELLECTV~
EIVS, EO MAXIME TEMPORE QVO, SPE FORTVNÆ
MELIORIS OBLATA, GRAVIVS SALVTIS
ÆTERNÆ DISCRIMEN VIDEBATVR
ADITVRA.
XIV. KAL. MAII, M.DCCXII.
ÆTAT. AN. XIX.

Monument to Princess Louise

In addition to the monuments to the Royal Family, there are also several monuments to members of their court, most of which are set into the floor.

To the left of the memorial to Queen Mary Beatrice is a square stone marking the spot where the heart of Mary, Duchess of Perth, formerly lay (no. 4 on the floorplan). This lady was the daughter of the third Marquess of Huntly and the third wife of the 1st Duke of Perth; she served as a Lady of the Bedchamber in Ordinary to Queen Mary Beatrice. ⁹ The memorial stone is incised with tears which surround the outline of a heart, within which is a Latin inscription: ¹⁰

HIC SITUM EST
COR
MARIÆ DE GORDON DE HUNTLY
DUCISSÆ DE PERTH,
PRIMARIÆ APUD REGINAM MAGN. BRTI.
MATRONÆ.
OBIIT XIII MARTII
AN. DOM. M.DCC.XXVI.

Here lies
the heart
of Mary Gordon of Huntly,
Duchess of Perth,
First Lady to the Queen Mother
of Great Britain
The year of our Lord 1726.

Monument to Mary, Duchess of Perth

Next to the back wall of the chapel and immediately to the left of the memorial to the Duchess of Perth and is a stone marking the site of the burial of her husband, James Drummond, 1st Duke of Perth (no. 6 on the floorplan). He served as Governor to the Prince of Wales (later King James III and VIII), as Gentleman of the Bedchamber, and finally as Chamberlain to Queen Mary Beatrice. ¹¹ The memorial stone has a Latin inscription: ¹²

HIC JACET
JACOBUS DRUMMOND, DUX DE PERTH, MARCHIO DE DRUMMOND, COMES DE PERTH ET DE STOBHAL, VICECOMES DE CARGILL, BARO DE DRUMMOND, CONCRAIG, &C. ANTIQMÆ FAMILIÆ DE DRUMMOND PRINCEPS, HÆREDITARIUS SENESCHALLUS DE STRATERNE, UTRIUSQUE CARDUI APUD SCOTOS ET PERISCELIDIS APUD ANGLOS EQUES, REGIBUS MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ CAROLO IIº. JACOBO IIº. ET JACOBO IIIº. AB INTIMIS ET SANCTIORIBUS CONSILIIS. EX SUMMO SCOTIÆ JUSTITTIARIO AD SUPREMAM CANCELLARIATUS REGNI DIGNITATEM A CAROLO IIº. REGE EVECTUS, POST DIUTURNOS FLUCTUANTIS ANIMI ÆSTUS, VICTRICI TANDEM VERITATI CESSIT, FIDEMQUE CATHOLICAM AMPLEXUS IN EAM BREVI TOTAM SECUM TRAXIT FAMILIAM. HINC PROPTER CONSTANTEM RELIGIONIS ZELUM, ET INVITAM ERGA REGEM LEGITIMUM FIDEM, DIUTURNO CARCERE, PROSCRIPTIONE, ET EXILIO PROBATUS, ONMIUM DIGNISSIMUS JACOBO IIº REGI VISUS EST QUI UNICI FILII JACOBI MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ PRINCIPIS INSTITUTIONE PRÆFICERETUR. REGIO DEMUM PRÆFACT^~ EST CUBIBUO, ET CONSTITUTUS REGINÆ CAMERARIUS. FUIT SUMMUS ILLE VIR NON TAM NATALIBUS ET AFFINITATIB^~ REGIIS, QUAM HUMANITATE, URBANITATE, ET INGENII ELEGANTIA CONSPICUUS, JURIUM REGIÆ MAJESTATIS, ET SACRÆ HIERARCHIAÆ VINDEX ACERRIMUS, OMNI LITERATUM GENERE EXCULT^~ ET SUMMUS LITERATORUM PATRONUS: SED PRÆCLARAS ANIMI DOTES CONSTANS EJUS PIETAS, FIDEI ZELUS, INTEGRITAS INCORRUPTA, PROPENSUS AD OMNES SUBLEVANDOS ANIMUS, ET HUMILITAS VERE CHRISTIANA LONGE SUPERARUNT. DOMUM HANC AB IMMINENTE RUINA OFFICIIS APUD REGEM OPE ET RE SUA SUFFULSIT. HIC CONDI VOLUIT PROPE MONUMENTUM QUOD REGIS JACOBI II^DI MEMORIÆ PROPRIO ÆRE PONENDUM CURAVERAT.
VIXIT ANNIS LXVIII. OBIIT DIE XI. MAII. ANº. DNI MDCCXVI.
R. I. P.

Monument to James, Duke of Perth

To the left of the memorial to the 1st Duke of Perth and at the centre of the back wall of the chapel is a diamond-shaped memorial stone to Dr. Andrew Hay (no. 7 on the floorplan). This man was the son of Sir John Hay, of Barra and Lauds, Lord Clerk Register under King Charles I, and of his second wife Rebecca Thomson. He was a Catholic priest, and suffered terribly during the anti-Catholic riots in London in 1688. Eventually he retired to the Scots College. ¹³ The memorial stone has a Latin inscription: ¹⁴

HIC JACET
D. ANDREAS HAY.
EX NOBILI APUD SCOTOS FAMILIA,
VIR PROBITATE ET PIETATE INSIGNIS,
OB FIDEM IN DEUM ET ERGA PRINCIPEM EXUL.
PLENUS DIERUM ET BONORUM OPERUM,
DE HAC DOMO BENE MERITUS,
OBIIT DIE XXIII NOVEMBRIS
A. D. MDCCII.
REQUIESCAT
IN PACE. AMEN.

Monument to Dr. Andrew Hay

On the wall behind the memorial to Father Hay is a memorial stone to Frances, Duchess of Tyrconnell. She was the daughter of Richard Jennings and of Frances Thornhurst, the sister of Sarah, Lady Churchill (called "Duchess of Marlborough"), and the second wife of Richard Talbot, Duke of Tyrconnell. She was a Maid of Honour to Queen Catherine, wife of King Charles II, and after 1691 a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary Beatrice. She died in Dublin and is buried in St. Patrick's Cathedral. ¹⁵ The memorial stone has a frame ornamented with burning lamps and a Latin inscription: ¹⁶

D. O. M.
ÆTERNÆ MEMORIÆ
ILLUSTRISSIMÆ ET NOBILISSIMÆ DOMINÆ
FRANCISCÆ JENNINGS
DUCISSÆ DE TYRCONNELL
REGINÆ MAG. BRIT. MATRONÆ HONORARIÆ,
HUJUS COLLEGII BENEFACTRICIS,
QUÆ MISSAM QUOTIDIANAM IN HOC SACRARIO
FUNDAVIT PERPETUO CELEBRANDAM,
PRO ANIMA SUA ET ANIMABUS D^NI GEORGII
HAMILTON DE ABERCONRE EQUITIS AURATI
CONJUGIS SUPRIMI, ET D^NI RICHARDI TALBTO
DUCIS DE TYRCONNELL, PROREGIS HYBERNIÆ,
SECUNDI SUI CONJUGIS.
OBIIT DIE XVII. MARTII. AN. DOMINI
MDCCXXXI.
REQUIESCAT IN PACE.

Monument to Frances, Duchess of Tyrconnell

On the floor to the left of the memorial to Father Hay is a stone marking the site of the burial of James Drummond, 2nd Duke of Perth (no. 5 on the floorplan). He served as Master of the Horse to King James III and VIII. ¹⁷ The memorial stone has a Latin inscription: ¹⁸

D. O. M.
IN SPEM BEATÆ RESVRRECTIONIS SVB HOC MARMORE QVIESCIT
IACOBVS DRVMMOND, DVX DE PERTH, MARCHIO DE DRVMMOND,
COMES DE PERTH ET DE STOBHALL, VICECOMES DE CARGILL,
BARO DE DRVMMOND, CONCRAIG, &C. ANTIQMÆ FAMILIÆ DE
DRVMMOND PRINCEPS, HÆREDITARIVS SENESCHALLVS DE
STRATHERNE, REGII ORDINIS CARDVI EQVES, REGIARVM
COPIARVM LEGATVS, ET MAGISTER EQVITV~; REGINÆ COMES STABUL.
VIR NON TAM NATALIBVS, ETSI A MVLTIS SÆCVLIS REGIA
AFFINITATE ILLVSTRIBVS, QVAM SINCERA PIETATE, CATHOLICÆ
RELIGIONIS STVDIO, MORVM SVAVITATE, SCIENTIA MILITARI, ET
ANIMI FORTITVDINE CONSPICVVS.
REGI SVO VNICE DEVOTVS ET OPTIMO PRINCIPI VICISSIM GRATISSIMVS; IN HÆREDITARIO ERGO DOMVM REGIAM OBSEQVIO ADEO CONSTANTEM ANIMVM SEMPER EXHIBVIT VT NEC LABORIBVS FATIGARI, NEC LONGIORIS EXPECTATIONIS TÆDIO FRANGI, NEC DENIQVE CARCERIBVS, EXILIIS, AMPLISSIMARVM DITIONVM PROSCIPTIONE ABDVCI VNQVAM POTVERIT, QVOMINVS FAMILIÆ REGIÆ RESTITVITIONI, ET PATRIÆ LIVERTATI AD VLTIMVM VSQVE SPIRITVM OMNIBVS MODIS ALLABORARET.
HIC PONI VOLVIT IVXTA PATREM CARISSIMVM, VT VBI PRIMA OLIM IECERAT PIETATIS FVNDAMENTA IBI AMPLIFICATÆ PER TATAM VITAM VIRTVTIS PRÆMIVM, POPVLARIVM SVORVM PRECIBVS ADIVTVS, FIDENTIVS EXPECTARET.
OBIIT DIE XVII. APRIL. MDCCXX. ÆTAT. Aº. XLVI.
REQVIESCAT IN PACE.

Immediately to the left of the main entrance to the chapel is a stone slab to the memory of John Caryll, Lord Caryll of Durford (no. 10 on the floorplan). He was Secretary to Queen Mary Beatrice and later Secretary of State. He was buried at the church of the English Benedictines near the tomb of King James II and VII. ¹⁹ The memorial stone has a Latin inscription: ²⁰

D. O. M.
PIÆ MEMORIÆ
ILLMI. ET NOBMI. D. IOHANNIS CARYL, BARONIS DE DUNFORD, DNI DE HARTING, LADYHOLT, &C. ANGLIÆ PARIS, IACOBO IIº ET IIIº MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ REGIBVS AB INTIMIS CONSILIIS ET SECRETIORIBVS MANDATIS. ANTIQVISSIMA GENERIS NOBILITATE IN SVSSEXIA, ANGLIÆ PROVINICA, NECNON PRÆCLARO ET SVBLIMI INGENIO, LITERATVRA OMNIGENA EXPOLITO, CLAR ILLE FVIT; CLARIOR TAMEN INTEGRITATIS ET EQUITATIS AMORE AC INSIGNI ERGA PRINCIPEM LEGITIMV~ FIDE, OB QVAM BONORV~ OMNIV~ PROSCRIPTONEM PASSVS REGIÆ IN ADVERSIS FORTVNÆ FIDVS ASSECLA, RARO EXEMPLO, PRIMA AVLÆ MVNERA, NEC LUCRI NEC HONORIS SPE ALLECTVS, SED VT SVAM REGI COMPROBARET FIDEM, DIFFICILLIMIS TEMPORIBVS ADMINISTRAVIT. VERV~ PIETATE AC ZELO CATHOLICÆ RELIGIONIS LONGE CLARISSIMVS; HVIVS CAUSA DIVTVRNV~ IN ARCE LONDINENSI CARCEREM PERPESSVS EST. HVIC ILLVSTRANDÆ QVIDQVID IN MAXIMIS NEGOTIIS TEMPORIS SVBRIPERE POTVIT, SOMNI PARCVS ET DESIDIÆ INIMICVS, TOTVM DEVOVIT. EIVS IMPRIMIS IN PAVPERES MISERICORDIA SEMPER EMICVIT; HORVM PLVRES, DVM VIVERET, ANNVIS STIPENDIIS ALVIT, ET NON MINIMAM BONORVM PARTEM CHARITATIS ET PIETATIS OPERIBVS IMPENDENDAM TESTAMENTO LEGAVIT. HOC VERO COLLEGIVM, CVI VIVENS IMPENSE SEMPER FAVIT, EIVS IN PIAM IVVENTVTIS INSTITVTIONEM ZELO PERPETVAM DEBET FVNDATIONEM PRÆFECTI STVDIORVM. COELO MATVRVS, MERITIS ET ANNIS PLENVS, IN SENECTVTE BONA OBIIT IN OPPIDO S. GERMANI IN LAYA PRIDIE NONAS SEPTEMBR. A. D. MDCCXI.
REQVIESCAT IN PACE

Notes

²¹ Edward Corp, The King over the Water: Portraits of the Stuarts in Exile after 1689 (Edinburgh: Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 2001), 49 and 106. Alexis-Simon Belle was born in Paris in 1674, and died in the same city in 1734. In spite of the fact that he won the Prix de Rome, he chose not to train at Rome but rather to remain in France. In 1701 he moved to Saint-Germain-en-Laye where he worked for the English and Scottish court. He painted at least ten portraits of King James III and VIII, as well as others of his parents and his sister Princess Louise-Marie. Other portraits of James by Belle can be seen at the Hôtel Charost in Paris, at the Oratorio di San Giuseppe in Urbino, at the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj in Rome, and in Pesaro.

²² Jane Margaret Strickland, Life of Agnes Strickland (Edinburgh: W. Blackwood, 1887), 121. Cf. Ruvigny, 220 and 222.

²³ Cf. http://www.schloss-rastatt.de/index.php?id=1244. Louis stands in an identical pose. The page in a Polish costume has his head tilted in the opposite direction.

¹ H. Longueville Jones, "Sepulchral Inscriptions at the Scotch College, Paris", Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica (London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son, 1841), VII, 35.

² J.G. Alger, "The Posthumous Vicissitudes of James the Second", The Nineteenth Century 25 (January 1889): 108-109.

³ Edward Corp, "The Last Years of James II, 1690-1701", History Today (September 2001): 25.

⁴ Jones, VII, 35-6. The stone measures 203 cm by 98 cm.

⁵ Jones, VII, 36. Each side of the stone measures 68.5 cm.

⁶ Melville de Massue de Ruvigny, The Jacobite Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage & Grants of Honour (Edinburgh: T.C. & E.C. Jack, 1904), 146.

⁷ Jones, VII, 36. The stone measures 58 cm long by 51 cm.

⁸ Ruvigny, 146.

⁹ Jones, VII, 37-38.

¹⁰ John Burke and John Bernard Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies of Engalnd, Ireland, and Scotland, 2nd ed. (London: John Russell Smith, 1844), 625.

¹¹ Jones, VII, 38. Each side of the stone measures 56 cm.

¹² Ruvigny, 177.

¹³ Jones, VII, 38-39. The stone measures 86 cm high.

¹⁴ Ruvigny, 146.

¹⁵ Jones, VII, 37. The stone measures 222 cm by 136 cm.

¹⁶ Ruvigny, 26.

¹⁷ Jones, VII, 42. The stone measures 86 cm by 41 cm.

Image 1 (James III and VIII with a page, by Alexis-Simon Belle): postcard, Scots College.

Image 5 (Floorplan of the Chapel): Jones.

Image 6 (Engraving of the monument to King James II and VII as it looked before the French Revolution): engraving by J. Mynde.

Image 7 (Monument to James II and VII today): Jebulon, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tomb_Brain_James_II_England_VII_Scotland_Scots_college_Paris.jpg.

Image 9 (Monument to Queen Mary Beatrice): Jebulon, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viscera_tomb_of_Mary_of_Modena%2C_coll%C3%A8ge_des_Ecossais_chapel_in_Paris.jpg.