Lot 247
Bonnie Prince Charlie -- Divorce settlement
Books, Maps, Manuscripts & Photographs
Auction: 26 May 2010 at 12:00 BST
Description
A collection of 6 documents, total 27pp., small folio, four in French, one in French & Italian, one in Italian, one signed by Charles Edward Stuart as "Charles Comte d'Albanie" in two places in this later shaky hand. The signed and most significant document is described as follows in HMC, x.238 (Lord Braye's MSS, the Stuart MSS): September 27, 1786. Rome. Original power in French executed by Charles Edward before the Chancellor of the French Consulate at Rome to M. Busoni, empowering him, in presence of or acting with the advice of Mons. J.B. Vulpian, to execute along with the Countess of Albany or her representative the agreement whereof a draft is subjoined. Signed "Charles Comte d'Albanie", seal of French consulate at Rome affixed, executed in duplicate. The draft agreement after reciting the securing of the jointure of 40,000, and the pin-money of 12,000 livres by the marriage contract upon the first subsidies received by Charles Edward, the letter of April, 1772, the letter of separation of April 3, 1784, the grant by Louis XVI of a pension of 60,000 francs to the Countess of Albany and of the same sum to Charles Edward, and the claim of the Countess to the jointure of 40,000 secured by the contract in addition to the pension of 60,000 francs, whereas her husband contended that the contract had been satisfied by the grant of the pension, witnesses that the Countess agrees to accept a reduced jointure of 20,000 livres charged on all the property of her husband, and redeemable at any time after a year from his decease at her option for 500,000 livres.
The other documents include: another draft of the "Double de Projet de transaction" (proposed transaction), unsigned, and material giving information about the dowry granted to Princess Louise upon marriage and related matters. HMC lists the draft but none of the other documents