This is a genuine hand written document in Latin written on vellum with a large official royal wax seal attached at the bottom.
This document has the official Royal GREAT SEAL of King James I of England on it.
The document is a Letters Patent - Licence of alienation from EDMUND BAWDWEN to THOMAS INGILBY.
I cannot read the document and have only gone by the info I was given when I bought it. It would be most interesting to know the date of the document as well as the location of these two gentleman.
The document has been folded but is in really remarkable condition overall and the Royal Great Seal is really very good as well.
Often over the years the wax seals disintegrate and fall to bits, never to be seen again, or they were cut off by Victorian collectors and put into their collections - cabinets etc. This document has done well to survive.
The Great Seal has some chunks missing off both the bottom and top where the vellum sits between.. vulnerable areas as its brittle here.
The document is 14 and 3/4 inch x 8 inch tall and the Great Seal is 6 inch dia. x just short of 1/4 inch deep.
I have just been trying to find similar James I Royal Great Seals on documents and it seems that this particular seal was used a short period of time before they redesigned the canopy over the kings head making this document about 1603 - 1605.
I am sure I do not need to tell you how RARE and UNIQUE this genuine document is being no copies of it anywhere and this is the only example you will find it will suit a serious enthusiastic collector like myself or a museum archive alike.
Not too far away from here is the Ingilby family castle of 27 generations which their surname used to be spelt this same way. Interesting to note here that James I stayed overnight at this castle in 1603 and two years later there were a number of relations of the conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot. As well as another relation held captive Oliver Cromwell in the castle after the Battle of Marston Moor.
This document may be related to that family but then again I really do not know, as I find the surnames Bawdwen over in Craven at Glusburn.
Difficult to pinpoint exactly when one cannot read the document !?
I am all ears if someone wants to enlighten me to the documents contents.