REPORT OF THE SEVENTEENTH 



ANNUAL MEETING OF THE 

 SCOTTISH HISTORY SOCIETY 



The Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the Society was held 

 on Saturday, November 28, 1903, in DowelPs Rooms, George 

 Street, Edinburgh, — The Right Hon. the Earl of Rosebeey 

 presiding. 



The following Report was presented by the Secretary, and 

 held as read : — 



Since our last Annual Meeting the Society has sustained a 

 severe loss in the death of Mr. John Scott of Halkshill, one 

 of the members of the Council. Mr. Scott had not only been 

 a constant support to the Society by his wide knowledge of 

 the sources of Scottish History and his willingness at all times 

 to place his rich collection of rare manuscripts and books at 

 our service, but he was recently engaged in the preparation of 

 a volume of inedited pieces relating to Queen Mary, which was 

 for some time postponed on account of his illness. It is feared 

 that it will be no longer possible to carry through this work 

 as intended. 



On the other hand, the volume which Mr. Scott had pro- 

 posed as a gift to the Society — the facsimile of Queen Mary's 

 letter to the Duke of Guise (1562) from the original in 

 his possession — was left by him in a fair way towards com- 

 pletion. Mr. Scott saw the facsimile executed and printed 

 off to his satisfaction, and Father Pollen, who, at ]\Ir. Scott's 



