'Remarkable' 16th-century Scottish handwritten manuscript about Sir William Wallace put up for auction

Latin texts contain previously unknown information about exploits of legendary warrior

An early 16th century handwritten manuscript that revealed previously unknown information about Sir William Wallace could fetch up to £250,000 at auction next month.

The "Lindesiana Chronicles of Scotland" contains two texts in Latin thought to have been produced in Edinburgh around 1511 and 1526.

It was originally owned by Sir Robert Robertoun, chaplain of Edinburgh, who had them bound into a 223 leaf book some time before 1550.

Sir William Wallace led the uprising of 1297

Described as "a remarkable discovery for Scottish history", the book has been kept in a private collection in Norway since 1990, when its significance was not yet fully understood.

It was only after it was studied by a leading medieval historian from the University of Glasgow that it was found to contain previously unknown details about the First War of Scottish Independence and Wallace's uprising in 1297.

One of numerous new discoveries was the exact date – 3 May 1297 – when the freedom fighter killed the English sheriff of Lanark, William Heselrig.

It also revealed that Wallace did not act alone but had an accomplice, named Richard of Lundie, who would later switch sides and fight against Wallace and the Scots at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

After five centuries, the book appears to be complete, with 223 leafs written in two hands as well as inscriptions by various owners dating back to Robertoun.

Remarkably, it also retains its original wood and leather binding, one of only a handful of pre-1550 Scottish decorated bindings to survive.

The book is one of "the jewels in the crown" of the Martin Schøyen Collection of books and manuscripts, which will go under the auctioneer's hammer at Christie's in London on June 11.

Experts have given it an estimate of £150,000-250,000.

Tens of thousands of people can’t be wrong - get the Scotsman’s newsletter

Head of sale Eugenio Donadoni, Senior Specialist, Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts at Christie’s London, said: "The Lindesiana Chronicles of Scotland is without doubt one of the most significant Scottish manuscripts that has ever come to market.

"Manuscript codices produced in Scotland with Scottish bindings from from this period just don't come up. When you add the textual significance, it is incredibly rare. I don't remember anything like it."

The first part of the manuscript draws from well known Scottish sources including the late 14th century priest John de Fordun and Walter Bower, the Augustinian abbot of Inchcolm in the 1440s.

However, the inclusion of details that appear nowhere else means the scribe must also have been copying from some other sources that no longer survive.The book is inscribed on the flyleaf by its original owner, Robert Robertoun, who described it as a "Chronica Scotorum", or history of Scotland.

Robertoun died in 1568 and the book was later owned by three members of the Kemp family, Henry, George and David, before a gentleman named Walter Buchanan.

It was then owned by John Lindsay of Balcarres, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and Secretary of State for Scotland up to his death in 1598.

The Chronicles remained in the Lindsay family library for centuries – for which it named the Lindesiana Chronicles – and was later in the hands of a bookseller in Northern Ireland until it was bought by the Norwegian bibliophile Martin Schøyen at auction in 1990 for £41,800.