A previously unrecorded 16th-century legal document signed by Anthony Babington, the central figure behind the infamous 1586 plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and free Mary, Queen of Scots, has been discovered from the library collection of Grade II* listed Ogston Hall, Derbyshire. The document, which has never been seen in public before now, will be offered at auction by Cheffins in Cambridge on Thursday, 8th October 2026.
Dated 1st July 1585, the document is a jointure - a legal settlement designed to secure the manor of Dethick and lands at Wigwell in Wirksworth for Babington’s wife, Margery, ensuring she would not be left destitute. Signed ‘Anthony Babington’ in his own hand and complete with a red wax seal, the deed was drafted 14 months before the conspirators were arrested by Sir Francis Walsingham’s secret service. Babington was subsequently executed for high treason in September 1586, setting off the chain of events that directly led to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, and sparked the Spanish Armada.
The discovery was made by the family of Mike Harris, nephew of the late Derbyshire historian Gladwyn Turbutt, whose family had owned Ogston Hall since 1717. The Turbutt family were direct descendants of the Babingtons and are believed to have held the document since it was written.
Found alongside the Babington deed in a family desk folder was an indenture signed by Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury, better known as Bess of Hardwick (E.Shrouesbury). The document is believed to be only the second example of her signature ever offered at public auction.
Mike Harris, the vendor, commented:
"These documents were tucked away in my uncle’s filing system in small box files. The Babington letter was in a family folder marked ‘Revell/Babington’, while the other was in a file labelled ‘Interesting Charters’. We first recognized the Bess of Hardwick letter and the signature 'E.Shrouesbury'—we really thought 'wow' when we opened it. They are quite a sight, beautiful old documents produced on vellum.”
"The Babington letter is even rarer and makes for fascinating reading. We had no idea they were in my uncle’s ownership. As we are related to the Babingtons, I suppose it is not surprising that we had a letter like this somewhere from the Ogston library. My uncle was a great historian and collector, but he never mentioned these, which makes me wonder if he even knew they were there."
Ogston Hall is one of Derbyshire’s most historic country houses, recorded in the Domesday Book, the estate was once home to an early edition of Shakespeare’s First Folio, which remained at the hall for 150 years before being sold by the Turbutt family to Oxford’s Bodleian Library in 1906.
Charles Ashton, Director at Cheffins, said:
"These documents are a wonderful window into early English history. The Turbutt family was one of the most important in Derbyshire history, and we are delighted to handle such fascinating material. For bibliophiles, Tudor and Elizabethan scholars, these are the ultimate discovery. It is always exciting to find something of this calibre during a country house sale. The library at Ogston Hall was renowned, but a historical find of this magnitude was completely unexpected."
The estimate for the Babington letter is £200 - £300. The Bess of Hardwick one is estimated at £500 - £800.
Cheffins sold the paintings and furniture from Ogston Hall as part of The Fine Sale on the 16th and 17th September.
To view the calendar of sales at Cheffins, please visit click here