Restored Perth Charter to go on show

Oct 9 2009 by Katy Gordon, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A MEDIEVAL document granting Perth Royal Burgh status has been restored to its former glory.

The Perth Charter, which gave the Fair City its status in 1210, has been restored and saved from further erosion in time for next year’s Perth 800 celebrations.

The charter was sent to the National Archive of Scotland in Edinburgh who carried out the restoration work free of charge.

Council archivist Steve Connolly said: “We are very grateful to the National Archive for their help in restoring the Perth Charter so that it can go on display during Perth 800 year.

“The Charter is a very significant document in the history of Perth and so we were delighted that the opportunity came up to have this work done on it. It will help ensure that the Charter will still be available for future generations to appreciate.

“The document will be on display all year long during 2010 for Perth 800, and I’m sure that all visitors to the Museum and Art Gallery will be fascinated by it. It’s incredible to think how old this piece of parchment is.”

Mr Connolly explained that it took around a month for the National Archive to work on the document, which included conserving the charter’s seal and patching up small breaks in the parchment.

The document has also been placed in a new custom-made display case to protect it.

The Perth Charter will be put on display at a special exhibition being staged at Perth Museum and Art Gallery throughout next year to mark Perth 800.

The exhibition “Skin and Bone – Life and Death in Medieval Perth” will focus on the rich material evidence of aspects of life and death in Medieval Perth.

The majority of the objects were discovered during the extensive archaeological excavations in Perth over the last 30 years, including the Perth High Street site where Marks and Spencer now stands.

The Charter was granted by King William the Lion in 1210 and it is kept in the archive of Perth and Kinross Council.