The Ancient Key of Stirling

The key to one of the old gates to Stirling was on display today at Bannockburn House (normally in the Smith Museum). It had originally been presented to Bonny Prince Charlie there in 1746:

THE SIEGE OF STIRLING

ON THE 5TH OF JANUARY, SOON AFTER LORD GEORGE’S RETURN TO BANNOCKBURN A DRUMMERBOY WAS SENT TO STIRLING WITH A DEMAND THAT THE TOWN SURRENDERS TO THE JACOBITE ARMY WHICH HAD ALL BUT SURROUNDED THE TOWN, AFTER VAINLY TRYING TO PASS ON THE MESSAGE FROM LORD GEORGE MURRAY THE ‘DRUMMER BOY‘ WAS FIRED UPON BY THE TOWNS MILITIA, HE DROPPED HIS SIDE DRUM AND RAN AWAY.
NEXT MORNING THE JACOBITES SET UP A BATTERY OF GUNS IN FIRING RANGE OF THE TOWN.
SOON AFTER THE TOWN COUNCIL THOUGHT IT WISER TO  OPEN NEGOTIATIONS WITH PRINCE CHARLES AT BANNOCKBURNHOUSE AND AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION, THE SURRENDER OF THE TOWN WAS FINALLY SIGNED ON 8TH JANUARY 1746. A KEY TO THE GATE WAS PRESENTED TO THE PRINCE.