1843 BIRTH OF FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. Original Facsimile of the Act of Separation of 1843. Signed 400+

Here is a beautiful piece of Scottish Presbyterian / Free Church history. It is, in essence, a full original lithograph facsimile of the Constitution of the Scottish Free Church, printed just 6 days after the meeting to sign the documents on May 23, 1843 in Edinburgh. We trace not a single other example in public or private holdings.

Signatories include Thomas Chalmers, James Buchana, Andrew Thomson, John James Bonar, James Drummond, James Anderson, Alexander Somerville, John G. Lorimer, Thomas Brown, Duncan Macfarlan, Andrew Bonar, William Chalmers Burns, John Milne, John Bonar, David Black, Alexander Tulloch, George Smeaton, Samuel Miller, Robert S. Candlish, Wm. K. Tweedie, Samuel Martin, Horatius Bonar, William Cunningham, William Hetherington, David Brown, Patrick Fairbarn, Norman Macleod, John Duncan, Alexander Keith, etc. etc. etc. 

It has been disassembled and mounted in an album sometime in the 1860's or so; it is also trimmed at the right margin. That said, it is complete textually and is a project well worth undertaking. This is an important historical item, perhaps the only copy extant, and worthy of a fine Presbyterian personal or institutional collection. We do have references for paper restorers who would be competent to undertake the work. 

Lithographed and issued by W. & A. K. Johnston, Engravers, - 29th May, 1843.

When assembled, it would measure an imposing approximately 24 x 72 inches or slightly less depending on how the margins were constructed. Currently occupying 16pp. of an album.