A wooden prosthetic finger used by an 18th century Scots aristocrat after a childhood accident on the Royal Mile has fetched nearly £9,000 at auction in the city.
The carved ebony digit was made for Jane Maxwell, later Lady Jane Gordon, Duchess of Gordon, after she lost the finger in a cart accident in 1763.
It went up for sale at Bonhams in Edinburgh as part of the contents of Monreith House, the historical seat of the Clan Maxwell, in Wigtownshire.
The 8.5cm long curiosity, which came with a letter explaining how she acquired it, was estimated at just £300–500.
It fetched £8,960 after a nail-biting bidding war.
The wooden finger went under the hammer along with other contents from the mansion at Bonhams’ sale of “The Contents of Monreith House” held in Edinburgh over two days last week.
The sale totalled £765,543, with bids from around the world.
Monreith House has long been associated with the Maxwell family, one of Scotland’s most distinguished lineages.
The A-Listed Georgian residence has been home to notable players in political, military and literary life, including Sir Herbert Maxwell and the celebrated naturalist and author Gavin Maxwell.
The collection offered at Bonhams provided a rare opportunity to acquire objects from a house that has remained in the same family for generations.
Highlights spanning 500 years included Old Master paintings, Scottish and English furniture, works of art and sculpture, arms and armour, carpets and deeply personal family possessions reflecting the rich history and character of Monreith House.
Standout results were led by a Mughal gem-set jade sheep-head dagger hilt from North India, dating to the 18th/19th century, which made nearly five times its estimate at £48,640, and Robert Harvie’s portrait of Sir William Maxwell, 3rd Baronet of Monreith, which sold for £29,440.
A rare mid-16th-century two-handed sword reputed to have been wielded by Lord Maxwell at the Battle of Dryfe Sands, the final and most decisive clash in a century-long feud between Clan Maxwell and Clan Johnstone, fetched £28,160.
A portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie in Highland dress with a targe, sword and pistol, attributed to John Worsdale, sold for £7040, while a painting of The St Leger Stakes on Doncaster Course by Clifton Tomson, which fetched £24,320.
The wooden digit was another highlight. Born at Monreith in 1749, Lady Jane Maxwell was the fourth child of Sir William Maxwell and his wife Magdalene Blair.
The accident occurred when she was 14 years old, playing in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, close to where the Maxwells rented a second floor apartment in Hyndford’s Close.
Jane and her younger sister, Eglantyne, received early notoriety by riding pigs in the High Street, owned by a nearby Inn and let out daily for exercise.
The accident occurred when Jane got a finger of her right hand jammed in the wheel of a cart which moved away and tore her finger off.
After this, whenever possible, she wore gloves in which the wooden finger replaced the one missing.
Jane would later marry Alexander, the son of the 4th Duke of Gordon, who lived in the Gordon townhouse almost opposite where she lost her finger.
Charlie Thomas, Bonhams’ Director, Private & Iconic Collections, said: “The results achieved across both sales demonstrate the enduring appeal of great country house collections with strong provenance and historical depth.
“Monreith House offered collectors a rare opportunity to acquire objects that had evolved organically within one family collection over generations.
“From pieces connected to significant historical moments to deeply personal family possessions, the collection resonated with bidders across multiple categories, reflecting both its quality and exceptional coherence.”
Charles Graham-Campbell, Director Bonhams Scotland, said auctioneers were “thrilled” with the results across both days.
He said: “The collection attracted interest from a wide range of collectors, reflecting not only the quality of the objects offered but also the enduring fascination with Scotland’s historic houses and the families who shaped them.
“It has been a privilege to bring this collection to market and to see these remarkable objects begin new chapters with new owners.”
