1950 removal of the Stone of Scone facts for kids
On Christmas Day in 1950, four students from the University of Glasgow in Scotland did something amazing. Their names were Ian Hamilton, Gavin Vernon, Kay Matheson, and Alan Stuart. They went to Westminster Abbey in London and took the famous Stone of Scone, bringing it back to Scotland. These students were part of a group called the Scottish Covenant Association, which wanted Scotland to have more control over its own government, a bit like having its own rules for local matters. Years later, in 2008, this exciting event was even made into a movie called Stone of Destiny.
What is the Stone of Scone?
The Stone of Scone is a very old and important stone. For hundreds of years, Scottish kings were crowned while sitting on it. But in 1296, King Edward I of England (also known as Longshanks) took the Stone from Scone, near Perth, Scotland. He took it during the Scottish Wars of Independence, like a prize from a battle.
King Edward I moved the Stone to Westminster Abbey in London. There, it was placed inside a special chair called King Edward's Chair. After that, English and later British kings and queens were crowned while sitting on this chair, with the Stone beneath them. At that time, the Stone was a huge symbol of Scotland's identity. By taking it, King Edward I was trying to show that he was the 'King of the Scots'.
In 1950, Ian Hamilton, a student in Glasgow, came up with a bold plan. He wanted to take the Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey and bring it back home to Scotland. A businessman from Glasgow, Robert Gray, helped pay for the plan. Gavin Vernon, Kay Matheson, and Alan Stuart, who were also students, joined Ian. By bringing the Stone back, the group hoped to make people think more about Scotland having its own government and to help Scottish people feel proud of their country again.
Taking the Stone of Scone
In December 1950, just before Christmas, the four students drove from Glasgow to London. The trip took them eighteen hours in two Ford Anglia cars. When they arrived, they quickly met and decided to try to get the Stone right away. Later that day, Ian Hamilton tried to hide inside the Abbey, but a night watchman found him after the doors were locked. Ian was questioned briefly and then let go.
The next day, Gavin Vernon and Alan Stuart went back to Westminster Abbey. They learned about when the watchmen changed shifts. In the middle of that night, the three men went into a work yard and found a way into a part of the Abbey called Poet's Corner. They reached the chapel where King Edward I's tomb and King Edward's Chair were. They moved a barrier out of the way. When they pulled the Stone from under the Chair, it fell to the floor and broke into two pieces!
The three men used Ian Hamilton's coat to drag the larger piece of the Stone down the steps of the high altar. Ian then took the smaller piece to one of their cars waiting outside.
Ian Hamilton put the small piece of the Stone in the car's trunk and got into the passenger seat. As he did this, Kay Matheson saw a policeman nearby. Ian and Kay quickly pretended to be a couple hugging. The policeman stopped, and they all had a chat, even though it was 5 AM! After sharing some jokes and a cigarette, Kay and Ian drove off. Ian got out along the way to walk back to the Abbey. When he got there, Gavin and Alan were gone. So, he had to drag the large piece of the Stone to the car by himself. As he was driving away, he saw Gavin and Alan walking towards him.
The Stone was so heavy that the car's springs were sagging. Gavin worried that the alarm had been raised, so he went to Rugby, Warwickshire. Ian and Alan drove to Kent, hid the large piece of the Stone in a field, and then went back to Scotland. Kay left her car, with the small piece of the Stone inside, with a friend in the Midlands. Like Gavin, she went back to Scotland by train. When the authorities found out the Stone was missing, they closed the border between Scotland and England. This was the first time that had happened in 400 years!
Two weeks later, Ian Hamilton and some friends got the two pieces of the Stone. They brought them to Glasgow. They hired a stonemason named Baillie Robert Gray to fix the Stone. Mr. Gray put a brass rod inside the Stone with a piece of paper hidden inside it. To this day, no one knows what was written on that paper!
In April 1951, the police received a message. The Stone was found at Arbroath Abbey, in the same spot where the Declaration of Arbroath was made in 1320. That declaration was a famous statement of Scottish independence. The Stone was returned to Westminster Abbey in February 1952.
The police investigated the event, focusing on Scotland. All four students were interviewed. All of them except Ian Hamilton later admitted what they had done. The authorities decided not to charge them with a crime. They worried that if they did, the event would become a huge political issue. Sir Hartley Shawcross, speaking to the government, said that taking the Stone was a "vulgar act of vandalism" that upset many people. But he felt it was not in the public interest to take them to court.
What Happened Next
To understand why taking the Stone was so important, we need to look at what the United Kingdom was like after World War II. The country was very united, and most people weren't thinking about Scotland having more control over its own government. At that time, the Scottish National Party, which wanted Scotland to be independent, had very little support. The Labour Party had also stopped supporting the idea of Scotland having its own government, and the Conservative Party was very popular in Scotland.
So, the students' daring act was a complete surprise! It brought the idea of Scotland having its own government and being a stronger nation into the public eye, even if only for a short time.
The students became very well-known for their bold plan. In Scotland, they became incredibly popular. Their actions and the students themselves became linked to the political movements that wanted Scotland to have more control over its own affairs, starting from 1950.
Over time, this incident helped people believe that change was possible. It made people think more about the union between Scotland and England, which had existed since 1707. Even though the Stone was officially returned to Scotland much later, in 1996, and Scottish people voted for their own parliament in 1997, the removal of the Stone of Scone in 1950 played a part in those big events.
The story of the Stone's removal was even made into a Scottish Gaelic song by Donald MacIntyre, called "Òran na Cloiche" ("The Song of the Stone"). When it was returned to London, another song, a sad one, was written called "Nuair a Chaidh a' Chlach a Thilleadh" ("When the Stone Was Returned").
In 2008, Ian Hamilton's book, The Taking of the Stone of Destiny, was made into a film called Stone of Destiny. The movie showed Ian Hamilton (played by Charlie Cox) as the main character leading the students to get the Stone of Scone back.
BBC Alba also made a one-hour TV show about Kay Matheson's questioning by the police. In this show, Kay pretended to only speak Gaelic.
Images for kids
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The Stone of Scone in King Edward's Chair
