A staggering 3,100 stolen historical documents have been recovered and returned to their rightful institutions, marking the end of one of the most extensive archival theft cases in the UK. The items, some dating back centuries, had been quietly taken from libraries and archives by a single individual with an unusual fixation on stamps and postmarks.
A Collector Turned Thief
The man behind the thefts—whose name has not been disclosed—appears to have been driven not by financial gain but by an obsessive interest in postal history. Experts say his fascination with rare postmarks and correspondence led him to systematically steal thousands of documents over many years.
Dr. Alan Borthwick, head of medieval and early modern records at the National Records of Scotland (NRS), described the thief’s mindset: “He was looking for correspondence, especially from parts of the world where Scots were involved in general personal or business matters. Even routine domestic letters attracted him if they had unusual postmarks. A bit magpie-like, he was drawn to something ‘shiny’ even if most people wouldn’t see the appeal.”
How the Thefts Went Undetected
Despite regularly visiting archives across the UK, the thief managed to avoid detection for years. Many of the stolen documents were not of high financial or historical value, meaning their absence went unnoticed. However, archivists began piecing together the pattern when items from multiple institutions were found in private collections and auction houses.
The Scale of the Recovery
Authorities have now successfully reclaimed most of the stolen materials:
- 2,000 documents were returned to the NRS, which houses nearly 38 million records spanning 1,000 years of Scottish history.
- Items were also recovered from the National Archives, University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, and the National Library of Scotland.
- 500 pieces were traced to private collectors who had unknowingly acquired stolen materials.
- 100 items remain of unknown origin, leaving archivists with the ongoing task of identifying their rightful owners.
Securing the Archives for the Future
With the documents now back in place, the NRS has significantly strengthened its security measures. Alison Byrne, chief executive of NRS, acknowledged the scale of the thefts, calling them “unprecedented.”
“These historical thefts were carried out by an individual who was a regular visitor to the institutions he stole from. Thanks to the highly detailed and painstaking work of NRS archivists, we have been able to restore these records to their original collections and ensure they are available for study once again.”
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities within historical archives and the need for continued vigilance in protecting national heritage.
