Howland Smith began his forging career in the 1880s in his native Edinburgh. At first, he began to visit second hand bookshops and bought all kinds of old books with blank fly leaves. He always carried them home himself, a … See more

In November 1892 the Edinburgh Evening Dispatch published articles about the forgeries, including facsimiles of some of the notes that had … See more

In May 1891 manuscript collector James Mackenzie decided to sell some of the letters of his Rillbank Collection by auction in Edinburgh. Before … See more

An American collector, who had bought 2020 letters from a manuscript seller, James Stillie, in Edinburgh, heard the rumors about forgeries and sent them to the British Museum … See more

On 26 June 1893 Smith's trial begun in the High Court of Justiciary. He was not charged with forgery but selling the forgeries under … See more