Ancestral Jewels in Britain

Ancestral Jewels in Britain by DIANA SCARISBRICK The Treasures of British Houses wives of King Henry VIII, to Sir another of the Hunsdon heirlooms. exhibition held at the National George Penruddock. Rather than Inside the enamelled covers is a Gallery of Art in Washington in let this treasure fall into the hands copy of the last prayer of her 1984 broke new ground by of the Parliamentarian army during brother King Edward VI who died including jewellery as part of the the Civil War it was thrown into aged only sixteen in 1553. Then artistic heritage of the British the lake in front of the house: when the large sardonyx cameo aristocracy. The display of cameos the danger was passed the pendant illustrating the rescue of collected by the second Duke of was recovered from the water but Andromeda by Perseus Devonshire and the tiaras lent by the chain was lost. Whereas this demonstrates the superb artistry of the Marchioness of Tavistock and and most Tudor jewels are not the Renaissance gem engraver the Countess of Durham aroused so recorded in contemporary under the patronage of the much interest that I was asked to documents the famous Hunsdon Habsburg and Medici princes. This write a book on ancestral jewels heirlooms - gifts from Queen cameo was mounted to wear as a which have passed through several Elizabeth to her cousin Henry Lord pendant on the sleeve or from a generations of noble families in Hunsdon are mentioned in the will neck chain as was the fourth Britain. of the second Lord Hunsdon dated Hunsdon jewel, a ship pendant said 1603. He entrusts them to his to represent the Golden Hind in In other countries this would not daughter Elizabeth, wife of Sir which Sir Francis Drake sailed have been possible for jewellery Thomas Berkeley to be preserved round the world in 1577-9 (Plate rarely survives for long. It is ‘So long as the conscience of my i) fragile, easily lost, all too often heires shall have grace and honestie stolen by thieves and being to perform my will for that I designed for wear is usually broken esteeme them right jeweles and up and remodelled when fashions monumentes worthie to be kept for change. However there has been a their beautie, rareness and that for tradition in Britain whereby some monie they are not to be matched jewels, gem-stones and pearls have nor the like yet known to be found been regarded as heirlooms and in this realme’. preserved intact with the estate of land, houses and works of art The four Hunsdon heirlooms which which constitutes the aristocratic are still in the collection at Berkeley inheritance. For centuries a Castle in Gloucestershire are of a combination of special political, quality which fully vindicates Lord economic and social circumstances Hunsdon’s high opinion. The which, favoured the British upper unique rock crystal bracelet comes classes at a time of rising prosperity from the court workshops of the made this continuity possible. The Emperor Akbar (d. 1603) in Agra island coasdine protected against or Delhi: it is the earliest surviving foreign invasion, stable government piece of Mughal jewellery in the kept revolution at bay after 1688, world. It may have been a present and the law of primogeniture - by from the Emperor to Queen which the eldest son only inherited Elizabeth, or she may have bought - ensured that the family fortune it from one of the many merchants 1 Enamelled gold ship pendant given by was not dispersed. who supplied the London trade Queen Elizabeth to her cousin Henry with gem-stones and jewels. At any Hunsdon from the collection at Berkeley The earliest surviving jewelled rate it is listed in her inventory of Castle, Gloucestershire heirlooms date from the sixteenth 1587 as one of a pair ‘of rock century and most were gifts from crystal sett with sparcks of Rubies Gifts from Queen Elizabeth to the royalty. The Penruddocks own a powdered and little sparckes of great sailor still remain in the sapphire pendant given by saphiers made hoopewise called Drake family. Both contain her Katherine Parr, last of the six Persia worke’. Of great personal portrait painted by the celebrated significance to Queen Elizabeth was miniaturist, Nicholas Hilliard, Ancestral Jewels is published by Andre Deutsch in London, and by Rizzoli the miniature prayer book she hung official custodian of her image. One in New York. at the end of her girdle which is is an opal and ruby star which Sir 34 Francis pinned to his hat, the other fourth Duke of Norfolk whom is a locket which he wears on a Queen Mary had hoped to marry. long chain over his doublet in his It is one of a group of Stuart relics portrait by Marcus Gheeraerts displayed at Arundel Castle with dated 1595. The cover of the locket the pearl necklace she is said to is set with a sardonyx cameo of a have sent the Duke as a token of negro and a white princess - their engagement. perhaps Othello and Desdemona - framed in rubies and diamonds and More sixteenth century jewels are hung with pearls clustered like preserved in other great houses. At grapes. Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire there is an emerald intaglio portrait Queen Elizabeth was proud of her of King Henry IV of France and a hands and one of her most fine diamond - both gifts to characteristic gestures was to Peregrine Bertie the brilliant remove her glove with a flourish swordsman who served King Henry and allow a courtier to kiss her at the head of a band of English long fingers glittering with rings. soldiers. The collection at The bezel of one of her rings is set o Chatsworth contains examples of * with diamonds in her initial E: the Renaissance jewels - a lion and a hoop is mother of pearl studded helmeted warrior - designed with rubies. It opens up to reveal round the misshapen forms of two miniature enamelled gold busts 2 Ruby diamond and opal pendant hand Baroque pearls. There would be far holding out a victor’s wreath given by Queen of the Queen and her mother, Mary oj Scots to James Gordon oj Methlick, more if it had not been for the will Anne Boleyn wearing ruby and and owned by his descendant, the Marquess of the Countess of Devonshire in diamond' brooches respectively. of Aberdeen 1685 which bequeathed her This little masterpiece was inherited property to her daughter Anne by her successor, James I who Mary gave an opal, ruby and Countess of Exeter. Some of these came from Scotland to London diamond pendant hand holding out jewels - which were in the after her death in 1603. He the laurel wreath of victory: the schedule drawn up of the objects distributed some of her jewels to wreath frames a tiny crystal locket which left Chatsworth are still in the loyal band of Scottish noblemen enclosing a curl of her dark hair Burghley House the great mansion who accompanied him on the (Plate 2). Another memento was built by the founder of the Exeter journey south, and this ring was given to Mary Seton whose family fortune, the statesman his gift to the first Earl of Home. It cheerful company and hair-dressing Robert Cecil. They include was kept in the family until 1920 skills did much to alleviate the examples of pendants and lockets when it was sent for sale at rigours of the long years of enamelled with scenes from the Christie’s. It is now one of the captivity in England. Mary Seton’s Bible and from classical mythology treasures at Chequers, the country devotion was rewarded by the gift and a girdle book ornamented with residence of the Prime Minister of a superb ruby chain of snakes ruby and diamond Tudor roses. given and endowed by the and Esses - for SOUVENIR or These rarities were venerated as connoisseur first Viscount Lee of SOVEREIGN - which has heirlooms in the eighteenth century Farcham. descended to the Seton heirs, the when Horace Walpole saw them on Hays of Duns Castle. a visit ‘in a shrine full of crystal A most interesting group of jewels vases, filigree, enamels and the is associated with the other great Adversity strengthened Queen trinkets of taste that have belonged woman protagonist on the stage of Mary’s religious faith and she took to many a noble dame’. Tudor history, Queen Mary of to wearing devotional jewellery Scots, the mother of James I. Most with her black widow’s weeds in A seventeenth century mansion on belong to Scottish families. The affirmation of her position as the edge of Wimbledon Common, Duke of Hamilton owns a sapphire martyr for the persecuted Roman Southside House, contains an ring which bears an inscription Catholic Church. Standing before extraordinarily interesting collection ‘SENT BY QUEEN MARY OF the executioner’s block at of historic jewels inherited from the SCOTLAND AT HER DEATH Fotheringay in 1587 she proclaimed Wharton and Pennington Mellor TO JOHN MARQUIS OF her belief: ‘I am settled in the families. Two date from the reign HAMILTON’. To James Gordon ancient Catholic faith and mind to of James I. The fine diamond of Methlick who fought so gallantly spend my blood in it’. The rosary studded scent container or on her behalf at the disastrous she held in her hands at that pomander designed as a small book battle of Langside and ancestor of moment was bequeathed to Anne belonged to Philadelphia, wife of the Marquis of Aberdeen, Queen Dacrc, daughter-in-law of the Thomas Wharton and the other, a 35 ruby pendant cipher with the II who in turn presented it to his Two families have kept diamonds initials GW commemorates her son by Nell Gwynne, the first Duke given to their daughters by King brother-in-law, George.

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