Lot 95
An early Georgian memorial pendant,
Auction: 28 May 2008 at 12:00 BST
Description
of shaped oval form, set to the centre with an oval rose cut colourless gem atop a hair scroll, within a deep blue enamelled fastened garter inscribed in gilt HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE, surmounting a foliate scroll, with simple scroll and suspension hoop surmount, inscribed to reverse H BEAUFORT OBt 24 MAY 1714 AEt 30, around an engraved ducal crown
Dimensions
Length 3cm
Footnote
Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort was born in April 1684 at Monmouth Castle in Wales, the son of Charles Somerset, Marquis of Worcester. After being awarded an honorary degree from Oxford University in 1706, Lord Beaufort went on to hold the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire between 1710 - 1714, Captain of the Gentlemen Pensioners between 1712 - 1714 and was invested as a Knight, Order of the Garter on October 25th 1712. He married three times between 1702 and 1711, all to worthy suitors of substantial fortune, including Rachel Noel daughter of the 2nd Earl of Gainsborough. Not longer after his third marriage to Lady Mary Osbourne, he died suddenly in 1714 at Badminton, Gloucestershire, at the age of 30, from "an inflammation caused by drinking small beer in a long journey which he rid in one day."