Lot 18
An eighteenth century memoriam brooch of Jacobite interest
Auction: 13 February 2008 at 11:00 GMT
Description
the canted square rock crystal enclosing a lock of hair, in collet set gold mount with two scroll mounts to reverse and hinged pin, the back of the closed setting engraved with a crown with L Lovat / M:G / SF below
Footnote
Provenance: By family repute the lock of hair belonged to the wife of Simon Lord Lovat and was given before his execution whilst imprisoned at the Tower of London to a loyal servant and later mounted.
Notes: Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, second son of Thomas Fraser was born circa 1667 and died April 9th 1747. He was educated at Kings College Aberdeen before raising an army of his clansmen to fight with the Jacobite risings of 1745.
Fraser was renowned for changing his allegiances and in fact in the first Jacobite uprising had fought on the side of the government troops for the House of Hanover. This character trait followed Simon throughout life and while it often helped him stay alive and guaranteed his passage while involved with the 'right' side it was also instrumental in his down fall and later execution for his part in the '45 rising.
After the failure of the uprising at Culloden, Simon fled for safety and tried in enact a plan to create a safe conclave in the highlands for the exiled noble men and officers of the Jacobite army to stay. On the failure of this plan he was captured and arrested for treason to the Crown on an island in Loch Morar. His trial took place in London over five days and on the 19th March 1747 his sentence to death was pronounced.
His final words before laying his head on the executioner's block were 'Dulce et decorum est pro patrai mori' a line from Horace which he had learned as part of his education at Kings College Aberdeen, translating as "it is sweet and right to die for your country"