Mourning Ring for Elizabeth Baxter of Dundee d.1804
- Regular Price
- £850.00
- Sale Price
- £850.00
- Regular Price
- Unit Price
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An historic antique Georgian mourning ring dating to 1804 in what we would judge to be almost perfect unworn condition, some 220 years later. Inscribed to the reverse of the centre panel: 'To the memory of Elizh Baxter who died 16 Nov 1804'
Loved and lost; a sentimental object which held at the time an important place in mourning rituals for the bereaved; the central rock crystal panel keeps safe a beautifully plaited strand of hair framed by a border of wild Pearls, symbolising tears. A tangible link and recognition of loss.
Commemorating the life of Elizabeth Gorell Baxter who was the matriarch of the well to do Baxter family who were primarily linen drapers of Dundee (the family business was in fact regarded as the world's largest linen manufactory). Born in 1763 and married to William Baxter in 1787, there is a wealth of information regarding this family including philanthropic bequests to universities and technical colleges although it must be said that our research has found that their wealth was linked to slavery in the plantations of the US and Caribbean.
Osnaburg linen was a coarse linen cloth, purchased by slave-owners in the West Indies and the USA to make clothes for enslaved people on their estates. William Baxter of Balgavies belonged to a family that had been connected with the weaver trade in Dundee from the beginning of the eighteenth century and, in 1836, Messrs W. Baxter & Sons became the first mill in Dundee to weave large quantities of linen by power loom.
Further reading on the Baxter family.
Metal: 18ct Gold (not marked as was custom, but tested)
Ring Size: A size 'U' or '10' and no possibility to adjust
Most of our rings can be adjusted to fit for free, this can be done on purchase by making a note in the order form if you know the size, or at a later date if it is a gift. You can download our handy ring sizing guide here, but don't hesitate to contact us if you need further help with this. If visiting us size adjustments can usually be done in around an hour-ish.
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