Jeremy Bentham Mourning Ring
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On Thursday 24th of March, 2024, Fellows Auctions is featuring an historically important mourning ring from the early 19th century.
Jeremy Bentham (1748 – 1832) was a philosopher and social reformer who founded utilitarianism.
Seen here is the inscription of the date of his death inside the band, which uses the Old Style date from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. It is quite common to find historical mourning jewels with the Julian calendar, as well as Gregorian.
Out of the 26 rings made for other friends and family, surviving pieces have a silhouette portrait of Bentham, attributed to John Field (of Miers and Field).
The ring looks to feature the remnants of this underneath the bezel. This ring comes from a direct descendant of Dr Neil Arnott, making it the first time it has ever been available to the public and its provenance alone makes it incredibly unique.
Unlike the regular custom for mourning rings, Bentham had 26 rings made during his lifetime to commemorate his death. His will stated that these 26 rings would be given to 26 of his closest friends and family. The following 25 rings were produced for these people:
- Sarah Austin
- Henry Bickersteth
- Felix Bodin
- John Bowring
- Samuel Cartwright
- Edwin Chadwick
- Mary Louise de Chesnel
- Richard Doane
- Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilber du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette
- Albany Fonblanque
- James Harfield
- John Stuart Mill
- General William Miller
- Joseph Parkes
- Francis Place
- Jean-Baptiste Say
- Thomas Southwood Smith
- William Stockwell
- William Tait
- Thomas Perronet Thompson
- John Tyrrell
- José Cecilio del Valle
- Jean-Sylvain de Weyer
- Mary Watson
- George Wheatley
In the reverse of the bezel, you can see Bentham’s woven hair under glass. The text surrounding this compartment reads:
‘Jeremy Bentham’s Hair & Profile’, adding to the likelihood that the top of the ring featured his profile designed by John Field.
- Learn more about Jeremy Bentham and his rings at Fellows.
- Learn about Dr Neil Arnott here.
- Join or follow the Fellows auction here.
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