RING IN MEMORY OF SUPERSTAR POET FOR SALE

Woolley & Wallis of Salisbury include a fabulous piece of “celebrity” memorabilia in their fine jewellery sale next Friday – but this item was created for a Georgian superstar. It is an important contemporary gold and enamel mourning ring for Lord Byron, the famous English poet and one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement.

When Byron died overseas in 1824, still only 36, there was an outpouring of mourning, so much so that Alfred, Lord Tennyson later recalled the shocked reaction in Britain when word was received of the poet’s death.

A flood of sentimental memorial items followed.

The ring has a centre plaque inscribed “BYRON” in gold lettering surmounted by a baronial coronet on black enamel.

A centre band is inscribed “IN MEMORY OF” in gold on black enamel, between gold outer borders carved with floral garlands.

The interior has a compartment containing a lock of hair and is inscribed “Died 19 April 1824 at 36”.

The ring has English hallmarks for 18ct gold, a date letter for 1824 and a maker’s mark for Charles Rawlings.

Only three other mourning rings for Lord Byron are recorded: one in New York Public Library, another was sold at Christie’s in 2016, and another at auctioneers Tennant’s in 2018.

This ring, one of only two containing a lock of Byron’s hair, was possibly gifted by Augusta Leigh (half-sister to Lord Byron) to the Reverend Francis Hodgson, an assistant master at Eton and close friend of the poet.

A ring matching this description and mentioning a lock of hair was sold at Christie’s in January 1899 by a Mrs Hodgson.

It is estimated at £8,000 to £12,000.

The gold and enamel mourning ring.