Sometimes what an archive labels a recipe book yields some unexpected treasures. While browsing through a recipe and account book in Nottinghamshire University Library, I came across two successive lists of the compiler’s jewellery, which give a fascinating glimpse into eighteenth-century bling.
The jewellery belonged to Dorothy Gore (1683-1738), daughter of Sir William Gore, Lord Mayor of London, and wife of Joseph Mellish of Blyth Hall in Nottinghamshire. This was a fashionable red-brick house built in the grounds of a former priory (you can see pictures of it at http://lh.matthewbeckett.com/houses/lh_nottinghamshire_blythhall_info_gallery.html).
Dorothy listed ‘An account of my jewells March the 19 1707’, around two years after her marriage:
A pare of eareings of 4 large roses & 2 crost bars
7 large rowses for a cross
25 brilents
1 larg brilent ring sett round with smale ones
1 ring sett with brilents
4 roses sett round with sparks in eareings
70 single roses
49 large pearls in a necklace
1 emrald
1 gold girdle buckle
By 1718, around the time the last of her six children was born, she had a more extensive collection:
A pair of eareings sett round with sparks & crosses
1 large dimond the midle of a necklace
47 small dimonds strunge in a necklace & 6 besides
2 small dimonds upon pins & a pare eareings with peirle drops
A pair of large dimond eareing three drops & barrs
49 large peirles in a necklace & a large dimond clasp
1 briliant girdle buckle
1 gold girdle buckle
1 large rose dimond & 6 briliants
1 briliant ring sett round
1 large briliant sett round the finger with smale
1 gold snuff box
1 large emrald & 3 lockets
A locket of peirle belonging to the emrald
1 hair ring of my mothers hair 3 gold rings
1 briliant in a ring a pickture of my brother
Eighteen months later there was some further additions:
63 small peirles in a necklace with a hair clasp
Sett round with dimonds sm
31 peirles spare
This seems quite a collection, and a varied one, with the diamonds, pearls and other elements able to be put to various uses. It’s just a shame we don’t have any photos!
ME/2E/1, Nottinghamshire University Library.
Very interesting. Thanks for posting it. I tweeted.
Thanks, Ella, glad you liked it.