Lot 158Ф,Y
A MOURNING BROOCH CONTAINING A LOCK OF NAPOLEON'S HAIR, DATED 27TH JULY 1821
27 October 2021, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £7,650 inc. premium
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A MOURNING BROOCH CONTAINING A LOCK OF NAPOLEON'S HAIR, DATED 27TH JULY 1821
Set with the gilt initial, N, on an ivory ground with gilt floral and foliate detail, within a black enamel surround accented by a border of half pearls, mounted in gold, engraved, Napoleon Bonaparte/ Lock of his hair/ given to Mrs Riley/ by/ Major Poppleton/ 27 July 1821 to the reverse, 4.6cm x 3.4cm
Footnotes
Accompanied by a handwritten note, "Napoleon Bonaparte's Hair" signed by Major Poppleton and a letter addressed to Mrs Riley from Major Poppleton, dated 27th July 1821 that reads,
"My dear Mrs Riley,
For all the grateful(?) favours
I have received at your hands
I hope the enclosed will be
received in part of the debt due.
Most truly yours
Poppleton"
Provenance:
David Lay Auctions, Penzance, 6 May 2011, lot 2447
This brooch is believed to have been part of an important collection of Napoleonic items largely dispersed by auction in the 1980s of which the archival material was sold at Sotheby's, 17 May 1991.
Captain Thomas William Poppleton (1775-1827) of the 53rd Shropshire Regiment, serving in India (1798) Egypt (1801) and in the Peninsular Wars (1810-1813), was appointed in December 1815 as Napoleon's orderly officer during his exile at Longwood House on St. Helena, until July 1817. They were almost in daily contact. As a sign of loyalty and appreciation to the men of the 53rd, Napoleon gave each of them a lock of his hair. Poppleton's lock was thought to have been divided into three, one of which was given to his wife's uncle, Colonel Walter O'Hara (c.1789-1874) (subsequently purchased by George D. Smith from the John E. Burton library sale at the Anderson Galleries, New York, 17th November 1915, together with a letter from Captain Poppleton), the second remained with his family and was given to his regimental museum and the present lock was given to Mrs. Riley, about whom nothing is known. Poppleton was promoted to the rank of Major on 25 December 1817 (Gentleman's Magazine, Oct. 1827, p.382. Annual Register 1827, Appx. p.258)
