FINE VICTORIAN CAST SILVER HERALDIC BOTTLE STOPPER
James Barclay Hennell, London, 1881
Crest of Murray, Dukes of Atholl & Earls of Dunmore, Scotland
Of heavy gauge silver, depicting
"a demi-savage proper holding in his right hand a dagger proper pommel and hilt or,
and in his left hand a key of the last"
above a torse on a mount with descending post ending in a silver screw cap, having a long cork;
fully marked to the upper section, the screw mount with maker's mark JBH and lion passant
Condition : Excellent, slight bend to the key
The crest depicted here is borne both by the Dukes of Atholl (or Athole) and the Earls of Dunmore.
The Earls of Dunmore being a junior branch of the Ducal House of Atholl.
The Dukes of Atholl are the Chiefs of the Clan Murray and their seat is Blair Castle,
Blair Atholl near Pitlochry in the County of Perthshire.
See below for more…
Please Note : Cast Heraldic (Armorial) bottle stoppers are the rarest form available.
James Barclay Hennell :
Following the death in 1868 of Robert Hennell (III), the well respected firm of Robert Hennell & Sons
was continued in the same manner of quality silver productions at the same address 14 Northumberland Street,
London, by R. Hennell (IV), thence to James Barclay Hennell until his own retirement in 1887,
when the firm was sold to Holland, Aldwinckle & Slater.
3.5" High / 2.9 oz. Total
The Family of Murray, Scotland
The progenitor of the Murrays of Atholl and Dunmore was Freskin de Moravia,
a Fleming, of Duffus, in Moray who acquired lands from King David I of Scotland
who reigned between 1124 and 1153.
Freskin is thought to have been a chieftain of the Duffus branch of the Royal House of Moray.
From him descend the Murrays of Tullibardine, ancestors of the Dukes of Atholl and the Earls of Dunmore.
At the time of the manufacture of this bottle stopper, the Duke of Atholl was John James Hugh Henry Murray
(born 6th August 1840 succeeded to the Dukedom 16th January 1864 died 20th January 1917), 7th the Duke,
whilst the Earl of Dunmore was Charles Adolphus Murray (born 24th March 1841
succeeded to the Earldom 15th July 1845 died 27th August 1807), the 7th Earl.
As a point of interest, the Dukes of Atholl are allowed by permission of Queen Victoria
to retain the United Kingdom's only private army known as the Atholl Highlanders.
Full Heraldic Achievement of The Dukes of Atholl showing the demi-savage crest holding the dagger and key
that is common to the Earls of Dunmore, although the Earls of Dunmore use a different arrangement
of quarterings in respect of their arms and different supporters .
Blair Castle, Blair Atholl near Pitlochry, Co. Perthshire. Seat of the Dukes of Atholl.
(Heraldry by John Tunesi, of Liongam, England)
Also See :
Left to Right :
Fine Victorian Cast Silver Heraldic Bottle Stopper, Murray, Dukes of Atholl (or Athole) and the Earls of Dunmore (Hennell)
Good George IV Silver Bottle Neck Ring and Silver-Mounted Bottle Stopper (Samuel Jackson)
Victorian Cast Silver Heraldic Bottle Stopper, Earls of Essex and Ewe, Barons Bourchier (William Hunter)
Pair Scottish Victorian Silver Figural Bottle Stopper (John MacKay, Edinburgh, 1880. 4.3 oz.)
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Fine Victorian Silver Figural Bottle Stopper, James Barclay Hennell, formed as crest Murray of Atholl and Dunmore