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This is one of a number of items from Forcett Hall near Richmond in North Yorkshire that came from the late J.H. Edwards - Heathcote Esq family.

I was fortunate to buy a number of lots from this estate sale which I find most fascinating for my own collection as well as for re-sale. The items include other related family surnames that have been passed on down family lines from earlier generations. They're extensive and rather complicated at times family relations such as Bowyers, Gresley - Baronets, Pike of Ireland, Edensor - Heathcote, Edensor, Sandford and Waller to name just a few.

The Edwards - Heathcote family originally lived in Apedale, other places of interest include Drakelow Park, the home of Sir Nigel Gresley 6th Baronet, mine owner and canal builder, Langton - Longton Hall which belonged to Sir John Edensor Heathcote, industrialist and he married Anne Gresley, related to Oswald Mosley ( fascist ) family too by marriage, to name but a few.

The families that married into each other are shown really well on the Fob and Hand Desk Seals when I get to those.

This is an antique 19th Century desk hand seal for putting the seal on the back of the envelope that is made from a nephrite stone handle and carved bloodstone matrix mounted in unmarked gold.

The matrix has been engraved with the crest of the Pike family with motto as well VRAI AU FIN ( True to the end ) and probably belonged to Joseph Pike of Besborough, County Cork in Ireland who was Grandfather of Lydia Dorothy Muriel who married second time to Colonel Hardress William Lucius Waller of Forcett Hall.

No metal marks and no maker's marks.

In collectable condition with normal signs of age and use wear. No damage to the seal from what I can see. There are some tiny impact marks on the very edges and remains of red sealing wax.

Please see pictures for more details and visual confirmation of condition.

It measures approx. 2 and 3/4 inches long.

The matrix measures approx. 16mm in diameter....it weighs approx. 30.9grams.

So here is how it has been passed down the family line to where it ended up at Forcett Hall.

Joseph Pike got the Bessborough House & Estate in 1820. It is sometimes spelt Besboro as well.

The Pike family were Quakers.

All the following items are found on google. A very interesting and complex family.

The really interesting thing about this particular seal is the UNIQUE book it is related to. Lot 124 of the Forcett Hall estate sale was a " mathematics " book belonging to Sarah North and dated 1686. All manuscript written and I was fortunate to view this book myself in the flesh and what a beautiful item, a work of art and with a modest estimate of £1000 - £1500 was very low for what it was. Anyway it sold for £35,000 plus buyers % commission of course on top.

Sarah North born about 1665 and died around 1716 was from Bristol and she married Ebenezer Pike in 1693 and they had 9 children. The Pike family were originally from Berkshire but moved to County Cork in Ireland after the Cromwell period. They were a business family and were associated with the Cork Steamboat Company which is how she probably met her husband Ebenezer in the port of Bristol. The family were merchants of both Cork & Bristol later on. The " mathematics " book mentioned above had births and deaths records added to it after she married Ebenezer Pike. A few generations later and we are to Joseph Pike.

Joseph Pike was grandfather of Lydia Dorothy Muriel and she married for the second time in 1926 to Colonel Hardress William Lucius Waller of Forcett Hall.

So this hand seal matrix is related to the fabulous Sarah North mathematics book amongst other things.

If your surname is PIKE this is the antique seal for you. What great family history background it has.