1829-35 Countess Nelson Duchess Bronte Mourning Brooch NELSON BRONTE Family

Click the photographs to enlarge which are part of the visual description.  Colours may differ due to any flash used.  

 
 
This is a really IMPORTANT item which is rather historic too ...especially when you research the family whom it belonged to.
So it is a typical Georgian MOURNING - MEMORIAL gold brooch... it is UNMARKED ....not hallmarked gold.. so lets just call it yellow metal ! MY PRICE has nothing to do with the metal content anyway.

You will see it has a wonderful shape... and a long raised round ended central part.. this has glass on.. with plaited HAIR inside... its a hair locket brooch.
The keen eyed collectors will see it has 3 initials HN & B in an old font below 2 CROWNS .. the 2 crowns are different. 
Earl & Duke Coronets.... these are well documented on various antique items in other museums belonging to the Nelson Bronte family.. check out some silver spoons belonging to Admiral Nelson.
The initials are HN & B.

Turn the brooch over now.. you will see a LATER addition safety chain as well as a good substantial hinged pin... at the hinge end on the underside you will see a tiny blob of solder from an old repair.. its very good quality work.
The BACK central oval is engraved with the following..
Susanna Jezard from Counts Nelson Duchs of Bronte.
So who was Susanna Jezard ?
And who was Countess Nelson  Duchess of Bronte ?
According to sources Susanna Jezard was an aid to the Countess ..and the Countess was married to William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson, 2nd Duke of Bronte....this man William was the elder brother of the world famous Admiral Horatio Nelson.

I have it also that Susanna Jezard was a helper - aid to Horatio Nelsons wife as well....clearly she was a well thought about member as she was given this Memoriam brooch with the NELSON FAMILY details on the front.

Countess Nelson from whom this brooch is from ..her name was Hilare ...and she was married to George Ulric Barlow first then secondly to The Rt Hon Rev William, Earl Nelson - 1757 - 1835..... so the HN&B ... could stand for Hilare Nelson & Bronte.

So to Susanna Jezard now........After more research I see this brooch can only date between 1829 and 1835 when Hilare .. sometimes spelt Hilaire ... Nelson took on that surname on her second marriage and 2 years later 1837 she was married 3rd time to George Thomas Knight.
The brooch is really beautiful and is related to one of the MOST FAMOUS NAVAL HERO families in Georgian England.
It is 4.5cm long x 3cm wide x 12mm deep..it weighs approx.....14.5grams.
  
I am sure it is worthy of more research into Susanna Jezard, she probably came from some very well off family herself and it would be so interesting to LOOK into her family and background too...I just have not got the time or don't really know where to look for SERVANTS ( not sure that is quite the right name - job title for this lady Susanna Jezard ) of the Nelson family. Some of you I am sure will have the right files and archives to look in.