Dated 1827 A.D. A rectangular gold mourning brooch with ribbed cells to the border set with seed pearls, plaited hair held beneath bevelled glass at the centre, reverse inscribed: 'John Cooke / Died 10 Novr / 1827 / aged 79 years'; articulate pin and hook. Cf. The Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number 961-1888, for similar. 5.01 grams, 23 mm (1 in.). UK antiques market between 1974-1985. From the Albert Ward collection (part 4), Essex, UK. From the early 17th to the end of the 19th century, testators left money in their wills to have rings and other items of jewellery with commemorative inscriptions made and distributed to their friends and families. In the later 18th century, hair from the deceased was incorporated into the designs, into the back of the ring or brooch for instance, conferring a unique quality to each piece. By the close of the 19th century, such inscriptions and designs had become more standardised, and the custom gradually declined in the 20th century. [No Reserve]