Object Description
This very rare George III silver and carved shell box was made in Birmingham in 1810 by Cocks & Betteridge and measures 2.5 inches in length by 2.25 inches wide and is 0.75 inches deep, it is engraved to the front edge with HE IS NOT DEAD BUT SLEEPETH and to the back of the box there is a Latin inscription which roughly translates to Here was just buried the young man of great hope, Henricus Wilding of James Wilding of Salop, son of the eighth year of the College of St S Trinity he left the mortal tears of many of his comrades in February AD 1808 at the age of 18 – there are a couple of words I can’t make out but that is the gist – the carved shell panel is probably older than the box and likely to be 17th century and bought back from a grand tour. A touching memorial to a fathers son.