The Grenville Jewel is a precious pendant made in England in the 17th century. It has a rather strange story; a story that begins with a Royalist general, involves Queen Victoria and a member of the Rothschild family, and ends at the British Museum.
The locket contained a miniature painting, believed to be of Sir Bevil Grenville, a Royalist general in Cornwall. The Grenville gem was given to his wife by the Royalist commander. After the death of the latter, the locket was passed on to her daughter. This precious object remained in the family for many generations until it was acquired by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. Ultimately, the Grenville pearl, along with some 300 other items from the Rothschild collection, was bequeathed to the British Museum upon Rothschild’s death in 1898. This collection became known as the Waddesdon Estate and was on display at the British Museum since 1900.
A pendant covered with precious stones
The Grenville gem is estimated to have been made between 1635 and 1640. The pendant is oval in shape and made of gold. The outside of the locket shell is decorated with champlevé enamel technique. Additionally, the Grenville Jewel is adorned with several precious stones, including a large square sapphire in the center front of the case, rubies, emeralds, opals, diamonds, and a pearl pendant.
Grenville Jewel front and back case. Source: Trustees of the British Museum/CC BY NC SA 4.0
The man inside the locket
Inside the Grenville Jewel is a miniature figure of a man drawn on a piece of parchment placed on card with watercolor. Based on the artist’s signature, we know that the miniature was painted by David des Granges, a Huguenot painter. The man depicted in the miniature is bearded, wearing a suit of armor and has been identified as Sir Bevil Grenville, a member of the English nobility. Grenville owned large estates in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. From 1621 to 1629, Grenville served as Member of Parliament (MP) for the county of Cornwall or the county of Launceston, and thus spent much time in London. From 1629 to 1640, Charles I ruled without Parliament. When the Long Parliament convened in November 1640, Grenville once again served as Member of Parliament for Cornwall. However, this time Grenville decided to be absent from Parliament for most of the time.
Miniature portrait of Sir Bevil Grenville. ( Trustees of the British Museum/CC BY NC SA 4.0 )
During the two years before the English Civil War (which began in 1642), Grenville’s absence from Parliament enabled him to raise large sums of money. The result of this was that when civil war broke out, Grenville was able to raise a regiment of Cornish foot soldiers to fight for the Royalist cause. This became one of the most effective fighting forces of the Royalists during the early part of the war. For example, Grenville led his men in a difficult charge at the Battle of Braddock Down in January 1643, which was won by the Royalists. Unfortunately, in July 1643, Grenville suffered a fatal wound at the Battle of Lansdowne and died from it the next day.
Sir Bevil Grenville Memorial, Landsdown Hill, near Bath, Somerset, England. (Ballista/ CC BY SA 3.0 )
Owner of Grenville Jewel
According to one source, the Grenville Jewel was given by Grenville to his wife, Lady Dame Grace Smith, shortly before his death at the Battle of Lansdowne. In 1647, Grace died and the locket was mentioned in her will. This object was inherited by her eldest daughter, Lady Elizabeth Prideaux. It was then passed on to her grandson, Charles Harward, upon her death. When Harward died without issue, Grenville Jewel was inherited by his sister, Catherine, wife of Arthur Chichester. Apparently, it was during this time that the pendant caught the eye of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. In 1880, Chichester is said to have received a letter from Queen Victoria asking him to sell the item to Rothschild. It is unclear why she intervened in such a way and to this day it remains a mystery why she appealed to Chichester on behalf of the Rothschilds. There was little choice in the matter, the Grenville Jewel was sold for £1,000 ($1355).
In 1898, Rothschild died and part of his collection, including the Grenville Pearl, was bequeathed to the British Museum. This collection is called the Waddesdon Heritage and has been on display in the museum since 1900. Since 2015, Grenville Jewel has been displayed in Room 2a of the museum, a newly designed gallery for Artifacts donated by the Rothschilds.
Three other objects in the Waddesdon Estate: The ‘Cellini’ bell, the turquoise goblet and the statue of Omphale. ( Trustees of the British Museum/CC BY NC SA 4.0 )
