Circa 1820
32mm x 37mm
High grade yellow gold (6.24g) brooch modelled as a mounted lancer with drawn sword and slung lance (removable), the reverse engraved ‘Pub, 19 Mar 1819, T Hamlet’, for Thomas Hamlet, Goldsmith & Jeweller, No.1, Princes St. Leicester Square. Cased.
After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 selected regiments of the British light cavalry arm were converted to lancers in consequence of the impressive performance of Napoleon’s lancers, notably the Dutch ‘Red’ Lancers and the Polish Lancers, both of the Garde Imperiale.
Thomas Hamlet (fl.1793-1852) and his business partner, Francis Lambert (1778-1841) were goldsmiths to the Royal Family. In 1803 Hamlet’s wife died from her injuries when the Brighton coach overturned, leaving Hamlet to raise his daughter, Elizabeth alone. Hamlet was rumoured to be the natural son of Sir Francis Dashwood of Hellfire Club fame. At his his death in 1852, aged 83 (intestate), the Annual Register described Hamlet as being ‘born in Broughton, Cheshire which he left as a poor boy and subsequently kept the celebrated jewellers shop in Coventry Street, Piccadilly, when he was reported to be worth half a million. His only Daughter is said to have refused several coronets. A reverse of fortune overtook him, consequent on the nature of his money transactions, and he finally became bankrupt.’