Antique English Hardstone and Gold Desk Wax Seal - Portman and Berkeley

A splendid white-speckled rust-coloured jasper handle and gold desk seal, well engraved with the arms for the families of Portman and Berkeley, as used by the Viscounts Portman of Orchard Portman, Somerset.

Seal Detail

The handle of white-speckled rust-coloured jasper cut in facets below the rectangular domed cap, urn-shaped reeded gold collar and gadrooned cushion, the rounded rectangular carnelian matrix engraved with two crests.

The crests are those of Portman and Berkeley, as used by the Viscounts Portman of Orchard Portman, Somerset

It is presumably the seal of a member of the Portman family, who were created Barons Portman in 1837 and Viscounts Portman in 1873.  William Berkeley (died 1737) assumed the surname, arms and crest of Portman only by Act of Parliament dated 9 George II (1735-6).  He had previously been granted the arms and crest of Portman only by Garter and Clarenceux KIngs of Arms in 1728 (College of Arms Ms: Grants 8/12).  It is not clear when the family started using the paternal crest of Berkeley again but when William Berkeley, subsequently Portman (died 1737)'s great-grandson was created Baron Portman in 1837, the grant of supporters (College of Arms Ms: Grants 42/50) shows both crests.  There are pedigrees of the family in Burke's Peerage (1970) where both crests are illustrated.

Provenance: Anonymous vendor, Drewett Neate, 8 November 1995, lot 364

Seal Specification

Height 57mm (2.24")

Width of matrix 16mm (0.62")

Weight 30g (1.05oz)