Seal Detail

A silver personal signet dating to around 1750 relating to the family of Fermor.

The armorial bearings may be blazoned as follows:

Arms. argent a fess sable between three lions' erased gules.

Crest: out of a ducal coronet or a cocks head gules crested and wattled or.

The original owner of this seal was undoubtedly a member of the family of Fermor, of Easton Neston in the county of Northamptonshire. The family descended from Richard Fermor (died 1552) who acquired great wealth as Merchant of the Staple of Calais by which means it enabled him to purchase Easton Neston, near Towcester.

Given the presumed date of this seal, there are two possible gentleman within the Fermor family who did not hold any higher title than of esquire of gentleman; the first being William Fermor (second son of Sir William Fermor, the 2nd Baronet and 1st Baron Leominster); and the second candidate being another William Fermor, who served as a Captain in the Royal Navy and was the second son of Thomas Fermor, the 1st Earl of Pomfret.

Seal Specification

Height: 30 mm

Diameter of matrix:  16mm x 25mm

Weight: 11g