Boswell, James—Gold and enamel mourning ring, 1795

The black and white enamelled band inscribed "Jas Boswell Esq Ob 19 May 1795 Ae 54" partial British assay mark and maker's mark, size O.

Almost certainly Sir William Forbes, 6th Bt. of Pitsligo (1739-1806)

Mounted in gold, with minor abrasions commensurate with age and wear. Stamped with maker's mark WPC and British Duty mark of George III head within an oval.
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Scottish lawyer, biographer and diarist James Boswell (1740-1795) was born in Edinburgh, although, like his great friend Sir William Forbes (“a man whom too much good cannot be said… at once a good companion and a good Christian” (Milne, Boswell’s Edinburgh Journals 1767-1786 (2013), P.102)), spent much time in London. It was there the pair shared many friends and interests. Their circle of course included Samuel Johnson, who Boswell’s Life of Johnson (see next lot), published twenty-eight years after their first meeting, remains one of the most important biographies ever written.

On Boswell’s death, Forbes was appointed as one of his executors, responsible for the care of Boswell’s children and his vast array of diaries, letters and private papers. In the 1930s it was discovered – quite by chance – that a significant portion of these papers had at some point been moved to the Forbes’ home at Pitsligo and then later to Fettercairn House and never been returned to the Boswell family. Their reappearance marked a significant contribution to Boswell scholarship, and the papers are now held in the collections of Yale University.