A jewelled gold and enamel mourning pendant containing hair, circa 1813-1814

the recto containing a glazed panel with brown and blond curls delicately presented as plumes fastened by a pearl ring, on opalescent glass over foil, within faceted black onyx frame, the border inscribed on the reverse in gilt enamel: SARAH D. ANDREWS OB.11 Dec. 1813 / MICH^L ANDREWS JUN^r OB. 5 FEB. 1814, containing a later panel of plaited brown hair with gold inscription: 'Thomas Andrews / Ob^t 24 August 1829 At 17 years' , matching enamelled suspension loop, in its original red morocco leather case containing a handwritten note of provenance

The accompanying note reads: ' I give this locket to my daughter Eliza Sarah Andrews /  sixth  October 1873 / Ardoyne / Eliza Andrews', the reverse: ' it belonged to my husband Michael Andrews of Ardoyne'.

Michael Andrews was the son of a wealthy mill owner who moved to the country to expand his damask business and opened the ‘Royal Damask Factory’in Northern Ireland. He also constructed a large mansion which he named ‘Ardoyne’ and  30 houses for his employees at the factory. The new community quickly became a village with a school house, public house, prayer meeting house and in 1830, the ‘Northern Whig’ was to publish a poem on the subject, entitled ‘Ardoyne Village’. His factory was patronised by George IV and, according to the Belfast News-Letter, ‘a number of table-cloths have been prepared there, agreeably to a Royal order, which are well worthy of public inspection. The Royal arms are appropriately displayed in the centre, and the emblem of the Order of the Garter is elegantly interwoven with the bordering’ (The Belfast News-Letter, Belfast, Friday, 11 October 1833, p. 2b)
Michael Andrews had an unfortunate private life:  his first wife died while very young, his first two children died in infancy and his fourth wife had to raise the children from his previous three marriages. He died in 1870, aged 87.

One jet facet with a crack. Several short cracks to opaline glass interio rwith small portion missing. Otherwise a very charming object.
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