Property from the Collection of the Earl of Home, including 'The Montagu Heirlooms' (Lots 1-32)
A silver set of Napier's bones, circa 1670
Auction Closed
May 22, 05:01 PM GMT
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Rectangular, the cover sliding off to reveal the ten rods, engraved on both sides, the cover engraved with the arms of St. John impaling Cavendish for Oliver St. John, 2nd Earl of Bolingbroke (before 1634 - 1688), who in 1654 married Frances (d. 1678), daughter of William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1593-1676).
Length 6.7cm, 2¾in.
Oliver St. John, 2nd Earl of Bolingbroke (before 1634 - 1688) after 1654, possibly a gift [?] or by descent through him, or his wife, Frances Cavendish (d.1678) to her brother,
Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne (1630 –1691) to his daughter (no living male heir)
Elizabeth Montagu, Duchess of Montagu (1654-1734) to her stepson,
John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu (1690–1749) to his daughter,
Mary Montagu, Duchess of Montagu (c.1711/1712– 1775) to her daughter,
Elizabeth Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch (1743–1827) to her youngest son,
Henry James Montagu-Scott, 2nd Baron Montagu of Boughton at Ditton Park (1776–1845) to his wife,
Jane Margaret Douglas, Lady Montagu (1779-1859) by descent to her eldest daughter,
The Hon. Lucy Elizabeth Montagu-Scott (1805–1877) who married Cospatrick, 11th Earl of Home (1799-1881),
thence by descent in the collection of the Earls of Home at The Hirsel, Berwickshire.
Napier's fingers are an arithmetical device for multiplication, division and extracting square roots. It was created following the publication of Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio in 1614 by the Scottish mathematician, physicist and astronomer John Napier (1550-1617), 8th Laird of Merchiston.
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