Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu to include the personal archive of Louis Osman, goldsmith and architect

A George III gold memorial ring, the broad band centred with black enamel, with gold lettering reading: ‘ALEXANDER BRODIE ESQ DIED 6 JAN 1811, AGED 77’, within white enamel border, and within milled and reeded outer edge, bearing maker’s mark ‘WH’ and hallmarked for London, 1810, ring size W (leading edge). £300-400

Alexander Brodie (1732-1811) was an industrialist, an iron founder and a manufacturer of patent stoves, used on ships. Born in Tarquair, in Peebleshire, he trained as a blacksmith, moving to London in 1759 where he went into business making fire-grates, dampers and stoves for domestic use. In 1780 he acquired the Royal Patent for a fire stove, and the Admiralty awarded him a monopoly to install this firehearth in all their ships, which was to last for 29 years; ships fitted with Brodie’s stoves included the infamous HMS Bounty and Nelson’s flagship, the HMS Victory. In 1786, Brodie developed the Calcutt Ironworks in Shropshire for casting and boring cannon, and later, in partnership, opened a foundry in Manchester supplying pig iron. Upon his death he left much of his fortune to charity.