the oval mourning pin designed as a coiled black enamelled serpent with rose cut diamond eyes around a seed pearl and agate forget-me-knot motif, engraved to reverse 'SAMUEL WHITBREAD BORN JAN 18th 1764 DIED JULY 6th 1815, LADY ELIZABETH WHITBREAD BORN APRIL 7th 1765 DIED NOVEMBER 28th 1846', unmarked yellow metal, tested as 18ct gold, together with an abalone shell cameo stick pin, unmarked yellow metal, tested as 18ct gold, gross weight 8.1g (2)

Whitbread II was born in Cardington, Bedfordshire, the son of the brewer Samuel Whitbread. He was educated at multiple places including St John’s College, Cambridge and then went on to join his father’s successful brewing business in 1786. In 1790, he was elected Member of Parliament for Bedford, a post he held for twenty-three years. He was a champion of religious and civil rights, for the abolition of slavery and a proponent of a national education system.