Antique Scottish Signet Ring of 18kt Gold, Clan Johnstone

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Antique Scottish Signet Ring of 18kt Gold, Clan Johnstone

About the Item

A stylized eagle is the signet of this ancient Scottish clan's ring of beautifully soft toned 18 kt gold, c. 1860-1880. The engraving is crisp and clear. Ring size is 8 1/2. Bring it to a fine jeweler to size so that the sizing is not obvious. The oval signet is 1/2 inch high. It was fantastic to find the research that told the story of this clan. The Johnstone clan can be traced to the 12th century. Its message is "always at the ready". A bit of Johnstone clan history follows: The Clan Johnstone were once one of the most powerful of the Border Reiver Scottish clans. They originally settled in Annandale and for over six hundred years they held extensive possessions in the west of the Scottish Marches, where they kept watch against the English The first of the clan to be recorded was John Johnstone, whose son, Gilbert, is found in records after 1194. Sir John Johnstone was a knight of the county of Dumfries. He is found on the Ragman Rolls of 1296, swearing fealty to Edward I of England ] In 1381 his great-grandson son was appointed Warden of the Western Marches. The Warden's son was Adam Johnstone who was the first Laird of Johnstone.Adam Johnstone fought at the Battle of Sark in 1448. Adam's son fought for James II of Scotland in the desperate struggle against the Clan Douglas and was instrumental in suppressing that rebellion against the Crown.[3] The king rewarded him with the lands of Buittle and Sannoch near Threave Castle that had previously belonged to the Douglases of Galloway. 16th century and clan conflicts: The Johnstones had a long feud with the Clan Moffat who were another Scottish border clan. In 1557 the feud climaxed with murder of the Moffat chief, Robert Moffat. The Johnstones then went on to burn the local church with the most important members of the Moffat family inside, slaughtering anyone who tried to escape. The Clan Moffat was almost wiped out and seventy years later all of the Moffat's lands were passed to the Johnstones due to the Moffats having massive debts. Unlike many of their neighbours who raided each other's land Johnstones only raided England. To discover history is a joy of antique jewelry. Original

Creator:
Glorious Antique Jewelry Collection
Metal:
18k Gold
Style:
Victorian
Place of Origin:
Scotland
Period:
1860-1869
Date of Manufacture:
1860-1880
Condition:
Seller Location:
Stamford, CT
Reference Number:
Seller: 38401stDibs: LU322106703