The Hornby Casket

The Hornby Casket, a fine Edwardian silver Arts and Crafts silver freedom casket,

by The Bromsgrove Guild of Applied Arts, Birmingham 1902,

tapering rectangular form, applied with amethyst cabochons, the hinged cover applied with inter-twined Celtic decoration, with a presentation Latin inscription 'UNO AVOLSO NON DEFICIT ALTER JUSTISSIMUS UNUS QUI FUIT ET SERVANTISSI MUS AEQUI', the front with panels in relief of a woman at a loom and spinning wheel, a blacksmith, and a miner, the back with four panels depicting a gentleman shooting, one rowing and two scholars, one end with four enamel plaques within rope-work borders, depicting the Bees and Horn form the Arms of Blackburn, the other end enamelled with cockerels and ships, within cut-card decoration and intertwined Celtic borders, on four bracket feet, the underside inscribed 'County Borough of Blackburn. Presented with The Freedom of The Borough, to Sir Henry Hornby, Baronet . M.P', grey velvet lined interior, with the presentation scroll, dated 4th December 1902 , length 32.5cm, approx. weight 22.5cm, approx. weight 165oz.

Sir William Henry Hornby was born 29 August 1841 in Raikes Hall, Blackburn. He served during the Crimea War as a Naval Cadet in the British Fleet dispatched to the Baltic. He was mayor of Blackburn in 1876. In 1886 he was elected MP for Blackburn, and he represented the borough until 1910. He received the freedom of Blackburn in 1902, having been Mayor in the Coronation year of 1901-02.