Bentham commissioned 26 mourning rings, each containing his portrait silhouette and a lock of hair, to be bequeathed to his acquaintances after his death.
Generously donated by UCL alumnus and Fellow Michael Phillips (who had previously donated another Bentham mourning ring in 2007) and his daughter Liz Phillips, the two new rings are exciting additions to our collection of Bentham-related objects and will join the four already in the collection.
One of the new rings was bequeathed to Dr Neil Arnott (1788–1874), a Scottish physician and inventor who attended to Bentham in his final weeks (Inventor of the Arnott waterbed, and a smokeless fire grate). It has been in Arnott’s family, presumably since his death, residing with the descendants of Dr Arnott’s wife in the Norfolk area.
The second ring was bequeathed to Henry Bickersteth (1783-1851), first Baron Langdale, law reformer and Master of the Rolls 1836-51.
The other rings already held by UCL relate to John Stuart Mill (1806–73), philosopher and civil servant, William Tait (1793–1864), publisher and bookseller,…
