Stephen WHITE (who was the younger brother of Revd John WHITE of Dorchester) when he died in 1629, gave rings worth thirty shillings each to all his brothers and sisters.

Circa 1680 solid gold posy ring of a very high grade of gold. The inside of the ring is inscribed:- "Your Freind Unchangable".
The ring is a little irregular in shape but this does not show when it is worn

    

This posy ring is circa 1680, a heavy high-carat gold band with rounded edges, inscribed to interior
with the motto "God aboue keepe vs in loue" [God above keep us in love], in Italic script.
It is stamped with maker's mark WC.

    

The following is a list of Poesy Phrases found on rings by the Jeweller's Wartski Ltd. 14 Grafton Street, London, W1S 4DE and I have provided a link to the listing above which includes additional pictures of many of the rings. Parts of this site however are already (Dec 2012) inaccessible so I have reproduced the listing below to prevent their loss as I think they provide a useful insight as to how these rings were used.

‘A+DVTIFVL+SERVANT+DESERVED+REWADS+'

'A Frindes gift'

'A+FRIENDE'S+ GIFTE'

‘A true friends Gift'

‘A Vertuous wife preserueth life '

'After consent ever content'

‘x AMICVS x TVVS'
'I love you.''

'As God decreed soe wee agreed'

' As gold is pure, so love is sure'

'As I prove I wish your love'

'Be true in Harte'

'Bee firme in faith'

'Better Neuer than not euer'

' CERT A MON GRE '
(certainly my choice)

‘Content is a treasure'

'Continew Faythfull'

'EN MI MARIE'
(to my husband)

'Far of yet not forgot'

'Feare god love thy choyse'

'Feare not mee, i'le faithful bee'

'God above increase our love'

'God made us two one'

‘God send me always of his grace'

'Harbour a harmless [pictogram of a heart]'

'Harbor the harmless hart'

'[pictogram of a heart] and hand at your command'

'Harts United Live Contented'

'Hearts United Lives Contented'

'I am free for God & Thee'

'I cannot show the love I O'

'I give it the to think on mee'

' I have obtained whome god ordained '

'I x LIKE x MI x CHOYSE'

'I LIKE MY CHOIES ONLY'

'I like my choyce'  '

'I like my choyse'

'I live in Hope'

'I love and like my choice'

'I rejoyce in the my choice'

'I with your pretty sight, will breed you much delight'

'In Christ and thee my comfort be'

'In love abide till death devide'

'In loyalty Ile live and dye'

'In thy breast my heart doth rest'

'In thy brest my heart doth rest'

' In thee my choyce I do rejoyce'

'In thy sight is my delight'

'Let the Lord above send peace & love'

'Let this present my good intent'

‘+ LET + TRVTH + TRYALL +'

'Let love continue'

'Let us share in joy and care'

‘Let us share in Joy and Care'

‘Let vertue rule affection'

'Let vertue still direct thy will'

'Live & Love'

  'Live in Love & feare the lord above'

'Love is the bond of peace'

'love never dies where vertu lies'

'Loue to be louved'

'Love vertu'

'Moe love to Myne' More love to Mine'

'My gift is myselfe'

'my hart is thine'

'My love by this presented is'

' My .loue .to .the. sal. endless. be '
My love to thee shall endless be

‘No gift like good will'

'No riches like content'

'Noe recompence but love'

'None Can Preuent the Lord's Intent'

'Not the vallue but my love'

‘Of earthli joyse thou art my choys'

‘Oh hurt noty [heart pictogram] whose only joy thou art'

'PIU*FA*TEMPO*CHE*FORZA'   

'Rather dye then faith denye'

'Remember the giver'

‘Sith hands and hart with one Consent
let nought but death the Knot preuent'

‘Some love in earnest, some in jest,
I love her thatt I like best'

'The god of peace our love increase'

'* THE HART SAW * THE LOVE CHOSEN *
* NEVER BROKEN * JOYND ETERNAL *'

'The Lord us Bless with Good Success'

'The loue is trew that I O U'

'The Love of thee is life to me'

'The ring is round & hath no end so is my love for thy'

'True love is endless'

'True love will not remove'

'TRYFULL+NOT+WYTH+THE+TRUSTY++'

'UBI AMOR IBI FIDES'
Where There is Love There is Faith'

'United hearts death only parts'

'Vertue paseth ryches'

'Wee joine our harts in God'

'Wee joyne our love in God above'

'When this you se remember me'

'Yield and Conquer'

'You and I will Lovers dye'

'You have my hart'

‘You never knew a heart more true '

'+YOURES+TO+DEFE+'

Examples of a bequests of a death head ring:-

Willaim CHURCHILL when he died in 1602 he left a bequest in his will "I give to Anne BROWNE my daughter a ring of twenty shillings value with a deathes head on it, for remembrance of me --" he also gave two death head rings valued at 40 shillings each to the Overseers of his will -- his brother in law Richard SWAINE and Cousin Thomas FREAK

Oliver HAYNE when he died in 1623 left a bequest in his will for a death head ring to the value of twenty six shillings and eight pence each be made and delivered to his married daughter Mary PERKINS, his daughter-in-law Rawlin HAYNE, and his four overseers his friends Richard RIVES and William HEARNE, his son-in-law William PERKINS and his son John HAYNE

Ursula BALL when she died in 1642 she gave her death head ring to her daughter Ann ELLIOTT . The image below from the V & A collection is interesting as the ring appears to be both a memento mori ring, which reminds the wearer that she or he must die, and a marriage ring. The second inscription on the ring ('RATHER DEATH THAN FALS FAYTH' ) and the true lover's knot that unites the two initials suggest that it was used as a betrothal or marriage ring by 'M' and 'L', although we do not know who they were. The solemn vows of marriage are associated with death: 'till death us do part'. Whilst we cannot now tell what type of ring Ursula had this shows that it is possible that it was given to her by her husband Robert Ball after they married as a symbol of how seriously he took the marriage, (she left her wedding ring to another daughter) and perhaps this is why it held such significance to her that she bequeathed it to her eldest daughter.

© Victoria and Albert Museum, London.


© Art of Mourning