Glenbuchat Heritage

40 Lady Emma Theodora Forbes’s Vanity Case

Lady Emma Theodora Forbes’s Vanity Case

The Photos above show:
1-3 Green Vanity case with the initials ETF on the top.
4 Silver top of glass bottle with monogramed inscription.
5 Two monograms on the ivory brush handles.
6 Family Crests, Maxwell and Grenfell families.
7 Normal and inverted view of stamp with Maxwell crest

If a larger view required click on the ‘view large version’ link at the bottom of the page.

Click to see the album of Treasures of Castle Newe

Lady Emma Theodora Maxwell was the wife of Sir Charles Forbes the 5th Baronet of Newe.
They were married on 2 July 1888.
Her parents were:
Robert Maxwell 1827–1890
Maria Emma Grenfell 1833–1886

Click to see picture of Lady Forbes

Click for details of Maxwell and Grenfell families

As the initials on the case (ETF) are of the married Lady Forbes then it might have been given as a wedding present from her own family. On the other hand, she may have put it together from items obtained from her family.

The inscriptions and crests are interesting.

Photo 6 shows the two crests of Lady Forbes’s parents. The one on the left the Maxwell crest is from her father and the Grenfell crest on the right from her mother.

The Grenfell crest is ‘On a chapeau gules, turned up ermine, a griffin passant, or.’
A chapeau is usually described in English as a 'cap of maintenance'.
The golden griffin is 'passant' or walking to the left with one foot raised.’
The Grenfell motto is 'Loyal devoir' or loyal duty.

A similar Maxwell crest can be seen in Photo 7 which shows the underneath of a stamp.
The original crest on the right is inverted to print a correct crest on paper and the other photo on the left has been inverted again to show what the stamp would have looked like when printed

In Photo 5 the crest on the left ivory handled brush is the same as the Grenfell crest i.e. a dragon on a coronet.
The Crest on the right is exactly the same as the crest on the silver bottle top as shown in photo 5. It is difficult to be sure but this crest looks like a stylised version of the Maxwell crest.

The Maxwell crests have variations but most include a large black cross on a shield. In one family there is a bird like creature with raised wings standing on a bar, as in the version above

William Maxwell, 5th Earl of Nithsdale was the last Maxwell Earl and his coat of arms was:

Motto—"Reviresco (I flourish again)" Ar. a two-headed eagle displ. sa. beaked and membered gu. on his breast an escutcheon of the first charged with a saltire of the second. Crest—A stag ppr. attired ar. lodged before a holly bush also ppr. Supporters—Two stags ppr. attired or.

The fifth Earl, was involved in the Jacobite rising of 1715 and attainted with his titles forfeited. However, Lord Nithsdale made a celebrated escape from the Tower of London by changing clothes with his wife's maid the day before he was due to be executed. The Lordship of Herries of Terregles was later restored to his descendants and remains extant.