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HB5 - King William IV Box
(Reign - 26 June 1830 to 20 June 1837)
William was born August 21, 1765. He was the third son, and fourth child, of King George III and Queen Consort Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Over a period of 21 years, Charlotte gave birth to 15 children, with 13 living to adulthood. Throughout William's life he was not foreseen to ascend to the throne. With the death of his oldest brother, King George IV, who did not have any surviving heir, the line of accession placed William as reigning monarch.
On June 26, 1830, William ascended to the throne as King William IV with his wife Queen Consort Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen.
At the age of 64, he was the oldest person, at that point, to assume the British throne, a distinction he would hold until surpassed by King Charles III in 2022.
Before holding the throne, William joined the British Royal Navy at the young age of 13 as a midshipman. He resigned his active service in the Royal Navy in 1790 at the age of 25 with the rank of rear-admiral while commanding the HMS Valiant. During his time in the navy, William was a very good friend of Horatio Nelson.
King William IV
1830s Georgian Casket Box with Contents, Provenance Letter and
1830s Police Truncheon
Above are pictures of the Georgian period rosewood box with its contents and larger items that accompany the box. The box is original 1830s British Tea Caddy that has been lined and trimmed in royal fabric. The contents of the box include a glass bottle with framed written period provenance note, certified signature of William IV, William IV Royal Seal, William IV royal bookmark, full view period stamped brass plate full view of King William IV, silver snuff box, three period William IV tokens and a very rare original British bobby truncheon.
Young 17-year-old Prince William was the first of royal lineage to visit America when he arrived in New York City on September 26, 1781, as a guest of the New York Governor, towards the end of the Revolutionary War. He was a midshipman on the flagship, HMS Prince George. Word got back to General George Washington of his presence and a scheme was hatched to kidnap the young prince and hold him a ransom for a prisoner release with Great Britain. The plot was never attempted or executed.
The gem of the collection is a well-document bottle used and owned by William IV. The letter that accompanies the bottle is a detailed history documenting who owed the bottle from the time it was given as a gift by William through the time it was given to Queen Victoria, William's niece. Since the time that Queen Victoria had possession of the bottle, the letter has stayed with the bottle and given the treatment that it deserves. The letter is protected behind a double glass frame allowing the back of the letter to be viewed.
Below is the letter with a transcript for easy reading.
Front of Letter
To the Honorable Mrs. (illegible)
Madam will you kindly present
the enclosed to her Majesty -
May it please her Majesty to
accept the small water bottle
it once belonged to the Duke
of Clarence* when he had his
yatch (sic). At that time he was
proclaimed King - he gave the
bottle to Captain Franklyn of the yatch(sic)
He said the Duke enjoyed his
pipe and cold water grog** after
his dinner in sailor fashion.
The Royal William Victualling
Yard (Plymouth) was built in Honor
of Wm. the fourth. His Majesty
installed Captain Franklyn as
Captain of the yard and (Mr Allens) the officer
of the yatch(sic) he made inspector
of Police - Mr. Allens daughter
at the time of her Father's death
lived as housekeeper to Captain Franklyn
and when he was superannuated
from the yard he went to Jersey
* William's title before being King was
William Duke of Clearance
** Grog - navy rum, lime juice, sugar, chilled water
Back of Letter
to reside - he then gave Miss Allen
the bottle and just before her
death she presented it to my
late husband Stephen Hammock Eyre
son of the late Doctor Eyre of the
Naval Hospital Stonehouse my
husband died in March 1866.
I have kept it a number of years
Being a relick of her Majesty's
late Uncle Wm. Fourth I trust
Her Majesty will not take it amiss
my sending it as a souvinor (sic) of
her own long and prosperous
reign and may she live for many
years to come I may not live (illegible)
I ma now in my 87th year
Her Majestys most
devoted and loyal subject
Eliza H Eyre
My address
Mrs. Eyre
c/o Mrs. Ashton
Chemist
Market Place
(illegible) - Cornwall
King William IV
Producing an Heir Apparent to the Thrown
Before her death, William IV's mother, Queen Consort Charlotte, saw the need for legitimate heirs to the throne. Having both of her eldest sons with no legitimate children, Charlotte procured a dual marriage for them before her death. When George and William's father, George III, died, neither of the sons had yet to produce a legitimate heir. In the next 10 years of his reign, William's brother, George IV, was unable to produce and heir to the throne. When William became King, he and his wife Adelaide were also unable to produce an heir in his 7 years as King.
Dorothea Jordan
Mistress of Prince William
Actress Dorothea Jordon met the then Prince William in 1790. Because the occupation of being an actress was looked down upon as a sullied profession, the relationship was not announced and they never married. The two would not cohabitate together until 1797. Altogether, the two would produce 10 illegitimate children
All their issues would live into adulthood.
Queen Consort
Adelaide of
Saxe-Meiningen
William IV era
Truncheon
The early 19th century was the infancy of establishing a more organized and formal police force. Through Acts of Parliament in the 1830s, it required that boroughs and districts be established with a paid police force. Truncheons, also known as Billy Clubs, Batons and night sticks, were produced by the newly formed Districts and Boroughs.
The truncheons were normally hand-painted with the reigning Royal Cypher and the district or borough number. The truncheon to the right is marked with WRIV for William Rex (Latin for King) the fourth. It is 24 inches long and in a wonderful, aged condition. In the letter
to Queen Victoria by Mrs. Eyre, she mentions the appointment of Mr. Allen, who was an officer on William IV's yacht, to the position of Inspector of Police. This truncheon may be from a district that he over-saw.
Various Period Tokens
Ends - William IV memorial tokens
Center - William and Adelaide marriage token
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