Can anyone tell me about this locket?

[Nell1707]

A story (pure fantasy, but it might turn out to have some accuracy):
Picture if you will, a young man joining the army.
As he leaves, his parents give him the locket father gave to mother when they were courting.  Inside are photographs of his parents cut from a family group picture.
While in Amiens, the soldier meets a French girl and is smitten.  He gets the locket engraved "Amiens" and gives it to his sweetheart.
The soldier goes back to the war.  Who knows what happened to him.
The French girl keeps the locket as a reminder of their love.
Perhaps she married a man from Normandy and moved there.
Perhaps she came from Normandy but was working in Amiens (as a nurse, maybe).

Even if it's not true it's a good story!

That's a great story Philipsearching! There's a novel in there, for sure

[Cas (stallc)]

 

A story (pure fantasy, but it might turn out to have some accuracy):
Picture if you will, a young man joining the army.
As he leaves, his parents give him the locket father gave to mother when they were courting.  Inside are photographs of his parents cut from a family group picture.
While in Amiens, the soldier meets a French girl and is smitten.  He gets the locket engraved "Amiens" and gives it to his sweetheart.
The soldier goes back to the war.  Who knows what happened to him.
The French girl keeps the locket as a reminder of their love.
Perhaps she married a man from Normandy and moved there.
Perhaps she came from Normandy but was working in Amiens (as a nurse, maybe).

Even if it's not true it's a good story!

That's a great story Philipsearching! There's a novel in there, for sure

Or a film...or period drama

[KGarrad]

I think that the crown depicted atop the coat-of-arms is St Edwards Crown, which is used to crown monarchs.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_%28heraldry%29#Commonwealth_usage

But remember that, in heraldry things are never exact (unless a named crown is stipulated) and artistic licence ensues

[John915]

Good afternoon,

Good evening,

The unicorn with crown usually means a Scottish connection in heraldry. Sometimes the horn is still there rising immediately in front of the crown.

The motto on the garter is "Shamed be he who thinks evil of it"

The motto on the scroll underneath is "God and my right"

It is a royal coat of arms but that doesn't mean it is in use by a royal personage. It may be any member of the nobility given the right to use it by the monarch of the time. The style of the crown should give the date range for the coat of arms but I have been unable to find the site that explains it. (One of the many favourites lost when I changed to windows 10).

Perhaps posting on the heraldry pages will draw out more people with expertise on the matter.

John915

As I posted on the Heraldry thread, it is the (English) Royal Arms as used by the Government.

If it was the Scottish Royal Arms, the Scottish Lion would be in quarters 1 and 4, with England (3 lions) in quarter 2. The Irish Harp is always in quarter 3.
Scotland also has the unicorn on the left (dexter) side, and the lion on the right (sinister) side.

The arms are contained within the Garter (Order of the Garter) and are not on a shield.
Indicating that this version was not a personal set of Arms.
The monarch's Royal Arms also has a helm on the top and mantling.

The Government version has a crown.

see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_coat_of_arms_of_the_United_Kingdom#Government

Appreciated KG, however I didn't say it was a Scottish royal arms. I merely pointed out that a crowned unicorn could mean a Scottish connection as English unicorns are not crowned. The Scottish ones are.

If Nell takes a look around the edge there may be signs that hallmarks have been stamped inside of it. They were often not placed on the larger decorated surfaces as it would damage the decoration on the outside when punched in.

John915

[westdale]

removed as not relevant to the 1st image.

[whiteout7]

6th Dragoon gaurds (the carabineers) held battle honours at Amentieres in 1914, honi soit qui mal y pense was their moto, perhaps someone in your Jersey family inherited this locket and it was the momento of their father (the other side of the locket perhaps held the mother)? Seems to be an older man? Very likely he does not bear the families current surname?

We have weird items from great great aunts that had no children and we have no idea where they came from.

[KGarrad]

The Norman FRench motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense"  is the motto of The Order of the Garter and appears in many heraldic items that are somehow associated with the Order.
E.G. 1st Duke of Marlborough
Royal Coat Of Arms
Courts of England & Wales
British Government official documents
Current British Passports
The Times
Royal Yacht Brittania
High Constables of Edinburgh
British Army
Royal Horse Artillery
Household Cavalry Regiment
Life Guards Regiment
Blues and Royals
Grenadier Guards
Coldstream Guards
Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment
Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
Corps of Royal Engineers
the Royal Logistic Corps
. . . . the list is endless!

[whiteout7]

I wonder how many of the organisations were in Amiens or had links with  Amiens?

[AngelFish]

Amiens is a male first name.

There is a character named Amiens in Shakespeare's play, As You Like It.

I'm not saying this is why the name is engraved on the locket, but it is a slim possibility it's a name of a person rather than the place.