People

Winston Churchill - 1874-1965

This brass was first produced in 1944 by H S Richards4

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Sir Winston Leonard Churchill (1874-1965) was born on November 30 1874, the son of Lord Randolph Churchill and American heiress, Jennie Jerome.   Before being Prime Minister 1940-5 and 1951-5 he was Under Secretary of State for Colonies 1906-8, President of Board of Trade 1908-10, Home Secretary 1910-11, First Lord of Admiralty 1911-15, Secretary of State for War 1918-21 and for Colonies 1921-2, Chancellor of the Exchequer 1924-9. After resigning in 1955 he spent his last years painting and writing.  He died at the age of 90 on January 24 1965.  He was buried at Bladon near Blenheim Palace following a state funeral.

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Montgomery - as #39-005 but with the sides cut away on either side of the face

British Field Marshall, Bernard Law Montgomery (1887-1976) was born on 17 November 1887 and served with distinction in World War I and in World War II where he commanded the 8th Army in North Africa where he led his troops at El Alamein. He died on March 24 1976.

3 Benjamin Disraeli 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (1804-81) was a British writer and Prime Minister (1868 and 1874-80).  He was born in London on December 21 1804. His novel, Vivien Grey, was one of his successful novels, published in 1826.  He won a seat in the House of Commons in 1837 after a number of unsuccessful attempts. He died in London on April 19 1981.

This brass was probably issued around 1883 when the Primrose League was founded

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William Gladstone (1809-98)

 Gladstone was born in Liverpool on December 29 1809. He was a prominent figure in British Political life and was Prime Minister four times (1868-74, 1880-5, 1886, 1892-4). Despite his many achievements many historians feel that he never understood the needs of the lower classes. He died of cancer on May 19 1898 at Hawarden at the age of 88 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.4

Abraham Lincoln 1809-65, 16th President of the USA from 1861-5. His famous Proclamation for the Emancipation of Slaves in 1862 was one of the most dramatic statements of his presidency. At a time when he was looking forward to peaceful reconciliation with the defeated South and justice for the freed slaves, he was assassinated in 1865 in Ford's Theatre, Washington, by the Southern fanatic John Wilkes Booth.

3This brass was designed by Richards & presented to President Roosevelt in April 1944

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(See Note below)

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Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914) was born in London on July 8, 1936. His political career began in 1873 when he was elected Mayor of Birmingham. In 1876 he entered Parliament as a Liberal and became president of the Board of Trade four years later. He left the Liberals to join the Conservatives as a Liberal-Unionist in 18987 as he was unable to support Gladstone's Home Rule policy. He was Colonial Secretary between 1895 and 1903 when he supported Milner's policies in South Africa. He suffered a stroke in 1906 which left him an invalid until his death on July 2 1914.

The "Chamberlain" Brass was made to the order of a South African farmer who wished to commemorate Joseph Chamberlain's visit to South Africa (1902/3). Very few of these were made and five have been documented to date. This one is held in the Chamberlain Museum4

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This brass was first made in 1905 to celebrate the centenary of Trafalgar (Click here for an older brass showing the back)

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John Peel 

3Reg. No. 876559 (year 1954)

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Tutankhamen - Egyptian king 14th c BC, he died aged 18. A set of 6 brasses (5 Egyptian heads & 1 lion-headed god) was issued in 1922 at the time of the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamen at Kamak4

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Goethe4

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Sam Whitbread

Duchess of Devonshire - may have been copied from one of Thomas Gainsborough's famous portraits - c. 1910-20

Jenny Jones

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William Shakespeare 
(1584-1616) was born in Stratford-upon-Avon. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway and they had 3 children. His many works include The Comedy of Errors, Love's Labour Lost, The Taming of the Shrew, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Henry VI, Richard III, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, Rome and Juliet and others.

Early 20th century designs

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Robert "Rabbie"Burns (1759-96) was brought up and worked as a labourer on his father's Ayrshire farm. He wrote many poems and songs, the most famous of which are O my luve's like a red, red rose and Auld Lang Syne.  He was extremely popular in Scotland and Scotsmen the world over celebrate "Burns' Night" on 25 January - his birthday. 

"Had we never loved sae kindly
Had we never loved sae blindly
Never met - or never parted
We had ne'er been broken-hearted."

Ae Fond Kiss

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Rabbie Burns 
- early post war design 

David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930) was born near Nottingham. He eloped with Frieda Weekley (nee von Richtofen) to Germany and together they travelled widely. His many works include Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow, Women in Love, The Lost Girl and others. Lady Chatterley's Lover was his last novel which was completed in Italy. At this time he was already dying of tuberculosis. This was a controversial book causing a celebrated obscenity trial in which its publishers were acquitted. The book was finally published in 1960 in an unexpurgated edition. 

(Llangollen is a resort town on the River Dee in Clwyd, north-east Wales. Since 1947 Eisteddfods have been held there)4

Other portrait brasses of the late 19th century, include Lord Randolph Churchill, whilst early 20th century brasses included John Wesley, Wellington and Lloyd George.  At the time of the Boer War brasses depicting Baden-Powell (brass has registered no. 357452), Lord Roberts and Kitchener were issued.  Others included Lord Charles Beresford and Lord Jellicoe.  At the end of World War II brasses were issued commemorating Churchill  and Montgomery.  As this was the era of "motorised transport" not many of these would have been used on a horse.

Horse Brasses / People 2

Two Presidents

Horse Brasses / People 2