London 1881 by Richard Nash Welchman (first reg. 1st June 1864)
A cased extremely rare Victorian sterling silver scale model of a violin

Formed with polished sections and satinised fingerboard and tailpiece, with three of four silver strings and adjustable pegs. The reverse engraved with a presentation inscription in French reading “Tomoignage de reconnaissance affect a Monsieur St Jacome par des eleres, Delves Louis Broughton, Zoe ”, Rhoda ”, Laura ”, et Brian ”.”. Fully and part-marked, maker’s mark RNW. Housed in a fitted presentation case, branded for W&E Mimpriss 32 Davies Street, Berkeley Square.

Length -29.2 cm / 11.5 inches

Weight – 476 grams / 15.31 ozt

Case length – 33.5 cm / 13.25 inches

Probably the composer Louis-Antoine Saint-Jacome (1830–1898)

Gifted to Louis Beer (1864-1943), pictured, a surgeon in Harley Street London by a patient, thence by descent to his daughter Laurie Beer (1899-1976). Thence by descent.

Sir Delves Louis Broughton (1857-1914), 10th Baronet of Broughton, co. Stafford [E., 1661]. The son of Sir Henry Delves Broughton, 9th Baronet (1808-1899) and his wife Eliza Florence Alexandrina Rosenzweig (d.1882), whose other children were Zoë Angelique Broughton (1859-1932), married Neville Thursby (d,1916), Rhoda Delves Broughton (d.1945) married her cousin Lt.-Cdr. Vernon Lamonnerie Delves Broughton (1859-1935), Laura Delves Broughton (1862-1888) died unmarried, and Brian Delves Broughton (1865-1923) married Minnie Elizabeth Rowe.

Richard Nash Welchman (1814-1882), the firm of Rapley and Welchman operated between 1840 and 1864, with Welchman being independent at their 72 Dean Street, Soho address until 1873 when he entered into partnership with William Charles Duke and Frederick Rutter trading as R.N. Welchman and Co until the namesake’s death in 1882. His widow Mary took over the business severing the partnership with the other two, until bankruptcy in 1893. This mark is almost never encountered.