TitleGold signet ring About this objectThe ring is likely to have belonged to a member of Major William James Sherbon's family. Sherbon lived on Bare Island as chairman of the Council of the Veterans' Home until the 1920s. In a fire that destroyed the Sherbon house in the 1920s, the family escaped with only the clothes and belongings on them, including this ring on a family member’s finger, and a Vesta case (Object no. 2021.1) in Major Sherbon’s pocket.
Sherbon (1867-1939) was born in England before his family moved to Jamaica where his father was an accountant for the government. During 1892 and 1931, Sherbon served in the newly formed NSW Military Secretary Department in Australia.
The signet ring and the Vesta case were bequeathed to Rosemary Norman, maternal granddaughter of Sherbon, and donated to the Museum in 2021. Object No.2021.2Physical descriptionThis gold ring features a bezel setting and holds a dark green stone engraved with a bearded unicorn, facing towards the right above a banner bearing the phrase in French, ‘QUANT JE PUIS’, translated as ‘when I can / as I can’, which might have been the Sherbon family motto. It is designed to be stamped onto warm wax where the design and text will appear in the correct way. DimensionsRing diametre: 17mm
Band thickness: 2mm
Stone: 10mm (W) x 13mm (H)Materialgoldgreen stoneSourceLa Perouse MuseumProvenance Unknown date – Major William James Sherbon
1939 – bequeathed to Rosemary Norman
4 April 2021 – donated to the La Perouse Museum by Rosemary NormanCredit lineGift of Rosemary Norman, 2021Acquisition date4 April 2021Organisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse Museum (La Perouse, N.S.W.)CategoryMuseum | Social historyThemesSocial historyRelated objects2021.1
