Pusey Mourning Jewel

The archives of Pusey House hold many objects commemorating Edward Bouverie Pusey (1800–1882). His personal belongings and various items associated with him were preserved by those close to him at his death. These include his rosary beads, prayerbook, surplice (the robe he would have worn while preaching), and a piece of stone from his doorway. This ‘mourning jewel’ holds a large lock of Pusey’s white hair, surrounded by foiled garnets set in a gold case. An engraving on the reverse reads: ‘E B PUSEY D.D. + SEPT 16TH 1882 In pace’. The jewel was purchased by Pusey House in 2017. The medieval Catholic tradition of preserving relics – body parts or belongings of saints – was abandoned by English Protestants at the Reformation. The array of relics associated with Pusey at the institution named after him is another example of how the Tractarian Movement sought to recover for the Church of England many of the pre-Reformation practices, beliefs, and traditions.

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