The elaborately engraved “S”, “E”, and “F” on this mourning ring stand for married couple Eunice and Samuel Franklin. Eunice Greenleaf married Benjamin Franklin’s cousin, Samuel, in 1756 and gave birth to four daughters. Samuel died in 1775, leaving Eunice a widow at the age of forty-four, widowhood being a common fate for many women in this time. Eunice herself died in 1787.

Upon the death of loved ones, mourning rings commemorating them were often given out as favors to funeral-goers. This gold ring has been decorated with braided hair from the deceased known as a “device.” In the 18th century, such jewelry was not viewed as macabre, but as an acceptable and emotionally powerful way of remembering loved ones. Finding a Boston craftsperson to create such an item would not have been difficult for the bereaved Franklins. Jewelers offering hair textile or mourning rings were located on Union, Newbury, and Water Streets.

All images are courtesy of The Bostonian Society.