©Woolley & Wallis
LONDON, UK. October 15, 2025: Woolley & Wallis is excited to present an exceptional pair of William III silver reliquary caskets by the esteemed Royal silversmith Anthony Nelme (1655-1723) from Belmont Abbey in Herefordshire, UK. Originally from the rural village of Much Marcle in Herefordshire, Anthony Nelme was the son of John Nelme, a local farmer in the area and grew up in an unassuming farming family before moving to London in 1672 as an apprentice. He initially worked under the famed Richard Rowley and later Isaac Deighton and worked his way up, honing his natural talent with his teachings. Such was the success of his work, that he became a free member of the Goldsmiths’ Company in 1690 and went on to hold important leadership roles within the company.
At a time when many highly skilled Huguenot goldsmiths were active in London, Nelme was the foremost English-born craftsman, highly sought after by Royalty, including Queen Anne and other members of the aristocracy. While his career and influence was centered in London, Nelme’s origins in Much Marcle, Herefordshire remain a significant part of his story, connecting the county to the rich tradition of English silver craftsmanship.
Reliquary caskets are containers designed to hold sacred objects, or relics, such as bone fragments, hair, or personal items of saints and martyrs. These ornate vessels, often made of precious metals and decorated with gems, enamel, or symbolic motifs, created to both protect and visibly venerate holy relics. Many were shaped to resemble miniature churches or tombs, reinforcing their role as shrines for the faithful. While most commonly associated with Christianity, especially during the Middle Ages, similar containers are also found in other religious traditions around the world.
These rare survivors of Nelme’s work date from 1701 and are rectangular in form, embossed with acanthus leaves and garland decoration on a matted ground. The hinged covers, topped with urn finials, are adorned with winged cherub heads, while the rectangular bases feature further cherubic motifs at the corners and rest on gnarl feet.
These particular reliquaries come from the property of Belmont Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Hereford, England, founded in the mid-19th century and consecrated in 1859. Designed by renowned Gothic Revival architect Edward Welby Pugin, Belmont was established to serve both the Catholic population of the Welsh Marches and as a centre for Benedictine monastic life. It quickly became a place of liturgical excellence, theological study and religious formation.
The foundation of Belmont Abbey was part of the wider Catholic revival in 19th-century England following centuries of suppression. The land for the monastery was provided by the 16th Duke of Norfolk, a leading figure among English Catholic nobility, with the intention of creating a religious house that could serve as both a diocesan centre and a home for Benedictine monks. The monastery’s abbey church, which is now a Grade II listed building, was consecrated in 1860 and later served as the pro-cathedral of the Diocese of Newport and Menevia. Belmont became notable not only for its architectural grandeur but also for its role in re-establishing monastic traditions in a post-Reformation context. Its monks were instrumental in missionary work, education and pastoral care throughout the region. Over the decades, the Abbey has remained a living monastery, preserving centuries-old liturgical practices, while engaging with the broader community through retreats, theological publications and dialogue.
The caskets were donated to the Abbey’s novitiate chapel, a sacred space within the monastery used for prayer, reflection and instruction during the novitiate period, in which new members of the community prepare to take their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The presence of these finely crafted caskets in such a formative space highlights their religious and symbolic importance. The donor of the caskets is identified by a 19th century note which says: ‘Given to the novitiate chapel of Saint Benedicts by The Rt. Rev, Dr. Brown.’
The Right Reverend Dr. Thomas Joseph Brown, O.S.B. (1796–1880), is believed to have been a Benedictine monk who served as the first Bishop of Newport and Menevia following the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in 1850. Bishop Brown was a key figure in the founding of Belmont Abbey, which also served as a pro-cathedral for his diocese. He consecrated the abbey church in 1860 and remained deeply involved with its life and mission until his death. He is buried in the north transept of the abbey church. The reliquary caskets were likely a personal or episcopal gift to the novitiate chapel.
Silver specialist at Woolley and Wallis, Rupert Slingsby said: “To see reliquary caskets of this period come up at auction is unusual and to find a pair by such a renowned Goldsmith as Anthony Nelme is incredibly rare.”