The Trust recently acquired from America a copy of ‘The Seven Ages of Justerini’s’ (1749-1949). This is a fascinating account of the first 200 years trading of Royal Warrant holders, Justerini and Brooks, suppliers of fine wines through 9 reigns. The cover illustrates their first office, No. 2 the Colonnade in Pall Mall. The book was published for their Bicentenary in 1949 but our copy is a 1957 reprint. It is of particular interest to us because, inter alia, it records the arrival in 1930 of ‘Ralph Cobbold, the Eton and Cambridge cricketer and all-round sportsman, a member of the well-known East Anglian brewing and banking family, becoming a Director in 1936’
Pasted inside the front of the book is a letter, on Justerini & Brooks Ltd die-stamped letterhead bearing the royal coat of arms, signed by Ralph Cobbold addressed to Fitzwilliam Sargent III in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The letter explains that one, Cotty Pell, proposes to invest in wines on his behalf at Christmas each year and as he is presently only 8 years old vintage port has been selected (3 bottles of Graham 1955) as it lives longer and that these have been set aside in a special bin for the purpose. The letter goes on to advise that a crust will be formed on the wine and that it will therefore require careful decanting to ensure that it is bright and clear to drink.
Our book was sent to Fitzwilliam Sargent III, not only to tell him the history of the firm but also to give him ’a very good idea of the England we have known and grown up with’ and to carry a Christmas Greeting and the hope that ‘I meet you one of these days’
If Fitzwilliam Sargent III is still alive he is 63 today. We don’t know whether they ever met and we don’t know whether he enjoyed the port but it would be wonderful to find out!
Note: Ralph played in the Eton XI in 1923, 24 and 25, being captain the final season and for Cambridge in 1927, and is #454 in the family tree.
© 2012 The Cobbold Family History Trust.
