An exquisite, museum-grade artifact of High-Victorian legal aristocracy and elite heraldic art. Dated 11th January 1873, during the 35th year of Queen Victoria's reign, this massive, authentic animal vellum Letters Patent formally grants a unique Coat of Arms to Lindsey Middleton Aspland, LL.D., a prominent London barrister of the Middle Temple.
 
The scroll is an exceptional work of calligraphic and illuminative mastery, featuring a large, vibrant, hand-painted depiction of the Aspland family coat of arms in the margin, accentuated with bright gold leaf, traditional royal monograms, and meticulous crimson ruling. Suspended by their original silk ribbons are two heavy wax seals belonging to the Kings of Arms. Both seals are perfectly preserved inside their original, high-lustre protective brass skippets, stamped with Victorian crowns.
The document is hand-signed at the foot by two of the 19th century’s most famous heraldic authorities: Sir Albert William Woods (Garter) and Robert Laurie (Clarenceux), and registered on the reverse by Windsor Herald George Harrison.
The document and its heavy seals fold away seamlessly into their original, custom-made morocco leather-bound long trunk, lined with its vibrant, untouched interior paper and sliding locks for closure.

Dr. Lindsey Middleton Aspland was a distinguished intellectual of late 19th-century London. As a Doctor of Laws and esteemed barrister, he was part of the elite legal engine running the British Empire. He was the son of the highly influential Nonconformist minister Rev. Robert Brook Aspland of Hackney, making this document a fascinating primary record of social mobility in Victorian England.
 
Specifications:
Date: January 11, 1873.
 
Medium: Hand-inked and painted on large-format animal vellum.
 
Dimensions: Standard large-format College of Arms Letters Patent.
 
Condition: Superb antique condition. The vellum is beautifully clean and square with zero tearing or major discoloration. The hand-painted pigments and gold leaf remain extraordinarily rich. The brass skippet seals are pristine. The original leather box shows light exterior rubbing and age-related character but remains entirely structurally sound.
 
Collector's Presentation Note: Complete Victorian heraldic archives that retain their original carrying trunks, unchipped wax seals, and rich gold-leaf art are increasingly difficult to source. This piece offers an unmatched air of historic prestige, making it an investment-grade statement piece for a traditional office, law firm, study, or library.
 
The scroll measures 65 x 52.5cm (25" x 20") excluding the seals and the case measures 56 x 15 x 5cm (22" x 6" x 2").
 
This item will be supplied with a transcript of the wording.