Livery Button by Stokes & Sons

The style of “crown” is a Baron’s coronet. A baron’s coronet has six ‘pearls’ of which 4 are visible when drawn.  This button features two coat of arms combined, to denote a union, most often a marriage, with the husband’s arms on the dexter side (viewer’s left) and the wife’s paternal arms on the sinister (viewer’s right).

In this case the baron (husband’s) side shows a crest for the Tennyson family:  “a dexter arm in armour embowed, the hand gaunteleted, grasping a broken tilting-spear(i.e. lance) with a garland of laurel”.

Tennyson family crest.

Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson was the Governor of South Australia from 1899 until 1902, when the Governor General of Australia, Lord Hopetoun, suddenly resigned. Tennyson took over for a one year appointment, and due to tension with the then Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, this was not extended.

The femme (wife’s) side shows a double headed eagle, which may indicate a family link to Austria-Hungary, or the Habsburgs family. However, it is an ancient and much used emblem, so I am not sure. Please let me known if you have further information.

https://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter/double-headed-eagle-omnipresent-emblem-habsburgs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-headed_eagle

Livery buttons are not a common find with an Australian backmark.

http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/10th-july-2020/

http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/22nd-september-2020/

http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/16th-march-2021/

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