2 British Miniature Portraits

Unknown - portrait of William Pitt the Elder, First Earl of Chatham

2011-05-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

A puzzling acquisition was a miniature portrait in enamel on metal of a man in 18C dress. It appears to be a Bilston enamel type portrait the size and shape of a convex snuff box cover, 72mm x 65mm, but set into a papier machie frame, 100mm x 84mm, with gilded floral ornamentation. The reverse is white enamel with a black over glaze inscription in 18C block printing "W.Pitt, Efqr." for William Pitt Esquire.

The miniature was acquired at auction from the same collection as the recently acquired Freese and Bossi miniatures, which also contained a number of decorative miniatures, but this appears to have genuine age, with the rear showing chipping at the edges of the enamel and an accumulation of dirt in the corners.

The most obvious question is; Which William Pitt is depicted?

Initially, it was difficult to decide which Pitt it was, I was leaning towards it being an early portrait of the Younger, but a kind expert then pointed out an engraving of William Pitt the Elder (1708-1778) which I had overlooked. It is this portrait by 'Tom Trueblue', after William Hoare, which dates from c1754.

The Tom Trueblue version is circular, whereas the original Hoare version of 1754, showing in colour, is a large rectangular oil portrait. As is often the case with engravings, the sitter is looking in the opposite direction to the original. This is because the engraved plate shows the same pose, but the pages then printed from the plate show a reversed image. In addition it can be seen that the engraving is greatly cropped, compared to the oil.

The enamel portrait has curved corners at the bottom, but not the top. This shows it was copied from an oval or round portrait, as would be the case if copied from the engraving. The top of the enamel not needing to be curved, as no detail had been lost by the previous cropping.

While it is not certain the engraving was the source of the enamel, as there are some differences, it or a similar portrait appears to be the source. A point of enamel snuff boxes was to appear colourful, and a lot less time was taken in their preparation, than for a proper miniature portrait. Thus is to be expected there would be some artistic interpretation, to represent any changes in men's fashion between the date of the engraving and the date of the enamel. For example, wigs became looser, ribbons became more prevalent, as did colourful waistcoats. This was necessary, as a snuff box showing the sitter wearing unfashionable clothing would be less attractive to those customers keen to show how fashionable they were.

If the engraving is accepted as the source, it must date to after the date of the oil, i.e. 1754. At the other end, the date of enamel needs to precede August 1766 as that was the date that Pitt accepted the title of Earl of Chatham. Pitt was in and out of favour between 1754 and 1766, but the most likely date for the enamel seems to be 1761. After his resignation in October 1761, the King urged Pitt to accept a mark of royal favour. Accordingly he obtained a pension of £3000 a year and his wife, Lady Hester Grenville was created Baroness Chatham in her own right - although Pitt refused to accept a title himself. Thus, the enamel was most likely made to commemorate this event.

Although it is set into a composition black frame, with gilt decoration of vine leaves, it is possible that the frame was added at a later date, with the enamel originally being made as the lid of a snuff box. Although, I have been unable to find any similar examples for comparison, it seems that the portrait is a Bilston enamel portrait made c1761. However, any expert views would be welcome. 1412

Any Pitt scholars who read this, may be interested to also read an 18C poem about Pitt, which to the best of my knowledge, has previously been unrecognised as a "Pitt poem". It is by Manasseh Dawes and is one of three satirical poems by Dawes, superficially about pet dogs, but actually commenting on parliamentary figures. The other two being Henry Fox and Frederick North.

Recent academic comment has described the poems as being about three pet dogs, but research for my biography of Sir Anthony Carlisle revealed that, when taken together, they were in fact clever political satires. With Dawes being the uncle of Carlisle's wife, Martha. The research is covered in the biography at The Real Mr Frankenstein but for convenience, a copy of the Pitt satire is shown here. Pitt was also known as The Great Commoner, due to his long-standing refusal to accept a title and the Dawes verse alludes to him resisting fraud.

Another on Perto

Happy creature, how secure
From all the troubles we endure
In this corrupted age!
A sordid prudence drew thee hence,
From fraud and fell impertinence,
So rife among the sage
An animal so wise as you,
So fond, so pert, so just, so true,
Demands a pleasing thought:
And tho' a dog affords the theme,
If man would deign to live the same,

He'd act as nature taught.
Not as a monster or an elf
He'd vainly boast his wretched self
On birth on sense on taste:
But follow that true golden rule,
That honesty is not a fool,
Tho' copied from a beast. ⁱ

i Dawes, M (Manasseh), Miscellanies in Prose and Verse on Various Occasions, London, 1776, p 26

[As an aside, researching the Carlisle biography has been an fascinating journey for me, and it has been continually amazing to realize how much new information about the 18C can still be uncovered, these three satires being but a modest example.]

For those interested, there are two miniature portraits of William Pitt the Younger in this collection, as showing here. The earlier one attributed to John Donaldson and the later by an unknown hand.

For more about them, see View and View

Farrier, Charlotte - portrait of James Courthope Peache

2011-04-24T02:28:00.000-07:00

When purchased at auction, this miniature portrait was accompanied by three notes which has enabled some interesting detective work. A summary of the process is set out here, but it took several hours, with many uncertainties, and dead-ends, on the way. The lot had originally been offered by Rowley's, auctioneers, as lot 228 on Tuesday, 23 February, 2010 with an estimate of £150-250 and was later re-offered by that buyer on eBay. (By chance another lot at that auction, lot 224 estimated at £100-150, followed a similar path and can now be seen in this collection at View The combined buying price from eBay for this collection, for the two portraits being just over £300.)

The notes are by two different hands and analyzing their content shows how confusing and possibly wrong information can arise and be transmitted across the generations. The sitter looks to be aged about 50 to 60, and to be dressed in clothes from around 1820-1830.

The first note reads;
The enclosed miniature came into my possession many years ago. The old gentleman treated me as one of his grandchildren when he was living at Wimbledon House, none of us were then married! Many changes having taken place since that time! both in family deaths, and new buildings on the grounds belonging to the house! August 3, 1904.

The second note reads;
The miniature referred to is that of Admiral Sir William Rush, sent to me by Mrs Loftus Tottenham, Aug 1904.
From this it seems that the writer of the first note was Mrs Loftus Tottenham. (NB not hyphenated, and the name Tottenham was not at all obvious at first, and it took some attempts to arrive at Tottenham!) The third note reads;
Admiral Sir William Rush RN, great-great uncle of Vi Cerwindell[?]. Painted 1833 by Charlotte Ferrier [sic - The name Cerwindell does not seem to exist, and the name written has so far eluded me. The closest seems to be a Victor Crundell who died in Yorkshire 1920.]

Thus we have the name of the artist. Foskett records that Charlotte Farrier was active from 1826-1875, a very long career! She exhibited at the Royal Academy amongst other places, and was a prolific artist.

There were several families named Loftus Tottenham, with or without a hyphen, in the late 19C. One was the family of the author, Miss Blanche Mary Loftus-Tottenham, daughter of Arthur Loftus-Tottenham, but she was a spinster.

One other possibility arises in the 1881 census, for a family visiting Mary Walker at 9 Devonshire Place, London.
Mary Ann WALKER Head U Female 76 London, Middlesex, England Householder
Loftus TOTTENHAM Visitor M Male 50 Dublin, Ireland Landed Proprietor
Constance L. TOTTENHAM Visitor M Female 40 Brighton, Sussex, England
Beresford L. TOTTENHAM Visitor U Male 23 London, Middlesex, Army Officer
(Mrs) KNEKLESS Serv U Female 42 London, Middlesex, England Housekeeper
Martha MACARTHY Serv U Female 22 London, Middlesex, England Parlourmaid
Mouser SANDERS Serv U Female 50 London, Middlesex, England Cook

From this it has been asumed that Constance Loftus Tottenham was the writer of the first note, and there is a son. Beresford, aged 23.

Beresford Tottenham is a good name to start with. It turns out his full name was Beresford Creighton Stuart Campbell Loftus Tottenham, born 29 June 1856 and christened 15 Feb 1857 at St Mary, St Marylebone St, London, as son of Loftus Abraham Tottenham and Constance Marion Newton Wigney.

With Loftus Abraham Tottenham in turn, born 28 December, 1818, Glenfarm, Leitrim, Ireland as the son of Loftus Anthony Tottenham and Mary Creighton. on On 3 March 1851, Loftus Abraham Tottenham married Constance Wigney born in 1833, the second daughter of Newton Wigney and Caroline Walter. Caroline's family had founded The Times newspaper. This suggests Loftus was 63 in the 1881 census, not 50, and Constance was 48, not 40, as ages were often rounded downwards for the census record. He died in 1905. Loftus Abraham Tottenham was related to the Earl of Ely, on his Father's side. His mother was Mary only child and heir to the Hon. Abraham Creighton and Niece to the Earl of Erne.

Isaac Newton Wigney (1795–1844)was an English banker and Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1832 to 1842. He was the son of William Wigney and his wife Ann Killick. His father was a successful banker in Brighton. At the 1832 general election Wigney was elected as a Member of Parliament for Brighton. He held the seat until his defeat in 1837, but was re elected at the 1841 general election. In 1836 Wigney took over the bank on the death of his father. However in 1842 the bank failed. Wigney was declared bankrupt, left Brighton and gave up his seat in the House of Commons. There is much about the Wigney family at Yes - Barcombe and Hamsey

Thus, when the note was written in 1904, Constance was 71, which seems to fit with the tone of the note. Now, we see she mentions Wimbledon House in the note. Wimbledon House, a separate residence close to Wimbledon village at the south end of Parkside (near present day Peek Crescent), was home in the 1790s to the exiled French statesman Vicomte de Calonne, and later to the mother of writer Frederick Marryat. Their association with the area is recorded in the names of nearby Calonne and Marryat Roads.

The story of Wimbledon House has been a little difficult to untangle. My current impression is that the original Wimbledon House was renamed Belvedere House when James Courthope Peache purchased it in 1833, and that the Spencer property, Wimbledon Park House, then became better known as Wimbledon House.

The impression from her note is that she was a girl or young unmarried adult at the time of visiting the old gentleman at Wimbledon House, thus, say around 1840-1850. But the second and third notes refer to Sir William Rush. Sir William Beaumaris Rush (1750-1833) did own a large home in Wimbledon called Belvedere House (showing here) from 1783 to 1833, but he cannot have been the man visited by Constance Wigney, as he died around the year she was born. His father was William Rush of Lambeth who was buried at Chelsea in 1779 and his mother was Mary daughter of George Smith of London. He received his second name from having been born at sea off Beaumaris on the 21st of August 1750.

The family were for a century and a half the proprietors of the great vinegar yard in Southwark, afterwards Potts's, and from the last of those wealthy merchants Sir William inherited a large fortune and an estate at Roydon in Suffolk. He was not in the Royal Navy, there never being an admiral named Sir William Rush. Thus, the reference to him needs to be viewed with caution. The confusion was perhaps occasioned as his suit jacket was thought to be a naval uniform. For the man in the 1833 miniature to be Sir William Rush, he would need to be aged 83, but the sitter looks younger than that.

The watercolour is of the rear of Belvedere House, Wimbledon, showing steps leading up to the back door. The house was large, of five bays and three storeys with projecting wings at each side and a balustrade on the roof. Wimbledon church tower and steeple are seen to the right. Home of the Rush family since 1748 when Mrs Martha Rush bought Janssen's Manor House; the name was later changed. Sir William Rush was also Captain of Wimbledon's Infantry Association.

In 1834 Belvedere House was bought by James Courthope Peache [sometimes Courthorpe](1782-1856), a retired barge builder, timber merchant and one-time Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Surrey. During a long life James amassed a considerable fortune some of which he used in the support of ecclesiastical and educational institutions. This is starting to sound like a connection to the sitter in the portrait. Although the house was called Belvedere House, not Wimbledon House, it was at Wimbledon and had previously belonged to Sir William Rush. Peache's wife, Alice, died at Belvedere House in 1859.

It is interesting to note that Peache had previously lived in Belvedere Road, Lambeth, and hence may have renamed Sir William Rush's house as Belvedere House when he purchased it. At St John's Church in Waterloo Road, Lambeth, three or four large tombs remain in the part of the churchyard fronting Waterloo Road. Of these the most prominent is that of the Peache family, erected at the expense of James Courthope Peache in 1827. On the front are his coat of arms and crest, and on the south side is the inscription—

TO THE MEMORY OF CLEMENT PEACHE ESQRE
DIED OCT 23 1815 ACED 68 YEARS
ALSO ELIZABETH PEACHE HIS WIFE
DIED IAN 31 1830 IN HER 80TH YEAR
ALSO TO THE MEMORY OF JAMES COURTHOPE PEACHE ESQRE
DIED IAN 22 1858 IN HIS 77TH YEAR
ALSO OF ALICE PEACHE HIS WIFE
DIED IAN 1 1859 IN HER 75TH YEAR

The north side of the tomb has a list of James Peache's ten children, all except two of whom died in infancy or childhood, and it also records the names of his two sisters and his niece, Mary Peache Larkin. It would seem such a man and his wife would be friendly to Constance Wigney as a girl around 1845-1850. His grandson had the same name and became a well-known engineer, as recorded at Paxman "Peache Patent"

James Courthope Peache - The designer of the Peache engine was a man of substantial private means which allowed him to be 'his own man'. His grandfather, also called James Courthope Peache, had been a very successful and wealthy London timber merchant. When Courthope senior died, his great wealth passed to his younger son, the Revd Alfred Peache, as the elder son died within six weeks of his father. In turn, Alfred's son, Courthope Peache junior, came to enjoy a substantial private income and greater freedom to make choices about the course of his career than might be open to a man more dependent on his employers. The Revd Alfred Peache, and his unmarried sister Kezia, both generous benefactors to the Church of England, owned Layer Marney Tower from 1869 to 1899. Layer Marney Tower is an impressive Tudor property about 6 miles south-west of Colchester, now a major tourist attraction. Alfred became Lord of the Manor of Layer Marney and died in November 1900, at the age of 82, at his home, Danmore, in Wimbledon, London.

James Courthope Peache junior was born on 5th February 1852 and graduated in Engineering from King's College, London. He joined Willans & Robinson in July 1885 as Works Manager of their Ferry Works at Thames Ditton. After nearly all the factory had been destroyed by fire in 1888, Peache was mainly responsible for the design and construction of the new factory. In his approach to manufacturing he was keen on standardisation and the interchangeability of components, as were his employers, and this trait showed through in the meticulous drawings maintained at Paxman for his engines. Despite his abilities and contribution to the Willans business, he was not offered a partnership and some friction appears to have developed between himself and Peter Willans. He resigned from Willans & Robinson at the end of January 1892. Early in 1893, Courthope Peache wrote to James Paxman, seeking to interest Paxman in the high-speed engine he had recently designed. The timing was opportune as Paxman was becoming increasingly aware of his need for a high-speed engine. However, Paxman was not initially impressed by the design and could not see any great advantages in it. He sent the drawings to W H Massey, a respected authority on power generation, seeking his opinion. After considering Massey's reply, James Paxman decided to pursue the matter. Lengthy negotiations followed, leading to Paxman's agreement to build Peache's engines and the appointment of Courthope Peache as Paxman's Works Manager. After two years of development work on the engine and six months of running trials, three of the new engines were put on display at the Empire of India Exhibition held at Earls Court in 1895.

In 1896 Peache withdrew from day-to-day involvement in the running of the Paxman business and became "Consulting Engineer to Davey, Paxman & Co". However, he cannot have been too remote from life at Standard Works on Hythe Hill. In 1898 Harry Broom, who had finished serving his apprenticeship with Paxman, decided to set up business with Jethro Wade, one of Paxman's foremen. Peache offered to help them if they were short of capital. Initially they declined the offer, deciding to rely on their own resources. Later they were helped with a loan from Peache when they put up more buildings and started building compressors. This venture became the highly successful and well-known Broom & Wade compressor business. (1) Peache himself became Chairman of Broom & Wade for many years until relinquishing his interest in the business in 1914.

In 1899 Courthope Peache purchased Layer Marney Tower from his father. Whilst living at Layer Marney, Peache completed the north-west wing of the house and installed the smallest size Peache engine, a single crank SCcl, to generate electricity for lighting his home. The order, No 6050 was placed in March 1900 and the engine was despatched to Layer Marney on 28th February 1901. Peache sold Layer Marney Tower in 1904 and left Colchester to rejoin his old company, Willans & Robinson, which had by now moved from Thames Ditton to a large purpose-built factory at Rugby: the well-known 'Willans Works'. Joining as a Director in 1904, he was appointed Managing Director in 1908. Peache resigned this position in 1911 and became Chairman: a post he held until February 1920. He died at Haywards Heath, Sussex, in 1931 aged 79.

It is necessary to consider more about other houses with similar names. A book of 1838 records;
WIMBLEDON, a village in Surrey, 7 miles S.W. of London, on an eminence and partly on a fine common, on which are numerous elegant residences. Earl Spencer has a mansion here called Wimbledon House; the original house was built by the son of the great Lord Burleigh, in 1588, and afterwards rebuilt by Sarah Duchess of Marlborough. This was burnt down in 1785; but some of the offices, at a distance from the house, were fitted up, and used for several years for the occasional residence of the late Earl Spencer. The estate was left by the Duchess of Marlborough to John Spencer, Esq., whose son, Earl Spencer, grandfather to the present Earl, formed here one of the finest parks in England. It contains 1,200 acres, and is adorned with fine plantations, beautiful declivities, and a sheet of water containing 50 acres. The eminences in this park present many varied and delightful points of view: Harrow-on-the-Hill, Highgate, the Metropolis, (in which may be distinguished his Lordship's house in the Green Park), Norwood, and Epsom Downs. No less than nineteen churches may be counted in this prospect, exclusive of those of London and Westminster. The present mansion was built in 1801, from the design of the late Mr. Holland. Through the park is a thoroughfare from Wimbledon to Putney Heath, for pedestrians only, (unless by permission) without dogs. Parts of the house may occasionally be viewed on application.

Near the church is the elegant villa of Sir William Rush, Bart., with fine pleasure-grounds. On the westside are two good houses, the one formerly in the occupation of the Right Hon. Viscount Melville, and the other the pretty villa of Abraham Aguelar, Esq. In the lane leading to Kingston is Prospect Place, the seat of James Meyrick, Esq., adjoining to which is the handsome villa of Samuel Castello, Esq. Both these have beautiful pleasure grounds, commanding delightful views of Epsom Downs, and all the country adjacent.

However, there are also references to Wimbledon Park House, Wimbledon, displaying a central porch supported by six pillars and a projecting wing from the right. It was the home of Joseph Marryatt, (1757-1824), MP for Sandwich, who bought the house in 1815. The term "buying a house" in the 19C could sometimes just mean buying the lease of a house for a period of years.

Wimbledon House appears here in three views which show a smaller house than the one in top view above. The first view was published in 1813 and seems a more rural, and hence slightly earlier aspect of the house. The third colour version is dated 1826 with an inscription in a later hand "The Seat of Earl Spencer at Wimbledon".

The next stage to investigate is who was living in Wimbledon House in around 1850. A book of 1849 refers to the house being tenanted by the Duke of Somerset, who was probably the occupant immediately prior to 1846, when the 4th Earl Spencer sold the estate and house to John Augustus Beaumont a property developer who laid out new roads and sold plots of land for house building. Two roads still bear his name today - Augustus Road and Beaumont Road. Development of the area was slow at first, but continued throughout the second half of the 19th century, gradually nibbling away at the parkland. Other large estates were broken up, the houses demolished and new roads planned across their grounds: Wimbledon House in 1898 and Belvedere House in 1901.

The modern park was purchased by the Borough of Wimbledon just before the First World War and is, with its ornamental lake, the grounds of the Wimbledon Club and Wimbledon Golf Course, the only remnant of the former, larger park. Late in the 20C the London Borough of Merton sold on the Golf Course to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, leaving just the public park and the lake in its ownership.

John Augustus Beaumont of West Hill, Putney Heath, married Caroline Mary Judd, daughter of William Judd of Curzon Lodge, Old Brompton, on 16 August 1845 and died c1886. Beaumont evidently lived at Wimbledon Park until at least 1884 and had several children, including Augusta Sarah, born 16 Jun 1850, who was described as 3rd daughter of John Augustus Beaumont, Esq., of Wimbledon Park.

It is seeming unlikely that Beaumont was of an age to treat Constance Wigney as one of his grandchildren. In view of this, if her visits were to Wimbledon House, they would seem to precede its sale to Beaumont in 1846, but the Duke of Somerset was then in residence, so Wimbledon House does not seem to fit the note.

While the portrait may possibly be of Sir William Rush, on balance the most likely attribution seems to identify the sitter as James Courthope Peache (1782-1856) who would have been 51 in 1833, the date of the painting, and who lived at Belvedere House. From his appearance, he looks more like a retired timber merchant, than an aristocrat or property developer. That suggests the references to Sir William Rush and Wimbledon House likely arose as a mid 19C family reference, at the time of Constance going to Belvedere House to visit, "the man who lived in Sir William Rush's house at Wimbledon".

The Peache family were generous benefactors of St Mary's in Wimbledon. Galleries extend over the aisles and west end of the nave; and above the western gallery is an organ-loft, containing a fine-toned organ comprising three manuals and pedals, and 39 stops. Its origins go back to 1843, when James Peache donated a smaller organ to the church, which forms the nucleus of the present instrument. In 1925 the organ was rebuilt and enlarged to its present specification by Alfred Hunter of Clapham.

In 1862 a window at the east end was erected by Miss Peache, to the memory of her father, the late James Courthorpe Peache. It was divided into six compartments, three above and three below. In the centre was Our Saviour on the cross; on his right (in the north compartment) his mother, the Holy Mary; on his left (in the south), the Apostle St John. Underneath these, in the north, was the Adoration of the Magi; in the middle the Agony in the Garden; in the south the Angel at the Sepulchre. However, in 1944 the window was destroyed when a V1 rocket exploded on Wimbledon Common. A replacement window was erected in 1951, but still with a dedication to James Courthope Peache. 1388

Freese, Nicholas - portrait of a young lady

2011-04-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

A recent addition is a most attractive miniature of an unidentified young lady in a white dress by a British artist whose work appears infrequently.

The miniature was offered for sale as by an unknown artist, but a kind expert has identified the artist as Nicholas Freese (1762-after 1824). Foskett notes that he was active in London in 1794-1814. Judging by the hairstyle, this would appear to be one of his later works probably dating to around 1810-1812.

As the name Freese is uncommon, a little research suggests that he is the Nicholas Freese christened on 23 Jun 1762 at St Martin, Birmingham, as the son of Nicholas Freese and Elizabeth Rowney, who were married at the same church on 30 March 1758. They also had another son, George christened on 10 April, 1767 and three daughters Charlotte, christened on 5 March 1764, Margaretta christened on 23 August 1765, and Elizabeth christened on 22 November 1768.

Nicholas apparently moved to London to study and then married Mary Stokes on 29 August 1791 at St Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London. They evidently had a son, George Fraser Freese, in 1792.

Foskett notes that in 1814 he exhibited a portrait of Lieutenant G F Freese (1792-1813) who fell at the storming of Salamanca. The European Magazine of 1813, Vol 63/64, on page 371, shows that it was a portrait of his son;
Lieutenant George Fraser Freese, of the 59th regiment of foot, in his 22d year, only son of Mr N Freese, artist. As an ensign, he partook in the perils of the Walcheren expedition; in the memorable battle of Vittoria, as a lieutenant, his intrepidity war highly conspicuous, and claimed the particular attention of his Hon. commander, Lieutenant-colonel Fane, now no more; and at the storming of St Sebastian, he was mortally wounded whilst gallantly leading and cheering the brave company he had the honour to command, and which was one of the first that stormed the breach."
The death of his son must have been a blow to Nicholas and is perhaps why he did not exhibit after 1814.

They had a daughter, Mary Freese, born on 10 February 1795 and christened at St Clement Danes Westminster on 8 March 1795. The Edinburgh Annual Register reveals that Mary became an actress and married Henry Stephen Kemble (15 Sep 1789-22 Jun 1836) on 22 January 1814; At South Shields, Mr Henry Kemble, manager of the theatre there, to Miss Freese, one of his actresses, and daughter of Mr Freese, miniature painter, London. (NB The IGI marriage record shows her name as Miss Freize.)

Henry Kemble was a member of the famous Kemble theatrical family;
Kemble is the name of a family of English actors, all distinguished actors and actresses who reigned over the British stage for decades. The most famous were Sarah Siddons (1755-1831) and her brother John Philip Kemble (1757-1823), the two eldest of the twelve children of Roger Kemble (1721-1802), a strolling player and manager, who in 1753 married an actress, Sarah Ward. Three younger children of Roger, Stephen Kemble (1758-1822), Charles Kemble (1775-1854), and Elizabeth Whitlock (1761-1836), were also actors, while Ann Hatton was a novelist.

A Memoir of Henry Kemble was published in The Theatrical Inquisitor of June 1819 and refers to a portrait of him painted by Nicholas Freese, on which this engraving is based;
This gentleman is the son of Mr and Mrs Stephen Kemble, he was born in Villiers-street, in the Strand, on the 15th of September 1789; his mother long one of the brightest ornaments of the Haymarket Theatre, was taken ill while acting her original character of Queen Margaret, in Colman's play of "The Battle of Hexham." She had scarcely sufficient strength to finish her arduous task, before the object of this memoir was born. Mr H Kemble was educated at Winchester, where, having gone through the regular routine of school practice, he was entered at Trinity College, Cambridge, to study, as it was hoped, for the bar. His inclinations however, naturally enough, were fixed upon the stage, and after remaining two years at the University, he left Euclid and the classics for the sock and buskin. He commenced his theatrical career at Whitehaven, in Cumberland, under the management of his father, in the character of Frank Heartall, in Cherry's comedy of "The Soldier's Daughter." He acted sometime under the eye of his father in several of the Northern towns, but Mr S Kemble resigning management, he joined the Portsmouth company, under Maxfield, Kelly, and Collins; it was here by accident, that the late Mr T Palmer, chief proprietor of the Bath theatre, witnessed his representation of Octavian and Jaffier, so pleased was he with his delineation of those characters that he immediately offered him a situation at Bath for the ensuing winter. Mr H Kemble accepted the offer, and appeared at Bristol on Monday, September 30th, in Bertram, his success was complete. This was followed by Warwick, Daran, Bajazet, Macbeth, Gambia, Rolla, etc, all of which characters he repeated at Bath and Bristol, much to his own credit, and the satisfaction of his employers. When the Sub-committee of the Theatre Royal, Drury-lane appointed Mr Stephen Kemble to the management of their theatre, he sent for his son to London, where, on Saturday, September 12th, 1818, he made his bow in the national theatre, in the character of Romeo; here again his efforts were crowned with success. He has since played Douglas, Barnwell, Biron, Macduff, Richmond, etc. The engraving is an admirable likeness of Mr H Kemble, in his original character of Barmecide; it is taken from an exquisite painting, by Mr Freese.

Reportedly, Henry Stephen Kemble (1789-1836) debuted at age four as the Duke of York in Richard III, at Theatre Royal, Edinburgh. Educated at Winchester and Trinity College, Henry left school after two years to become an actor. In 1816, the Bristol press reported, “that he met with peals of derision, although entitled to shouts of disgust”. As acting manager at Drury Lane for the 1818-1819 season, Stephen Kemble gave roles to his unqualified son, and the theatre suffered financially. Henry Kemble drank himself into obscurity, and died at age 46.

Nicholas Freese may be related to a J Freese who exhibited at the RA in 1811. N Freese, an artist is recorded in Boyle's Court Guide for April 1824, as living at 9 Percy St, London.

The backing paper is missing from this miniature, but Foskett observes that Nicholas Freese often used a small label on the reverse of his miniatures which reads "Freese, Miniature Painter, No 411 Strand, London". Also that his best work is reminiscent of J C D Engleheart. Schidlof notes "He drew well and his portraits had expression". This miniature would appear to fall into that category. 1413

Unknown - portrait of General van Renen

2010-12-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

Although not always great art works or by famous artists, identified sitters are the most interesting of all miniatures, especially when some detective work is needed to track them down!

An interesting purchase at auction was this miniature portrait, acquired for a modest price of £205. Although the artist is unknown, it seems probable the portrait was was painted in India around 1820. It was described by the seller as;
"A portrait miniature of an officer dating to about 1820. Painted in watercolour on the usual medium. No cracks, chips, warping, paint loss or restoration. In fact the colours are very strong with an appealing cloudy sky background. Housed in a gilt metal pendant frame, glazed both front and back with convex glass to reveal some biographical information identifying the sitter as General Vanderwal. There is some more info. about his daughter, Mrs Goaby (through marriage.) The frame is is pinned together, so you won't easily be able to get inside without the help of a jeweller. An attractive period piece and nice to be able to identify the sitter."

The tracking down of his identity is interesting. No reference to General Vanderwal could be found on Google, but a little detective work before the auction hammer fell managed to identify him as Brigadier-General Jacob Van Renen (20 Feb 1762-1828). The key was the reference to Mrs Godby, (not Goaby) and Eliza Louisa Godby.

The mother of Eliza Louisa Godby (14 Oct 1828-?) was found to be Frances Barbara van Renen (1800-1886), who married Christopher Godby (1790-1867) and hence her father was General van Renen, not Vanderwal. A Google search for General van Renen then revealed him as a rare example of a Cape Town, South Africa born man who joined the East India Company army as a cadet in 1780 and served in India for forty years, rising to the rank of Brigadier-General in 1822. Van Renen had been well researched by Ross Dix-Peet who has shown full details of his career. It is well worth reading at this link;
Brigadier-general jacob van renen ...

Ross Dix-Peet has also kindly advised that this portrait is actually illustrated in a book titled; "A Notable Record: Some Account of the Many Families Descended in the Male and Female Lines from Daniel Van Renen..." by Eliza Jane Melvill Joubert de la Ferté; and there's also another book pertaining to the family titled, "Van Reenen, Van Renen, vanrenen Family, 1722-1994" by J.D. Van Renen

Eliza Louisa Godby was born on 14 Oct 1828 in West Bengal, India. Her father Christopher Godby was an army officer, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-General with the Bengal infantry and being awarded a CB. He lived at South Bank, Batheaston and there is a memorial window to him in the Church, at Batheaston, Somerset. Eliza herself married Charles S Weston an army officer.

The family was strong militarily, as another daughter of Frances and Christopher Godby, Grace Charlotte Godby (1836-1904), married Ven. Joshua Ingham Brooke and their son was Brigadier-General Christopher Robert Ingham Brooke (1869-1948), born in Yorkshire, but who died in Cape Province, South Africa. Thus completing a journey back to where his great-great-grandfather Jacob van Renen had been born over 180 years previously.

Although she was absent, the reference to Mrs C S Weston on the miniature, via her husband Charles Samuel Weston (1821-1909), enabled location of the extended family at the time of the 1881 census, when various members were living at Calvados, Millbrook, Hampshire, together with many servants;
Frances B. GODLY (sic s/be Godby) Head W Female 80 East Indies Annuitant
Louisa C. FURGASON Dau M Female 60 East Indies
H.D.H. FURGASON Son In Law M Male 63 Scotland Bengal Civil Service Ret
Charles S. WESTON Son In Law M Male 59 East Indies Major In The Army Ret
Edward C. VANSENER Nephew U Male 40 Cape Of Good Hope Capt in the Army
William J. BROOKE Grandson Male 18 Retford, Northampton, Undergrad Oxford
Ann GULLIVER Servant U Female 44 Stockbridge, Hampshire, Cook Dom
Elizabeth PADLEY Servant U Female 25 Linwood, Lincoln, England Ladys Maid
Matilda STEVENS Servant W Female 51 Market Lavington, Wiltshire, Housemaid
Elizabeth FORD Servant U Female 37 Batheaston, Somerset, Tablemaid
Hellen NORRIS Servant U Female 15 Feltham, Middlesex, Kitchen Maid
Emily HEWETT Servant U Female 30 Scotland Ladys Maid

After the 1857 Indian Mutiny, the East India Company Army was disbanded. It seems that Major Charles Weston had retired at that stage aged 35, as he wrote a book;
'Private Memoranda of the Second Punjab War of 1848 and of the Mutiny in India, 1857' by Major C.S. Weston 36th NI. Published privately with photographs, maps, 10 drawings and manuscript notes. The book includes, facing title page;
Baby in an open coffin. Below, half length portrait of a seated woman.
Inscribed: ‘E.L. Weston. CSW’.
Being portraits of Eliza Weston and their infant son Henry Gould Weston, born 24 Jan 1848 and died 12 June the same year. There are references to Mrs. Weston throughout the book as Lily or Betsy.

In 1859 the Duke of Sutherland accepted the services of the enrolled company of the Sutherland Rifle Volunteers, called the " Golspie Company," and appointed Major Charles Samuel Weston (late of the Indian army) and then living at Golspie in Sutherland, as Captain of the company. The company numbered 107 men, but was restricted to 100 "effectives". Golspie is about 90 miles north of Inverness.

Weston must have been visiting Hampshire from Scotland at the time of the 1881 census as soon afterwards;
In 1881 the greatest event in the history of the Scottish volunteers took place. On the 25th August, Her Majesty the Queen reviewed over 40,000 Scottish and North of England volunteers at Edinburgh. Thanks again to the munificence of the Duke of Sutherland, the Sutherland men were able to attend this great review with but trifling cost to their company funds. The Duke himself took command on this occasion, Major Weston, the Adjutant, being the only other mounted officer with the corps. The total strength of the battalion at the review was 18 officers and 457 non-commissioned officers and men (including a detachment of the Thurso Company), divided into six companies, and anyone who had the privilege of seeing the battalion marching past, will not readily forget the grand physique of the leading company under the command of the Marquis of Stafford. To give an idea of the size of the men composing this company, it is only necessary to say that the height of the centre man was 5 feet 10 inches, while the flank men stood each 6 feet 3 inches.
Major Weston then retired from the volunteers in 1882.

Weston was a tenant of the Duke and wrote to another tenant who left had left the estate; From Major Weston, Another Old Tenant.
Morvich, Rogart, June 22, 1888.
My Dear Brereton :
I am sincerely sorry at the change matters have taken in the
management of the Sutherland estate, as I think you were the right
man to bring things round into a satisfactory state. Your suave and
conciliative manner, your kind sympathy and great benevolence of
heart, strong common sense, added to your intelligent grasp of your
work, and varied experience of human nature, would soon have made
you a very popular man and one in whom all men have confidence,
provided always the management of the estate had been left to you
alone without any outside interference. Selfishly speaking, I am very
sorry to lose you as a neighbor and friend in these parts. Your
experience in India must have taught you that the great secret of
the ability of our men there, viz: to place men in responsible posi-
tions and leave the management of affairs very much to their own
judgment, but it is all very well to have theories these may all be
false conclusions of mine there is, however, the sad and too patent
fact left, viz: you are going away, and we are all very sorry for it.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) CHARLES WESTON.

Thus, the ability to identify a sitter in a miniature portrait can increase its historical and social interest, out of all proportion to its intrinsic or artistic merit. 1395

Unknown - portrait of Susan Mary Farington

2010-11-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a miniature portrait which still requires some more detective work. It is of Susan Mary Farington, nee Hammond (1750-1800) and is in a black ebonised frame with a painted and gilded border around the miniature. At auction it was described as "A very good quality 18th century portrait miniature of Susan Mary Farington. Painted around 1792 by a professional artist of the day on the correct medium. This is the better version of this sitter, we have seen. Adorned in pearls with a sky back ground, exquisitely executed, and in lovely condition under a verre eglomise doomed glass in an acorn frame (no major damage to black frame.) Miniature 3" x 2.1/2". " In this case it is interesting to compare known prices of three separate portraits of Susan; this one fortunately being purchased for only £155.

The reverse of the miniature is inscribed; "Portrait of Susan Mary Farington wife of Joseph Farington RA. For her portrait she sat in the year 1792." And at the bottom right rear is dated "1930". This suggests that the portrait was either cleaned or reframed in 1930. Susan died on 25 March 1800 and The Gentleman's Magazine recorded her obituary; "The wife of Joseph Farington, esq. RA of Upper Charlottte-street, Fitzroy square. She was the only daughter of the late Horace Hamond, DD, prebendary of Norwich, and rector of Great Bircham and Harpley (in that diocese) at which place he had resided 42 years. Throughout life she was uniformly constant in her religious duties; and in her general deportment were united a pleasing affability and sweetness of manners."

I do not think the miniature is a 20C copy, as the quality is too good and the colours and style are 18C. Hence, I am inclined to believe it is the original 1792 miniature, but so far it has not been possible to attribute an artist to the miniature. The NPG in London contains a portrait of Susan Mary Farington (née Hamond) by Henry Bone, after John Flaxman, pen and ink, 1805 (after 1800), NPG D17606, but it is not on view. However, the enamel portrait from this sketch was sold by Bonhams on 24 May 2006, described as; "Lot 181 - Henry Bone R.A., Mrs Susan Farington, profile to the left, wearing white dress with frilled fichu and knotted neckerchief, a white ribbon in her powdered hair worn in a hanging chignon. Sold for £2,160." The Bone portrait therefore seems to be a different pose to the one depicted here.

The Farington Diary backgrounds the making of the Henry Bone portrait. After accepting the commission in 1802, Bone set to work, using a wax model of Susan from which to create the painting. As hair and clothing fashions had changed, it seems the 1792 miniature here was by then too outdated. Bone had many consultations with members of Susan Farington’s family and friends, all of whom were asked to make suggestions as the work progressed in order for him to create the perfect likeness. Bone eventually delivered the finished picture to Joseph Farington three years later, in 1805. In Farington’s diary entry for January 21, 1805, which was the day Bone delivered the finished picture, Farington said that the image exceeded his best hopes, and he expressed to Bone his feelings for how much he had done for him in providing him with such a good likeness of his dear, beloved wife.

Given Susan's family connections and that her husband was painted by Thomas Lawrence, it is to be expected that in 1792 she would have been painted by one of the better artists of the day.

However, it is very interesting to compare the miniature with another miniature portrait of Susan Mary Farington offered for auction by the same vendor a week earlier. I had not noticed this one when it was on offer and so missed an opportunity to purchase it. It was described as "A fine portrait miniature of a pretty young girl indistinctly signed and dated 1800 on the back. Painted in water colour on the material of the day, in good condition mounted in a gold frame of the period with a backing of woven hair with an initial mounted within. The glasses look original and show slight signs of life. The miniature is 64mm high by 54mm wide. The gold frame is 72mm by 61mm plus the hanger. All in very good condition for its age" and it sold for £402.

The second one in the oval gold case being dated 1800 on the reverse suggests it is a copy of a 1792 original and the casework and hairwork support a date of 1800. Susan Farington died in 1800 and it seems her husband had a copy made of the earlier portrait to contain a lock of her hair.

The logical question then is, "Is the miniature in the black frame the 1792 original?" As already stated, my feeling is that, even though it has been reframed, it is the original portrait, as the quality is slightly better than the second one.

In 1776 Susan Mary Hamond married Joseph Farington RA a well known painter of the day and author of The Farington Diary. She was related to the Walpole family, as her grandmother who married Anthony Hamond, was Susan Walpole, one of the sisters of Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford, the Prime Minister. In addition, Susan Mary Hamond’s great-grandmother, Mary Walpole, was married to Sir Charles Turner, Bt, of Warham (1665 – 1738). A daughter of Sir Charles and Lady Mary Turner married the Rev Maurice Suckling, whose daughter Catherine married the Rev Edmund Nelson. This last couple are perhaps more famous as the parents of Horatio Nelson, the Hero of Trafalgar so that Susan Mary Hamond's mother was a first cousin once removed of the great Admiral.

Farington and Susan Mary Hamond married on 19 March 1776; the couple had no children, but Farington was always interested in the lives of his brothers' children throughout his life. When his wife died in 1800, Farington collapsed and could neither draw nor paint. His family and friends, such as the painter Robert Smirke and his family, helped Farington recover.

In the Parish church of Broxbourne there is a mural tablet that gives a full account of the Farington family, including the statement.
Sacred also to the Memory of Mrs Susan Mary Farington, Wife of
Joseph Farington R. A., Second son of the above William and Esther.
She was daughter of the Revd. Horace Hamond, Rector of Harpley and
Bircham, in Norfolk, and Prebend of Norwich. She died without issue
on the 23rd. of February, 1800, aged 50, and was here interred.

However, her husband, Joseph Farington who was painted by Thomas Lawrence and who died December 30th, 1821, aged 75, was buried some distance away, in the old church at Manchester. It has been commented that it is difficult to make an appraisal of his paintings as they are scattered in many private and public collections, and rarely appear in art sales, although many of his drawings are held by the Courtauld Institute. Farington, who came from a prosperous Lancashire family, entered the RA Schools in 1768 and studied under Richard Wilson, whom he probably assisted by painting replicas. Although he continued to paint oils he is better known for lively topographical pen and wash drawings, executed during sketching tours in England, Scotland, and France, examples of which may be found in the British Museum and V&A in London. From 1773 to 1776, assisted by his brother George, he copied old master paintings at Houghton for Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford, before their sale. He then lived in Keswick, until 1780, drawing picturesque views which were published, in 1789 and 1816, as Views of the English Lakes. He settled in London in 1781, became an RA in 1785 and immersed himself in Academy politics where, although he never held high office, his influence was all-pervasive.

Farington kept a daily diary from 13 July 1793 until his death, missing only a few days. This diary has proved invaluable to historians, particularly its references to the London art world. With its emphasis on biography and anecdote it is an invaluable source of information on artists of the period and of the internal workings of the Royal Academy. Farington knew the new industrialists in the Midlands, he understood the internal workings of the East India Company, his wife's family gave him access to information on government policy, he attended the major political trials of the day, such as Warren Hastings's impeachment, and he followed William Wilberforce's anti-slavery campaign. The diary eventually constituted 16 volumes and were kept as a family heirloom until they were auctioned off in 1921 to the Morning Post. They were first published serially and then edited by James Greig and published in book form between 1922 and 1928. Farington died on a visit to his brother Robert in Lancashire on 30 December 1821, after falling down a flight of stairs in a church.

The miniature of Susan Mary Farington has been of particular interest as she was related to Martha Symmons, also a Walpole relation and wife of Sir Anthony Carlisle, the subject of The Real Mr Frankenstein. Hence there are a number of references in the Farington Diary to social interactions between Farington and Carlisle which were helpful during research. 1391

Corden, William - portrait of Thomas Tatlow

2010-04-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is painted on a porcelain plaque by William Corden (1797-1867). As such it is a rare example of this type of miniature, as most British miniature portraits were painted on ivory, with a few painted on other materials including on paper, card, or enamel on copper. In America they were also painted on milk glass, but I have not yet seen a British miniature on glass.

Even rarer are British miniatures painted on marble or on porcelain. There are two on marble in the collection, painted by Thomas Heathfield Carrick (1802-1875) and one on porcelain by Michael Kean (1761-1823).

Portraits by Corden do come on the market from time to time; one of Harriet Boutflower dated 1822 sold for £700 in March 2010 and a lovely 1823 pair was advertised for sale for $9000 in April 2010. The technique involves painting the image, glazing it, and then firing in a kiln.

William Corden the Elder (21 January 1795 - 18 June 1867) was an English portrait painter and miniaturist known for his commissions from the Royal Family in the mid nineteenth century. William Corden was born in Ashbourne, Derbyshire on the 21 January 1795, the son of Robert Corden and his wife Sarah. He was apprenticed at the Royal Crown Derby pottery under Robert Bloor and is reputed to have been among the painters decorating the famous Rockingham Pottery dessert service made for William IV, which was first used at Queen Victoria's coronation celebrations. He married Esther Simpson in Derby on the 25 September 1816; he rented an artist's studio at 51 Oxford Street, London and exhibited at the Royal Academy. By 1831, William had moved his family to Windsor living first at 17, Brunswick Terrace, New Windsor and then Vine Cottage in Old Windsor. William and Esther had nine children, eight born in Derby and the last in Windsor including William (1819–1900) known as William Corden the Younger who followed in his father's footsteps as a portrait painter. William Corden the Elder painted an oil portrait in 1829 of Sir Edmund Nagle (1757–1830) for George IV and a watercolour of Queen Victoria on the East Terrace at Windsor Castle in 1838, one of the earliest paintings of Queen Victoria; both of these paintings are in the Royal Collection. In 1844 William accepted a commission from Prince Albert to travel to Coburg to paint full size reproductions of family portraits there and took his son William with him to assist. There are over 50 paintings by William Corden listed in the Royal Collection, but it is not always evident which were painted by the father and which by the son. Esther died in Windsor in 1855 and William moved back to the midlands. He married Betsy Wood Mannin at Radford, Nottingham in 1859 and they lived at Arkwright Street, Nottingham. William died in Nottingham on the 18th June 1867 age 72.

The sitter is also interesting as he is Thomas Tatlow (24 Sept 1783->1825). Thomas Tatlow is thought to have married Amy Sherwin on 15 June 1795 at Longford, Derby. His parents were probably Thomas Tatlow and Alice Hitchcock who were married on 22 October 1778.

The Old Seven Stars, a pub by St Mary's Bridge on the Nottingham Road, also described as at 21 Mansfield road was run for some 20 years, until 1835, by Thomas Tatlow, also a Derby china painter specialising in flowers and fish. Tatlow was succeeded at the pub by his colleague, William Hill, another painter, although not known to have been related to the more celebrated "Jockey" Hill. Tatlow's brother Joseph Tatlow was also a Derby porcelain painter.

An example of a plate painted by Thomas Tatlow is; "A Derby plate, the centre painted, by Thomas Tatlow, with a named fish laid on a bed of grasses, ferns and reeds, the broad gilt Regency border with anthemia and classical leaf scrolls, 8[3/4]in (22.5cm) diam, crown, crossed batons, dots, D and title 'Crujin' in red, c1815".

Tatlow was a keen fisherman, especially for pike, it being reported; "These fish afford good diversion to the angler being bold biters. For trolling the rod should be from twelve to fourteen feet long. The best baits are gudgeons or dace of a middling size, the bait should never be thrown too far. Pike are to be allured by a large bait, but a small one is more certain to take them. Mr Thomas Tatlow, landlord of the Old Seven Stars Inn Derby has a particular method of trolling for pike and he has caught several upwards of 20lbs each, and we are told they have been taken in the Derwent and Trent 36lbs. Length two to three feet, and upwards."

Another example painted by Tatlow is; "A Derby 'named fish' tureen, cover and stand, of compressed circular two-handled form, on spreading foot, the domed cover with foliate loop handle, painted against a white ground, by Thomas Tatlow, with 'A Russ', 'A Roach', 'A Loach' and 'A Dace Or Dare', each on a bed of ferns, grasses and reeds on a river bank, vignetted on a ground of gilt Regency scrollwork, gilt line borders, stand 8in (20.75cm) diam, tureen and cover 6in (15cm) high, 7in (17.75cm) over handles, crown, crossed batons, dots and D in red, titles in red, gilder's numeral 4 in puce, also gilder's numeral 36 in red, c.1815." 1381

Unknown - portrait of 4th Earl of Egremont

2008-10-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

Introduction
Although lacking the visual appeal of many miniature portraits, this miniature is nevertheless interesting and enables the viewer to contemplate historical events, extreme wealth, and upper class (im)morality, through their connections with the 4th Earl of Egremont, a member of the immensely wealthy Wyndham family.

The overall family and its connections were so wealthy that the 4th Earl's grandfather owned the whole state of Maryland in the United States prior to the American Revolution, as well as having a Turkish style harem in London!

There is even an amazing link from the sitter to the present, as the 4th Earl was the unwitting originator of perhaps the boldest, and most fascinating, series of art frauds of the the late 20C and early 21C, which took place 150 years after his death!

The Miniature
Unfortunately, the miniature is unsigned, but the sitter is identified on the reverse as the 4th Earl of Egremont. Unusually for the mid 19C, the portrait is painted in oils on board. It is 100mm x 88mm in size.

As such, it is very much a miniature portrait, in that it is presumably either copied from a full sized oil portrait of about 1843, or was the preliminary model for a large oil portrait, the whereabouts of which is unknown.

The unknown artist was obviously talented and the sitter was an important man, hence it cannot be dismissed as the amateur work of a family member. The image is rare as the National Portrait Gallery in London has no images of any kind of the 4th Earl.

The reverse of the frame has been inscribed three times.

The oldest, which appears to be the original inscription is underneath a modern felt pen inscription, and reads; "The Late Earl of Egremont 1843".

This is repeated at the bottom, in writing that appears to be post World War II, although the date has been misread; "The late Earl of Egremont 1845". The modern felt pen inscription just reads; "Lord Egremont".

There is also a frame-maker's trade label which is a little hard to read.

It appears to state; "J Leverton - Carver, Gilder, Picture Frame Maker - Figures Bronzed - 13 Jubilee St, Pymouth - Drawings and Prints Varnished - Oil Paintings Cleaned - Window Corners (?) & ...... for Rooms - Ladies Work (?) Neatly Fitted Up - Glasses Polished and Restored - Paper Hanger."

With the help of a Leverton family historian, it has been possible to determine this must be for the John Leverton (1803-1875) appearing in the Plymouth, Devon, town and census records between 1836 and 1851 census as a carver and gilder. The carved and gilded frame therefore fits with the presumed date for the miniature of 1843.

It is likely the portrait was a personal possession of the 4th Earl's widow, perhaps to be carried with when she travelled by coach or rail between her various homes. For example her home at Orchard Wyndham was about 40 miles north of Silverton Park. It would have been impractical to have carried a large oil between her homes.

The American Connection

Although it might seem a very unlikely story today, the 4th Earl, via his mother Frances Mary Harford and her family, had a claim to own the whole of the state of Maryland in the United States, as her father, showing here, was Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore (February 6, 1731 – September 4, 1771) an English nobleman and last in the line of Barons Baltimore.

Baltimore, Maryland is named for the sitter's grandfather, who was himself named for his father's friend, Frederick, Prince of Wales, seen on the right in a miniature from this collection, see also Unknown - portrait of Frederick Prince of Wales As the 6th Baron Baltimore, Calvert inherited from his father the Proprietary Governorship of the Province of Maryland when his father died in 1751.

Calvert had owned Maryland at a time of rising discontent in the colony at his family's feudal rule and amidst growing demands by the legislative assembly for an end to his family's authoritarian rule.

Frederick, however, remained aloof from the colony and never once set foot in it in his lifetime. Instead, he spent time in England and on the European continent particularly in Italy.

He also lived for a time in Constantinople where he saw and admired the customs and harems of the Turks and so on his return to England, in 1766, he caused a part of his house to be taken down, and rebuilt in the form of a Turkish harem. He kept a number of women, who had rules given them by which to regulate their conduct, and he had agents, to procure him fresh faces, from different parts of the town.

Calvert was also tried for the rape of a Sarah Woodcock a young milliner in 1768, when she was held against her will for several days in his house at Southampton Row, Bloomsbury, London before the assault. Sarah is shown here, as is a woodcut of the day titled; "Sarah Woodcock forcibly introduced to Lord Baltimore".

However at the trial Calvert was acquitted, supposedly as Sarah did not protest enough, but more likely due to his rank. That she did protest at great length is evident from the full account at The Newgate Calendar - FREDERIC LORD BALTIMORE, ELIZABETH ... and judging by the detailed report of the trial, there seems little doubt that today he would have been convicted of kidnap and rape.

The present Maryland flag is based upon the yellow and black Calvert coat of arms, quartered with the red and white of Crossland, the arms of wife of an early Calvert. The colony was ruled through governors appointed by Calvert, such as Horatio Sharpe and Robert Eden.

Frederick, Baron Baltimore's frequent travels made him difficult to contact and meant that Maryland was largely ruled without his input. Calvert lived a life of leisure, writing verse and regarding the Province of Maryland as little more than a source of revenue.

He married Lady Diana Egerton, daughter of Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater, but did not get along with her and they spent most of their married life apart. She died in 1758 without having had any children. Frederick moved to the continent where he remained until he died in Naples in 1771.

Calvert had numerous illegitimate children by various women and attempted to support them. He willed Maryland to his illegitimate son, Henry Harford. The colony recognized Harford as Calvert's heir but this was challenged by the family of Lord Baltimore's sister, Louisa Calvert Browning, who contested the will unsuccessfully.

By the time Henry reached adulthood, Maryland was engulfed by the American Revolution and was at war with Britain. He ultimately lost his possessions in Maryland but remained wealthy due to his father's extensive holdings in Great Britain.

Henry Harford’s claim to Maryland was exploited for years after his death in 1834. The latest major case was the United States Supreme Court case Morris v. US, in 1899, in which one of Harford’s descendants attempted to claim a part of the Potomac River from the District of Columbia. See Henry Harford

The 4th Earl and his Family

To give him his full name, the sitter is George Francis Wyndham, 4th Earl of Egremont, 7th Baron Cockermouth of Cumberland, and 7th Baronet of Orchard Wyndham in Somerset (1785–1845).

George Francis Wyndham, 4th Earl of Egremont was born on 30 August 1785. He was the elder son of Hon. William Frederick Wyndham (6 Apr 1763 - 11Feb 1828) a diplomat who was himself the fourth son of the 2nd Earl and envoy extraordinary to the Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1794 to 1814.

The appointment of the 4th Earl's father was a considerable surprise, Lady Holland recording in her journal: "I went to supper at Lord. Elgin's. Nobody would credit that W. Wyndham was appointed Minister to Florence; "Comment done, ce petit polisson (rascal), ce petit Jacobin." He passed last winter here, and belonged to the Jacobin Club at Paris, and was very much slighted here. Lord Elgin frankly told me he doubted my story, it was impossible that such a man could be employed."

And also; "W. Wyndham's appointment is not much relished, as the Court want a steady, reasonable man, disposed to soothe matters, and, God knows, poor Wyndham is not capable of filling that post." See Full text of "The journal of Elizabeth lady Holland : (1791-1811)"

William married Frances Mary Harford on 21 July 1784, and they had a son, later the 4th Earl, and three daughters. Frances Mary Harford was the natural daughter of Frederick Calvert, 6th and last Baron Baltimore of Ireland, who is discussed above in more depth, under the heading of The American Connection.

William secondly married Julia de Smorzewska, Countess de Spyterki and by her had a son, Arthur Wyndham (1813-1874) but it is not entirely clear why he did not inherit the Earldom after the death of the 4th Earl. Most likely, because they were not married until at the time of Arthur's the birth.

Thus by his marriage to Frances, William Fredrick Wyndham left issue besides the 4th Earl;
1 - Frances who on 11 July 1809 married William Miller Esq of Ozleworth Park
2 - Laura who in 1812 married the Rev Charles Boultbee who was born 31 Mar 1783 and died Sept 1833 (Showing here in a miniature from this collection, is the nephew of Charles and Laura, Edward Francis Boultbee (1812-1897), see Unknown - portrait of Edward Francis Boultbee )
3 - Julia who died unmarried 23 Jan 1811
4 - William born July 1794 who died an infant The peerage of the British empire as at present existing. To which is added the baronetage By Lodge Edmund

Although the 4th Earl looks very formal and correct in the miniature, he was described in 1823 by Henry Edward Fox during a dinner at Petworth House as; "Besides these illegitimates, we had Captain Wyndham, who will, at the death of his uncles
and father, become Lord Egremont. He seems a coarse, vulgar, uneducated, stupid man, married to a good-looking woman who has no children." Full text of "The journal of Henry Edward Fox (afterwards fourth ...

At the time of writing this entry, Helen Storey Antiques has this oil portrait for sale. It is by John Opie, British (1761-1807) and is a portrait of the mother of the 4th Earl, which was formerly in the collection of Z. Marshall Crane (1815-1887) (founder of the Berkshire Museum and third-generation owner of Crane & Co., MA).

The sitter being Frances Mary Harford, born 1769, daughter of Frederick Lord Baltimore, wife of William Frederick Wyndham. Another portrait of Miss Harford by George Romney is in the Frick Collection. 47” H. x 35” w. the canvas, 55” h. x 43” w. framed.

According to some Internet references, the 4th Earl had a half-brother Arthur Wynham born 19 April 1813 and who died 29 March 1874 at the age of 63. Arthur Wyndham attained the rank of Colonel in the Madras Army. There is an account of Arthur's career and pictures of his medals at Col. Wyndham
George Francis Wyndham, a staunch Conservative, married Jane Roberts on 14 November 1820.

The Roberts, a Touch of Eton, and a 19C Fraud
Jane Roberts was the third daughter of Reverend William Roberts (29 May 1762-1833), Vice Provost of Eton College and Rector of St Mary's church, Worplesdon, Surrey from 1801-1833, Surrey and sister to Capt John Walter Roberts RN on .

As noted above with her father-in-law's appointment as Envoy to Tuscany, there was controversy over the appointment of Jane's father William Roberts to the position of Fellow of Eton at the age of only 25,which position he held from 12 June 1786 until 1833, also being Vice-Provost of Eton from 1818-1833.

William Roberts being the son of William Hayward Roberts (12 Aug 1734-91) of Gloucester; B.A. 1757, M.A. 1760, D.D. 1773, Assistant at Eton (1759-1771), Scholar and Fellow of Eton and King's (19 Feb. 1771-Dec 1781), Provost of Eton (1781-1791) and then Chaplin to King George III 1772-1791. William Hayward Roberts married twice, firstly Jane : she was buried 4 Aug. 1776 and secondly Charlotte, sister of Thomas Chamberlayne. Charlotte died 5 Dec. 1791.

Neither William Hayward Roberts, nor his son were well regarded, it being recorded; "There is little that need be said with regard to the three provosts who held sway during this period. Neither Stephen Sleech, 1746-65, nor William Hayward Roberts, 1781-91, was a man of any particular brilliance", and "Similarly the election of William Roberts [as Fellow], son of another Provost, to so comfortable a sinecure, at the age of twenty-five, although of Eton and King's, comes as something of a shock, especially when we find that in order to qualify he had to procure his M.A. degree from Lambeth." See Full text of "The Eton College register, 1753-1790 ...

William Hayward Roberts was both a minor author and a minor capitalist. In the latter part of the eighteenth century, the practice of assistant masters at Eton taking boarders was gradually creeping in. Probably these were taken at first as private pupils, and at a much higher fee than boys were in the habit of paying to their dames. Evidence of this is to be found in the account-book of William Hayward Roberts who, while he was assistant, from 1759 to 1771, had always some half-dozen boarders living with him and paying about 100 per annum, at a time when the usual charge of a dame was but 25.

William Hayward Roberts was Rector of Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire. In 1771 he published in three parts A Poetical Essay on the Attributes and Providence of the Deity. Two years afterwards; A Poetical Epistle to Christopher Anstey on the English Poets, chiefly those who had written in blank verse and in 1774 his poem of Judah Restored a work of no common merit Specimens of the British Poets With Biographical and Critical Notices, and an Essay on English Poetry By Thomas Campbell

In an uncanny parallel with the late 20C Great Art Fraud mentioned below, which was based on possessions of the 4th Earl, the poetical works of William Hayward Roberts were the basis for fraudulent forgeries made 100 years after his death by Alexander Howland Smith - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The full story by David Fergus is at Textualities: Antique Smith the Affable Forger but in brief, Towards the end of 1886 a second-hand bookseller, Andrew Brown, had a visitor who called at his shop at 15 Bristo Place, in Edinburgh, offering him an album that contained a number of letters and autographs, including some by Sir Walter Scott, Admiral Cochrane and Thackeray.

This seems to have been the first appearance of the mysterious manuscripts that flooded Edinburgh over the next five years. Letters, poems, single autographs and every type of historic document appeared in bookshops, auction salerooms and pawnshops. One of the keenest book-collectors in Edinburgh was Mr James Mackenzie of 2 Rillbank Crescent who decided to sell some of his famous Rillbank Collection by auction in Edinburgh in May 1891. Before the start of the sale, the auctioneer made a curious disclaimer. Some people, he said, had claimed that these items were forgeries. In view of this warning, the prices realised were low.

Three months later, the Cumnock Express printed an unpublished letter of Burns' which was part of Mr Mackenzie's Rillbank Collection. The letter was addressed to a Mr John Hill, weaver, of Cumnock who was apparently an old friend of Burns. A reader of the Express, a keen Burnsian, went to the trouble of researching the history of John Hill and discovered that there had never been anyone of that name in Cumnock, weaver or otherwise. He suggested that there was something suspicious about the Rillbank Collection and asked for its history.

An expert in historic documents, a Mr Colvill-Scott of Surrey, then entered the controversy and declared that there were dozens of Scott and Burns forgeries circulating in Scotland. Mr Mackenzie's answer to this was to publish in the Express two unpublished Burns poems from his collection. One was called 'The Poor Man's Prayer' and the other 'Some verses written after hearing a sermon in Tarbolton Kirk.'

Poor Mr Mackenzie! Unfortunately for him one of the readers of the Cumnock Express happened to be exceptionally well-read in the minor poetry of the eighteenth century, and he recognised that 'The Poor Man's Prayer' had been published in 1766 when Burns was only seven. It was the work of William Hayward Roberts, a Provost of Eton, who had also written the 'Tarbolton' poem. When challenged, Mackenzie tried to bluster that he had discovered his forgeries in a secret drawer in an old cabinet.

Another well-known Edinburgh bookseller was involved in this shady business. He was Mr James Stillie of 19a George Street, described as a "highclass amateur MS collector." He had a hatred of "experts," as well he might, as experts declared that a bundle of Burns and Scott letters that he had sold to an English collector were palpable forgeries.

Stillie claimed to know better than the experts as he had known Sir Walter Scott personally for over fifty years. If true, this would have made Mr Stillie at least 107 years old. (In fact he was 88 at the time). Meanwhile an American collector to whom Stillie had sold 202 Burns manuscripts became worried about the reports of fakes, and sent these manuscripts to the British Museum where handwriting experts guaranteed that 201 of the 202 manuscripts were fakes.

These British Museum experts fared better than their successors at the British Museum managed with the 4th Earl's possessions over 100 years later!

Jane's brother, Captain John Walter Roberts (1792-1845) appears here wearing full dress uniform of the 1812–25 pattern and could either be a commander, to which he was promoted in 1814, or a captain in 1823. The portrait is owned by National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

John Roberts entered the Navy in 1804 as a volunteer in the ‘Medusa’ commanded by his uncle Sir John Gore, under whom he escorted Lord Cornwallis as Governor-General to India, covering the return journey of 13,831 miles in a remarkable 82 days. In 1806 as a midshipman in the ‘Revenge’ he served off Brest and L’Orient and for nine months at the blockade of Rochefort where he witnessed on 25 September the capture of four French frigates by a squadron under Sir Samuel Hood.

In March 1822 Rear admiral Sir Charles Rowley despatched Captain John Edward Walcott in his majesty's frigate Tyne and having under his orders the sloop Thracian Commander John Walter Roberts, to endeavour to extirpate the piratical vessels which infested the West India station and which generally made the different ports of the island of Cuba their rendezvous. This arduous task involved searching 400 miles of coast in order to examine the different creeks and inlets where small vessels could be sheltered and concealed

Captain John Walter Roberts married Frances Sargent on 15 November 1825 at Woolavington, Sussex, Frances being a daughter of John Sargent, who had been Secretary to the Treasury. Two of Frances Sargent's sisters, married brothers who were younger sons of the famous philanthropist, William Wilberforce (1759-1833). See A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great ... - Google Books Result

The 4th Earl in the Royal Navy, Silverton House, and Blackborough House
The 4th Earl was also a Captain in the Royal Navy, he was a FSA (Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries), and a patron of the arts.

George had entered the Royal Navy in 1799, became a Lieutenant in 1806, Commander in 1810, and Captain in 1812. He was midshipman in his Majesty's ship Canopus in Sir John Duckworth's action off St Domingo February 1809, commanded his Majesty's sloop Hawk from 1810 to 1812, and commanded the Bristol troop ship from 1812 to the end of 1814 in the Mediterranean and at the siege of Tarragona. See The Gentleman's Magazine - Google Books Result

HMS Canopus, showing here on a transfer printed plate, had an extraordinarily long life for a wooden ship, launched in 1797 and scrapped in 1887. It was originally a French ship named Franklin and was captured at the Battle of the Nile in 1798.

Despite the family wealth, while he was a midshipman in 1802 he was short of money and there are various letters from 1802 to 1806 between George and the 3rd Earl about his debts at The National Archives | Access to Archives

George inherited the title on the death of his uncle, George O'Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (18 Dec 1751 - 11 Nov 1837), but he only inherited the old entailed estates of the family in the west of England, including the home at Orchard Wyndham showing here.

The 3rd Earl had omitted to marry the mother of his nine children, so while the Somerset and Devon estates went to the 4th Earl, the grand family home at Petworth in Sussex which was left to the 3rd Earl's illegitimate son and adopted heir, Colonel George Wyndham.

Even so, the 4th Earl had not been left destitute as he inherited large estates in the West of England, he was very disappointed not to acquire Petworth House!

The 4th Earl therefore decided to create a large home at Silverton House (aka Silverton Park), one mile west of the village of Silverton and seven miles north of Exeter.

He employed James Thomas Knowles senior (d 1874) of Reigate as architect. Knowles's plan was for a house about 600 feet long.

The final scheme was slightly smaller but even so resulted in a mansion, covering an acre of land, of 187 rooms, 130 marble mantelpieces and 150 cellars. It was built from 1839–1845, but the inside was never to be finished entirely as the 4th Earl died in 1845.

The main house at Silverton Park was demolished in 1902, but these two views of the stables suggest the house must have been a monumental edifice. It was described as "a large and elegant mansion, in the florid and ornamental Grecian order of architecture."

On the death of the 4th Earl on 2 April 1845 at age 59 at Silverton House, his titles, being the Barony of Cockermouth and Earldom of Egremont became extinct. His remains were interred in the family vault at Orchard Wyndham.

There are over 275 boxes of documents relating to the Wyndham family and Silverton House in the National Archives, see particularly box 98 at The National Archives | Access to Archives

His widow continued to live at Siverton Park and Orchard Wyndham after his death as the Right Hon. Jane, Countess of Egremont. She died on 18 Dec 1876 at Orchard Wyndham, her seat near Taunton, when she was in her 78th year.

The Countess was lady of the manor of Silverton, in the county of Devon, and patron of six livings. The 1845 will of Lord Egremont, provided that part of the Silverton and Orchard Wyndham estates be preserved as "pleasure grounds".

There was a major sale of the contents of Silverton House in 1892 some years after the death of the Countess. After the sale of the contents, Silverton House was demolished with dynamite in 1902.

One wonders if the miniature was included in the 1892 auction catalogue, which can be seen in the above photo. The sale raised £1818 13s 0d and was described as "Dec.6th-8th 1892 Silverton Park: antique furniture; library of about 1000 books; collection of Etruscan and Egyptian pottery; about 60 bed, dressing, and reception rooms."

The sale proceeds seem to be very low for so many rooms, so presumably the Wyndham family had held back all the valuable items.

Silverton House was not the only house built by the 4th Earl at this time.

In 1838 he commenced the sixty room Blackborough House at Blackborough in Devon. It was built in the Italianate style for the 4th Earl during 1838-40, but was never entirely finished.

The choice of the Italianate or Tuscan architectural style was probably a reflection of his childhood living in Tuscany where his father was the ambassador.

In 2003 the Grade II Listed Blackborough House was on the market for £1,000,000.

It is about ten miles from Silverton. It has lasted (marginally) better than Silverton House, as it still exists, although it is now famous as a car wrecker's yard as seen here!

The probable background to Blackborough House, is that the 4th Earl was building it as his Devon country home while his uncle was still alive and he had hopes of inheriting Petworth.

However, when he found in 1837 that he had not inherited Petworth, he decided Blackborough House was not grand enough for him and so decided to build Silverton House instead.

Much later, Blackborough House was a short-lived and obscure YHA youth hostel. It was called 'Spiceland Hostel' though it was some distance south of the hamlet of that name. It opened in 1943 and closed in winter 1946-47.

It had been in a neglected state for some time by that period and had been used by the Quakers as a safe haven for refugees from the Nazi regime until they could find ordinary work.

If the house appeals to you now as a potential buyer, you may be interested to know that as recently as 19 September 2008, the Times newspaper featured Blackborough House as still being available for purchase as its; "Wreck of the Week". Describing it thus:

What? - The Grade II-listed remains of a manor house with potential for up to 12 bedrooms and six reception rooms, subject to planning, plus 12acres of land. In all, 20,000 sq ft.

Where? - Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon.

How much? - £1.5 million.

How wrecked? - It's been a scrapyard for 15 years. “The scrap might be worth more than the house,” the agent says.

How much will I have to spend? - At least £2 million to do it up and achieve a value of about £5 million.

With any luck, the present 2008 financial crisis may mean a bid at the reported 2003 price of £1,000,000 may be successful! See Wreck of the week - Times Online

Not content with this in 1838 the 4th Earl also paid £1900 towards the rebuilding of the All Saints church at Blackborough in the Early English style. The ancient parish of Blackborough is now united with Kentisbeare for all purposes.

The Earls of Egremont
Earl of Egremont was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1749, along with the subsidiary title of Baron Cockermouth, for Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, with remainder to his nephews Sir Charles Wyndham, 4th Baronet, of Orchard Wyndham, and Percy Wyndham-O’Brien. The Duke had previously inherited the Percy estates, including the lands of Egremont in Cumberland, from his mother Lady Elizabeth Percy, daughter and heiress of Joceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland.

The succession was:
- Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Egremont (1684–1750)
- Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont (1710–1763) showing in an oil portrait
- George O'Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (1751–1837)
- George Francis Wyndham, 4th Earl of Egremont (1785–1845)

The 3rd Earl showing here in an oil painting by Thomas Phillips was known as a patron of the arts. He also sponsored the Petworth Emigration Scheme, which sent thousands of working-class people from the south of England to Upper Canada between 1832 and 1837. He was also a contributor to the formation of the Board of Agriculture.

Lord Egremont collected mistresses as enthusiastically as he did paintings, and begat "43 children who all live in the house with him and their respective mothers", according to Countess Spencer. Even his wife had been his mistress for 17 years before they married, with the result that their first seven children were illegitimate.

It was perhaps inevitable, given the later stigma attached to bastardy in Victorian days, that the 3rd Earl's sons and grandsons would turn against him and all that he stood for. Although his heirs acquired the new earldom of Leconfield in 1859, they did not allow the Egremont name to be mentioned in the family, and devoted themselves to huntin', shootin' and fishin'.

As with many social changes, the major reason for Victorian stigma to suddenly attach to bastardy flowed from the actions of the British Royal Family.

The sons of George III had been casual with their relationships during his 60 year reign 1760-1820, when succession faded from memory and which culminated in the Regency period 1811-1820. His sons had many illegitimate children, and society followed suit.

However, the unfortunate death of the Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth in 1817, and the realisation there was no clear line of succession, suddenly caused a rush by her uncles to produce a legitimate heir to the throne, in the event they themselves might succeed to the throne.

After the short reigns of George IV 1820-1830 and William IV 1830-1837, the "race" was won by Queen Victoria in 1837.

The realisation of the importance of legitimacy for the transfer of titles, then flowed to society and nobles like the 3rd Earl quickly married their mistresses in the hope of producing a legitimate heir, although in his case, he had failed to do so before his death in 1837.

His nephew, the 4th Earl thus inherited but died in 1845, also without producing an heir, so the Egremont title became extinct.

The large Wyndham estates, including Petworth House in Sussex passed to Colonel George Wyndham who was the natural son and adopted heir of the third Earl. In 1859 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Leconfield.

However, there was a second creation of the title as Baron Egremont in 1963 for the great-great-grandson of Baron Leconfield, with the succession since then being:
- John Edward Reginald Wyndham, 6th Baron Leconfield, 1st Baron Egremont (1920-1972) (Who served as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Harold Macmillan from 1957 to 1963)
- John Max Henry Scawen Wyndham, 7th Baron Leconfield, 2nd Baron Egremont (b. 1948).

He is shown here and is more commonly known as Max Egremont. He has written a number of historical biographies, and is also a novelist.

His published works have been well received and include;

Perhaps there is scope for Max Egremont to write a fuller account of the 4th Earl and the art fraud than can be been written here.

The Fictional 5th Earl
It is hardly surprising that the death of the 4th Earl and the extinction of the title seems to have provided the inspiration for a fictional novel about a son of the 4th Earl, who would have been the 5th Earl.

The novel is by Edith Layton and is entitled "The Return of the Earl". The author describes it thus: "Passion Comes Home

After fifteen years in cruel exile, Christian has finally returned to England to claim his rightful title. The new Earl of Egremont was a mere child when he was banished. Lovely and charming Julianne Lowell, who knew him then, must now determine if this suave and handsome mystery man is who he claims to be.

But why would she not remember those eyes that sparkle like flawless gems? Christian is like no man she has ever met - elegant and well-bred, but secretive and quite possibly dangerous, and seething with a sensual fire that steals her breath away. To trust this dashing stranger could place Julianne in grave peril if he is, in fact, playing a game of deception. But with her heart leaping madly at his slightest touch, how can she deny Christian the love and passion they both fervently desire?"

I have not read it, but it sounds like a good old "bodice ripper"!! I notice a copy for sale on eBay for $1, so it is obviously destined to become a literary classic.

The Wyndham Family, Orchard Wyndham, and Petworth
Orchard Wyndham is a historic house parts of which date from medieval times near Williton, Somerset, England. There is evidence of occupation of the site from Roman and Saxon times.

The estate was originally called "Orchard", possibly a corruption of the Saxon family name "De Horcherd". In 1448 it then passed into the hands of the Sydenham family of Coombe Sydenham, and was known as Orchard Sydenham. Elizabeth Sydenham inherited the house and in 1528 married John Wyndham (c.1500-1574) of Felbrigg, Norfolk.

John Wyndham, scion of a Norfolk family from Wymondham, ten miles south-west of Norwich, married fortunately when he chose Elizabeth Sydenham and bought out her sister.

The house hitherto occupied by the Sydenham sisters, Orchard Sydenham, changed its name when Sir William Wyndham, the Member of Parliament for Somerset 1656-1658 and for Taunton 1660-1679, was made a Baronet in 1661, of Orchard, Somerset. The house has remained in the same family ever since.

It was an opportune moment to acquire such an estate: agriculture had been profitable for 100 years and it made sense to invest in improvements. Revealingly, techniques were so backward it was wise practice to read classical authors like Virgil (especially his Georgics), not so much for literary pleasure, but for practical instruction and advice for better husbandry. John Wyndham built an extension of the house to the north (later demolished between 1780 and 1830) for their own use, appropriating the original for staff quarters.

His son John (1559-1645) looked after his succession by siring nine sons and six daughters; keeping out of the Civil War, he managed to preserve his estates intact. For his Royalist loyalty, Charles II gave him the clock still to be seen at the house.

Sir William Wyndham (1687-1740) was considered by Disraeli the most important member of the family so far. Partly through marriage to a Seymour but largely through his own enterprise and efforts, he became leader of the Hanoverian Tories and Chancellor of Exchequer in his late 20s.

Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont PC (1710 – 21 August 1763), a son of Sir William Wyndham and a direct descendant of Sir John Wyndham, succeeded his uncle, Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, as 2nd Earl of Egremont in 1750. Charles, who had succeeded to his father's baronetcy in 1740, inherited Somerset's estates in Cumberland and Sussex.

Wyndham was a member of Parliament from 1734 to 1750: for Bridgwater 1734-1741, Appleby 1741-1747, and Taunton 1747-1750. In October 1761 he was appointed Secretary of State for the Southern Department in succession to William Pitt. His term of office, during which he acted in concert with his brother-in-law, George Grenville, was mainly occupied with the declaration of war on Spain and with the negotiations for peace with France and Spain, the terms of which the earl seems to have disliked. He was also involved with the proceedings against John Wilkes. He died on 21 August 1763. Horace Walpole perhaps rates Egremont's talents too low when he says he had neither knowledge of business, nor the smallest share of parliamentary abilities.

He was Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland 1751-1763 and Lord Lieutenant of Sussex 1762-1763.

As Earls of Egmont the senior branch lived at Petworth, showing here and making that the major estate.

Unfortunately, the 3rd earl had omitted to marry the mothers of his children, so the Somerset and Devon estates went to his nephew, as featured in the miniature and the remaining estates went to other family members. Thus dividing family and estate.

One of the 3rd Earl's natural children is believed to have been Viscountess Palmerston - Emily Mary (Amelia) Temple (née Lamb) 1787-1869 who was a noted political hostess. She was born on 21 April 1787, the fifth surviving child of Elizabeth Lamb, née Milbank, Viscountess Melbourne (1751-1818).

It was rumored that Lord Coleraine sold Elizabeth Lamb to Lord Egremont for £13,000 and that both Elizabeth and her husband were parties to this contract and got shares of the money. She not only got money from this contract, but two children as well.

Elizabeth Milbank was the daughter of a baronet and grew into a beautiful, intelligent, clever girl. At 18 she was married to Peniston Lamb and immediately set herself in organizing his rather disorganized affairs. That included overseeing the building of Melbourne House. After she had successfully fulfilled her duties of getting her husband's affairs in order and giving him an heir Elizabeth retired, if you will, to a hedonistic lifestyle of debauchery and scandal. She was a close friend of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.

Thus her daughter Emily Mary (Amelia) was ostensibly and legally the child of Peniston Lamb, first Viscount Melbourne (1745–1828), but her natural father was more probably the 3rd Earl of Egremont. She received her formal education (such as it was) from governesses, but learned the skills for her future life as a political hostess from her adored mother and her mother's close friend, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. She also acquired their loose interpretation of sexual morality, a firm sense of family, and the ‘Devonshire House drawl’, a distinctive mode of pronunciation common to the whig aristocracy.

This was all before the onset of Victorian prudery. But the more of families such as this must have been an influence on Queen Victoria and the changed attitudes of the mid to late 19C. However, at the time, the Wyndham family were patrons of the arts who also aspired to aristocratic grandeur — as exemplified in the Devon estate centred on Silverton Park.

Over 100 years more recently, inhabitants of the Orchard Wyndham home have included William Wyndham (died 1950), who was involved in historical research and philanthropy, and his succeeding nephew, who died young. These deaths were early and unfortunate for the Wyndham family.

The main family home, Petworth House at Petworth, West Sussex, England, is a late 17th-century mansion, rebuilt in 1688 by Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, and altered in the 1870s by Anthony Salvin. The site was previously occupied by a fortified manor house founded by Henry de Percy, the 13th-century chapel and undercroft of which still survive.

For the past 250 years, the Petworth house and estate have been in the hands of the Wyndham family — currently John Max Henry Scawen Wyndham, 2nd Baron Egremont & 7th Baron Leconfield, a direct descendant of Sir John Wyndham. He and his family live in the south wing, allowing much of the remainder to be open to the public.

Petworth stands in a 700 acre landscaped park, known as Petworth Park, which was designed by 'Capability' Brown. The park is one of the more famous in England, largely on account of a number of pictures of it which were painted by Turner. It is inhabited by the largest herd of fallow deer in England. There is also a 30 acre woodland garden, known as the Pleasure Ground.

Even by the standards of late Georgian England, Petworth was regarded as an eccentric household. he 3rd Earl, George O'Brien Wyndham was passionately interested in agriculture, racehorses, art and fishing. He only married his mistress after they already had five children, which caused untold complications with his estate. He collected books, paintings, sculptures, and ancient servants: one visitor complained that after 8pm it was impossible to get a drink because all the servants were either drunk or had tottered off to bed. In addition, Petworth had artists like other houses had mice.

Agriculture was a prime interest of the 3rd Earl, who was hailed as "one of the fathers of modern English agriculture". His pigs were accommodated in grand style near the house and roamed freely on the lawns (perhaps the inspiration for PG Wodehouse's Lord Emsworth and his prize sow, the Empress of Blandings, as seen here). Lord Egremont's daughter-in-law was once astounded to see a sow and her litter "get in through a window and gallop down through the rooms".

For some time the painter JMW Turner (1775-1851), showing here in a self portrait, lived at Petworth House, and in addition to Turner, the painter Leslie, the sculptor Flaxman and other talented artists received commissions from Egremont, who filled Petworth with valuable works of art. However, after the 3rd Earl's death all the artists were immediately banished by the family.

Today's Petworth building houses an important collection of paintings and sculptures, including 19 oil paintings by Turner (some owned by the family, some by Tate Britain), paintings by Van Dyck, carvings by Grinling Gibbons, classical and neo-classical sculptures (including ones by John Flaxman and John Edward Carew), and wall and ceiling paintings by Louis Laguerre. There is also a terrestrial globe by Emery Molyneux, believed to the only one in the world in its original 1592 state.

However, Petworth has not always been highly regarded!

For example an account by Henry Edward Fox (1802-1859), who was afterwards 4th and last Lord Holland. He was the son of Henry Richard Fox, the 3rd Lord Holland who is seen here in a 1795 portrait by Francois-Xavier Fabre (1766-1837).

Henry was very critical when he described a visit to Petworth in October 1823. "On Saturday the 25th we went to Petworth. To this extraordinary place I have not been for several years, and it struck me as more remarkable this time than it ever did before. No order, no method, no improvement or alteration, has been established since it first belonged to Lord Egremont. The want of comforts, of regularity, and still more the total absence of cleanliness, made it, splendid and beautiful as it is, far from being agreeable. Society too seems as little attended to as anything else. People of all descriptions, without any connection or acquaintance with each other, are gathered together and huddled up at the dinner table, which is the only point of reunion during the whole day. The inmates when we were there chiefly consisted of the various branches, legitimates and illegitimates, of his family : his three daughters and their three husbands, Lady Burrell, Mrs G. FitzClarence, Mrs King ; two of his sons, G. Wyndham 1 and H. Wyndham, the former of whom has married a very pretty and pleasing woman, daughter of a neighbouring clergyman. The latter from compulsion has married a daughter of Lord Charles Somerset's, the greatest monster ever beheld more like Swift's description of a female Yahoo than anything human. Lady Burrell is a charming woman, with very pretty unassuming manners, and with some drollery about her when her shyness wears off ; she is by far the best of the three. Mrs Fitzclarence seems a poor, sickly, discontented, fault-finding woman, with the airs and graces of a beauty still remaining when the actual claims to such a character are gone by. Mrs King is only just married to a sickly, dullish man, a great deal older than herself, with whom she seems to be still in love. Besides these illegitimates, we had Captain Wyndham, who will, at the death of his uncles and father, become Lord Egremont. He seems a coarse, vulgar, uneducated, stupid man, married to a good-looking woman who has no children, daughter of Dr Roberts, of Eton. Petworth and most part of the estates are unsettled, and Lord E. may leave them to whoever he likes best. What heart-burnings and jealousies there must exist ! Nobody knows what is his intention, and he is such a restless, unsettled man that I should not be surprized if he changed his mind thirty times in the 24 hours."

(Henry Edward Fox was the great-nephew of Charles James Fox, the leader of the Whig Party in British politics who is shown here in a miniature portrait from this collection, see Unknown - portrait of Charles James Fox )

Henry continued: "The George Lambs, Westmacott and M. Vaudreuil, who is one of Polignac's attache's and is a clever, agreable, lively little man, were also in the house. G. Lamb from intemperance laid himself up with the gout. Westmacott came down to see where a bas-relief of his should be placed, which he has just completed. He is a pompous, conceited little man, and very much occupied with his own fame. He gave himself great airs and offended Lord E., who, from his great deference for whatever is Greek, called him Westmacotteles. His bas-relief is taken from an ode in Horace, and some of it is well executed ; but on the whole I think it stiff and affected. The sleeping child is too like an infant Hercules ; the figure of Venus is a portrait, but he is bound to secrecy as to the original's name. It is the mistress of some man about in society.

George FitzClarence is so extremely goodhumoured, and seems in such perpetual good spirits that it is impossible to dislike him. He spoke of Charles with such warmth of affection, that had he no other recommendation I should have liked him for that. He has a sort of quickness about him that perhaps does not amount to cleverness, but is not far from it. He is writing a book upon military history and reads a great deal for the purpose ; but it is such a vast field to enter upon and he writes in such a rambling manner, that there is great doubt if he will ever bring it to a conclusion. I rode with him and Vaudreuil to Cowdray. We met the Pointzs at their park gate and rode with them. The beauty was looking very well. They are a dull family, and their conversation consists only of a sort of praise of their Creator by extolling all his creatures far beyond their deserts, a sort of exaggerated optimism that alas ! produces a very different effect upon their hearers. The park at Cowdray is very fine and full of splendid trees, especially Spanish chestnuts.

Lord Egremont himself is very agreable, but it is almost impossible to catch him for a moment, for he passes his life in eternal locomotion from one room to another without sitting for an instant. There are few people who might have made a greater figure in the world than he might, but like many others he has preferred a life of enjoyment to one of celebrity, and has done very little in politicks. His understanding is very good, and his turn for sarcasm and satire is unrivalled. If he cares much for the ridiculous pride of family and aristocracy, the state his family is now in must annoy him a good deal ; but I should think he was above caring for those farcical distinctions, though one never can know. Like beauty, most people who possess rank and great family set a value upon it much higher than sometimes their understandings and opinions would lead one to suppose ; and those who have it not envy and decry it, for in the amiable breast of man divine distinction seldom fails of producing vanity in its possessors and envy in its beholders.

We went over for two nights to Lord R. Spencer's, which is in the greatest contrast to Petworth in every way. Small, comfortable, and quite luxurious, from the perpetual attentions of its owners to the comfort and convenience of their guests and of themselves." See Full text of "The journal of Henry Edward Fox (afterwards fourth ...

There were also more favourable impressions of Petworth.

The 'Golden Age' of Petworth came with Sir Charles Wyndham's eldest son, George, 3rd Earl of Egremont (1751-1837), patron of the arts, ideal landlord, agriculturalist, and generous host, famous both for his extreme shyness in London's social circle as for his immense hospitality to all at Petworth. He is said to have entertained upwards of 6000 of the local poor at one time in the house and grounds, and over a period of 60 years to have spent in excess of £1,200,000 on charitable purposes. Numerous artists visited and worked at Petworth, most notable of all being Turner, many of whose paintings hang in the house, while Blake, Hayley, B. R. Haydon, Phillips, Farington and Greville all recorded the immense generosity of their host. He introduced many agricultural reforms under the expert guidance of Arthur Young, and took great interest in road and waterway improvements. In 1774 he took also the surname of Obrien, which he inherited with the estate of his late uncle, the Earl of Thomond, a family connection which arose from the marriage of a daughter of the 6th Duke of Somerset. He was Lord Lieutenant of Sussex from 1819-1835. At least two attempts were made to marry him into society, but it was Elizabeth Ilive, the daughter of a master at Westminster School, who bore him his nine children, and whom he eventually married in 1801. On account of this oversight, on his death in 1837 the title passed to his nephew, George, on whose death in 1845 it became extinct. However, the estate passed to his eldest son, Col. George Wyndham who in 1859 took the title of Leconfield. In 1947 Petworth was conveyed with a large endowment to the National Trust, to be preserved for the nation. The National Archives | Access to Archives

There is even a connection with the infamous Russian Cold War spy and art historian Sir Anthony Blunt, who rearranged the paintings at Petworth after the acquisition by the National Trust, despite a tradition that the paintings should remain as the 3rf Earl left them.

The Wyndham Family and the Arts

Many important art works remain at Petworth, but others have passed through the hands of the Earls of Egremont.

For example this 1633 portrait of a young lady with a fan by Rembrandt now owned by the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

The provenance being; George O'Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, Petworth House, Sussex (by 1822–d. 1837); his nephew, George Francis Wyndham, 4th Earl of Egremont, Petworth House (1837–d. 1845); the 3rd Earl's natural son, Colonel George Wyndham, later 1st Baron Leconfield, Petworth House (1845–d. 1869); Henry Wyndham, 2nd Baron Leconfield, Petworth House (1869–d. 1901); Charles Henry Wyndham, 3rd Baron Leconfield, Petworth House (1901–28; cat., 1920, no. 105); [Knoedler, London and New York, 1928; sold to Scott & Fowles]; [Scott & Fowles, New York, 1928–30; sold to Neilson]; Helen Swift (Mrs. Francis) Neilson, Chicago (1930–43)

Another painting owned by the 4th Earl was this Pieta by Moretto da Brescia an Italian artist (1498 - 1554) now owned by The National Gallery if Art in Washington.

The provenance is; George Francis Wyndham, 4th Earl of Egremont [d. 1845], Orchard Wyndham, Somerset, England; life interest inherited by his widow, Jane Roberts Wyndham, Countess of Egremont [d. 1876], Orchard Wyndham; by inheritance to William Wyndham [d. 1914], Orchard Wyndham; (Wyndham [Egremont] sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 26 November 1892);[1] Sir Francis Cook, 1st Bt. [1817-1901], Doughty House, Richmond, Surrey; by inheritance to his son, Sir Frederick Lucas Cook, 2nd Bt. [1844-1920], Doughty House; by inheritance to his son, Sir Herbert Frederick Cook, 3rd Bt. [1868-1939], Doughty House; by inheritance to his son, Sir Francis Ferdinand Maurice Cook, 4th Bt. [1907-1978], Doughty House, and Cothay Manor, Somerset;[2] (Francis A. Drey, London); sold February 1947 to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York;[3] gift 1952 to NGA.

As mentioned JWM Turner was a guest at Petworth and was given the Old Library, with its huge east window, for his studio whenever he chose to stay. It can be seen here in a watercolour by Turner himself.

It is recorded that "Uncouth, eccentric and reclusive" (he spent his last years living under an assumed name), Turner would not have been a welcome guest at many noblemen's houses, but his friendship with Lord Egremont was clearly a close one. Much against his reclusive nature, Turner even appeared in public as one of the chief mourners at the 3rd Earl's funeral.

After Turner's death, all the works remaining in his possession – about 300 oils and 19,000 drawings and watercolours – were given to the National Gallery.

Another portrait was of Claest Duyst Van Voorhut by Frans Hals, Mechlin, born probably 1584, died 1666 and now in the Metropolitan Musuem.

This portrait of Claest Duyst, the proprietor of the Zwaan Brewery at Haarlem, Holland, came from the collections of the Earls of Egremont, of Colonel Egremont Wyndham, and of Lord Leconfield, Petworth, Sussex.

It was painted about 1636, in Hals’ most brilliant period, before the influence of Rembrandt and old age led him to concentrate on expression and renounce his vivacious coloring. This portrait represents the most individual and characteristic qualities of Frans Hals.

As referred to above, after the death of the 3rd Earl, his family reacted against his profligate life style and refused to allow the name Egremont to ever be mentioned.

This action may be the reason so many Egremont portraits, including the miniature of the 4th Earl, as well as the other family portraits appearing in this section, were all sold and scattered around the world.

For example, the California Palace of the Legion of Honor owns the above portrait of Alicia Maria Carpenter, Countess of Egremont.

These two miniatures are also outside the family. That of the man is engraved around the frame; "Wyndham, Earl of Egremont, by William Wood", and at the bottom of the frame, 1770. However, later scholarship suggests the miniature is by Henry Edridge, rather than William Wood. Also that the date is wrong, the portrait more likely being Charles Wyndham, the 2nd Earl who died in 1763. Then again, if it is by Edridge, he must have copied it at a later date than 1763, as Edridge himself was only born in 1768.

The miniature of the lady is also of Alicia Maria Carpenter, who married Charles Wyndham, 2rd Earl in 1750. It was painted by Penelope Carwardine in 1757 and is currently owned by the Cincinnati Art Museum. Thus it is nice to reunite the two portraits here.

The 4th Earl and the Great Art Fraud

As mentioned above, in 1892 there was a sale of the contents of Silverton House which had belonged to the 4th Earl and raised the modest sum of GBP1800. Among the items sold were eight Egyptian figures and two Egyptian sculptures. There the matter slumbered for 100 years.

However, there was great excitement in 2002 when one of these Egyptian figures reappeared. It was the "Amarna Princess," a 20-inch statue, made of a "stunning translucent alabaster". Dating from 1350 BC, the statue represented one of the daughters of the Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, mother of Prince Tutankhamun.

The history of the Amarna Princess was that it had been purchased at the Silverton auction of the 4th Earl's possessions by the grandfather of George Greenhalgh, an 83 year old, wheelchair bound, invalid.

In 2002 George approached the Bolton Museum advising that the Amarna was from his grandfather’s "forgotten collection", bought at the 1892 Silverton auction.

Appearing innocent, he inquired whether the artefact, which he claimed had been in his family for 100 years, was worth the £500 he had been advised and said he was thinking about using it as a garden ornament. He was able to provide letters showing how the artefact had been in the family ownership for 111 years.

Experts at the British Museum and Christie's who examined the statue could not believe their find.

Assuming Greenhalgh Snr was a "nice old man who had no idea of the significance of what he owned", the Bolton Museum told him he had a very valuable piece they wanted to buy for £440,000.

Bolton Museum was given first refusal on the 52cm high statue, before it would have been offered at public auction.

It purchased it for £440,000, with £360,767 from the Lottery heritage fund, and a £75,000 grant from the National Arts Collection Fund. If it had sold on the open market it was claimed that it could have reached £1m.

Only two other artefacts of its kind were known to have survived, one in the Louvre and the other at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. This rarity reflected the destruction by later generations of the Pharaoh to ensure that the notorious family did not live on after death.

Thus, in 2003, after consulting experts at the British Museum and Christie's, the Bolton Museum bought the Amarna Princess. The museum thought it had pulled off a coup, saving a rare artefact - apparently dating back to 1350 BC - from leaving the UK.

In its original report of December 2004, it was described as; "The 52cm high sculpture is carved in translucent alabaster (calcite) and represents a royal female of the Amarna Period (c.1350-1334 B.C.). The head, arms and lower legs have not survived but it is believed she is one of the daughters of the Pharaoh Akhenaten and his chief queen, Nefertiti. The statue is wearing a very pleated robe over the left shoulder and under the right. It has a side-lock indicating the subject is still a youth.

The position of the pillar at the back shows that the work was part of a double statue, probably including the mother. The style is very distinctive to the early part of this period and has a classic narrow upper torso and very large hips and tummy. The pleating is very finely carved and the piece is generally of high quality. Elements of the extreme style of the sculpture suggest a date early in Akhenaten's reign. This may be the eldest daughter, Meritaten, but the piece is not inscribed so the exact identity is uncertain. Akhenaten and Nefertiti's third daughter, Ankhsenpaaten (later Ankhsenamun) became the wife of Tutankhamun, who succeeded Akhenaten on the throne and was probably his son, but perhaps not by Nefertiti.

Various sculptures survive from Akhenaten's (Amenhotep IV) reign but pieces such as this are rare and of significance. A similar torso on a smaller scale and less extreme in style carved from red quartzite, probably of Nefertiti and later in the reign, is in the Louvre. A draped headless figure of a princess in limestone, again on a smaller scale and later in the reign, is in the University of Pennsylvania Museum. The bust of a princess in the Louvre with the side-lock of youth in limestone, who was also wearing a pleated robe, is shown here, but also see bust of a princess in the Louvre "

The Amarna statue was to have been displayed at the Hayward Gallery on the South Bank in London as part of the "Saved!" exhibition celebrating 100 years of the National Art Collections Fund.

It remained on display at the museum until February 2006, when it was confirmed it certainly was a coup, however not for the Bolton Museum, but instead for the Greehalgh family.

The Amarna Princess was a fake!

Investigations revealed it was the tip of "an iceberg of fake artefacts" made by the Greenhalgh family who lived in a modest end-terrace house in The Crescent, Bromley Cross, Bolton in northern England.

They were also known as "the garden shed gang" as that is where most of their fakes were made.

The main family members were Shaun Greenhalgh who forged the artworks and his parents George and Olive Greenhalgh. His parents, George and Olive, approached clients, while his older brother, George jnr, managed the money.

Other members of the family were invoked to help establish the legitimacy of the various items. These included Olive's father who owned an art gallery, a great-grandfather whom it seemed had had the foresight to buy well at auctions, and an ancestor who had apparently worked for the Mayor of Bolton as a cleaner and was gifted a Moran painting.

Although, not the start of their extraordinary art faking operation, when a copy of the 1892 auction catalogue came into their hands, the catalogue provided a means for the family to "up the ante".

Using the leeway the vague descriptions in the catalogue, Shaun Greenhalgh manufactured the "Amarna Princess," a 20-inch statue, apparently made of a "stunning translucent alabaster".

Done in the Egyptian art-style of 1350 BC, the statue represented one of the daughters of the Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. Shaun had done his homework and had meticulously researched other known sculptures from the Amarna Period in Egyptian history to ensure the realism of his creation.

He "knocked up" his copy in his shed in three weeks out of calcite, "using basic DIY tools and making it look old by coating it in a mixture of tea and clay". It later emerged that he had bought the ordinary mallet and chisel to produce this 'masterpiece' from B&Q, a nationwide DIY chain. Shaun also faked the letters providing the provenance.

Two years later, in 2005, George Greenhalgh approached the British Museum with what appeared to be three Assyrian reliefs of soldier and horses, from the Palace of Sennacherib, dating back to 600 to 800BC.

Again it was claimed the artefacts had been bought by his grandfather at the Silverton Park auction of 1892. Again an elaborate story of how the reliefs had been passed through the family was recounted, supported by faked letters.

The British Museum examined them in November 2005, concluded that they were genuine, and expressed an interest in buying one of them, which seemed to match a drawing by A. H. Layard in its collection.

However, when two of the reliefs were submitted to Bonhams auction house, its antiquities consultant Richard Falkiner spotted "an obvious fake". Bonhams consulted with the British Museum about various suspicious aspects, and the Museum then spotted several unlikely anomalies.

Thus museum officials tipped off the police. The Metropolitan Police's Art and Antiques Unit revealed that; "Some of the cuneiform script was wrong. These reliefs would have hung in palaces, so they would not have had spelling mistakes in the script."

When the police raided the Greenhalghs' home they found two more 'Amarna Princesses' in a bedroom wardrobe. They also found the tools Shaun used to craft his statues and the raw materials used in countless other forgeries.

As they embarked on a protracted and complex investigation the police discovered the scam had been going on for at least 17 years - and perhaps even longer.

Another significant scam by the family was claiming to own the Risley Park Lanx, a Roman artefact that had disappeared after it was first discovered in pieces in a ploughed field in Derbyshire in 1729.

The Risley Park Lanx was a large silver dish of Roman origins, first discovered in 1729 in Risley Park, Derbyshire. Subsequently lost, later it re-emerged in the 1990s, a supposed heirloom of the Greenhalgh family.

The Risley Park Lanx was sold through Sothebys in 1998 for £100,000, far less than the purported worth of the original – a million pounds – yet still a clear indication that it was considered to be a significant historical "rediscovery".

When two wealthy Americans gifted the lanx to the British Museum in honour of David Wilson, outgoing director of the Museum, it was placed on display at the British Museum as a replica for several years, but was removed when the nature of its authenticity became suspect.

It is now thought that Greenhalgh melted down genuine Roman silver coins when reconstructing the Lanx.

The family also faked works by Samuel Peploe, Otto Dix, and Barbara Hepworth.

Shaun Greenhalgh's skills as a painter were also put to use, fuelled by his resentment of the art establishment and his desire to deceive it. Thus, in the early to mid 1990s Shaun Greenhalgh was predominately involved with paintings.

He sold a Peploe, but in particular he was successful with his Thomas Morans. He sold one to Bolton Museum in 1994 and at New York auctions in 1995 he sold seven, and is reckoned to have produced as many as 40 copies of Thomas Moran's studies of Yellowstone Park.

The goose was fashioned by Shaun Greenhalgh after he had seen only one small image of the piece in a book about Hepworth, and sold as a missing Barbara Hepworth terra-cotta goose, to the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, for £3,000.

Shaun traced examples of the handwriting of the artists he copied in order to formulate fake letters of authenticity and fabricate family associations with them, such as this "LS Lowry" correspondence. However, the Lowry museum was not fooled and rejected the painting entitled 'The Meeting House', as a forgery.

Yet another forgery by Shaun Greenhalgh was a sculpture, "The Faun" (pictured)which h e successfully passed it off as a work by Paul Gauguin. There were no concerns about authenticity. As well as being well received by Sotheby's itself The Faun was authenticated by the Wildenstein Institute in Paris.

It sold at Sotheby's for £20,700 in 1994, complete with provenance, see the catalogue image below. Three years later in 1997 it was bought by the Art Institute of Chicago for an undisclosed sum, thought to be about $125,000. It was hailed by them as "one of its most important acquisitions in the last twenty years."

For a decade the sculpture remained on display, and was part of a major joint exhibition on Gauguin with the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. However, following revelations about its existence at Greenhalgh's trial in 2007, The Faun was tracked down by "The Art Newspaper" to Chicago and exposed as a fake.

In October the Chicago Art Institute removed the statue from display, and announced that it was seeking compensation from Sotheby's, see The Faun

The family went on to successfully sell two busts, including one of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, purportedly by the sculptor Horatio Greenough, through Sotheby's for £160,000.

Greenhalgh Snr also tried to con the Tate Modern, London, into buying a carved stone head which he claimed his grandmother had said: "was by a chap called Moore who became famous".

In total, the conspiracy secured them around £1,500,000, although experts estimated that they could have earned as much as £10 million had all their creations gone to sale.

Although police recovered 20 items, they believe there could be as many as 100 fakes worldwide in the hands of unsuspecting art lovers.

On his conviction, Shaun Greenhalgh was jailed for four year and eight months.

In 2008 with the art market at the peak of the biggest financial bubble in history, the Greenhalghs are likely to represent the tip of an enormous criminal iceberg that measures its annual turnover in billions of pounds. According to European police experts, as much as half the art in circulation on the international market could be forged and a large proportion of those forgeries goes under the hammer in London.

Although at first startled by this claim, I quickly realised it does also apply to miniature portraits! I have commented elsewhere about the large numbers of decorative miniatures (a polite term for fake!) for sale and 50% or more would be a good approximation of the proportion of miniature fakes, perhaps even higher than that.

The clever Greenhalgh fakes beg an obvious question; "Is the miniature portrait of the 4th Earl featured here, also a Greenhalgh fake?"

Although, I cannot state with 100% certainty, I very much doubt it. I think I can usually pick fakes and as it only cost $220 plus shipping at auction, it would not have been worth the effort. However, it would be interesting to know if the miniature of the 4th Earl is listed in the 1892 auction catalogue.

In any event, the story associated with the miniature portrait has enhanced its interest and fascination enormously. 1354

Postscript

As the Bolton Museum has presumably now got its £440,000 back to spend on something else, I have been wondering if the Christie's, Sotheby's, and British Museum experts would be willing instead to authenticate for me, a statue I have inherited from an ancestor and which I would like to offer for sale to the Bolton Museum.

It is showing here and is very similar in style to a famous bust of Queen Nefertiti which is in Berlin, so I think it must date to a similar period and thus perhaps be of some value?

(With apologies to Lutz at www.forum.egyptiandreams.co.uk/viewtopic.php?...)

Mee, Anne - portrait of Lady Carteret

2008-09-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

This is another purchase of an identified sitter in a miniature portrait, where the resultant research has led to interesting aspects of history, even providing a link between Princess Charlotte of Wales and Princess Caraboo.

Anne Mee
There were many female miniature painters in the late 19C and early 20C, but there were few in the early 19C. One who was popular at that time was Anne Mee (1775-1851), who was commissioned to paint miniature portraits by many of the aristocracy.

Née Anne Foldstone, she was the daughter of John Foldstone, a copyist of pictures, who died while quite young. Anne was educated at a French Lady’s school in London and had artistic gifts as a musician, poetess and painter. She was a protégée and pupil of Romney and is said to have supported her mother and eight brothers and sisters at a early age. She obtained the patronage of George IV (when Prince of Wales) and was working at Windsor Castle in 1790 and 1791. By 1804, Joseph Farrington recorded that she was asking as much as 40 guineas for a miniature. Sometime before 1804 she married Joseph Mee, of Mount Anna, Armagh by whom she had six children before she was 33.

Joseph Mee was possessed of a fairly large estate in Armagh and left an estate of a handsome property, houses, and etc. Family tradition has it that he was proud of his wife’s hair and after a violent quarrel she cut it close to her head just to spite him! He was a barrister, who was said to have been jealous of his wife and would not let men sit to her. She exhibited at the R.A. and B.I., 1804-1837. Mrs Mee was influenced by Cosway but her work is not always well drawn. Often her eyes are rather large, and in her early work the colour scheme is simple. The face is usually painted with a mixture of stippling and hatching.

Mary Anne Master
A fortunate acquisition, as the artist was unmentioned in the auction description, is this miniature of Mary Anne Master (10 June 1777-1863), who on 18 June, 1801 married John Thynne, third Baron Carteret (28 December 1772 - 10 March 1849). He was known as Lord John Thynne and was a British peer and politician. Their marriage was childless. The miniature is attributed to Ann Mee on stylistic grounds; it has been re-framed and the case is engraved on the reverse 'Mary Anne Lady Carteret dr of Thomas Masters (sic) Esq".

Mary Anne Master was the third daughter of Thomas Master MP for Cirencester, of Abbey House, Cirencester Gloucestershire, which was demolished in 1964, and also of Knole Park, in Gloucestershire. The Master family could trace their descent from Henry VII, via Mary Tudor and the Duke of Suffolk. As Lady Carteret, she was for some years, Lady of the Bedchamber to the Princess Sophia. She succeeded to the Master estates on the death of her spinster sister Jane in August 1862, but lived to enjoy them for a little more than six months, for she died on 22 February 1863, and her cousin Colonel Chester Master of Knole inherited the estate.

Lord John Thynne was the third surviving son (12th of 14 children) of Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath, and Lady Elizabeth, daughter of William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland. His coat of arms appears here, and at one point, the family maintained a residence at Carteret in Cornwall, from whence came the name. Lord John Thynne was a member of St John's college, Cambridge, where he took the honorary degree of MA in 1794. For thirty-six years he was one of the members in Parliament for the city of Bath. He was first returned for the borough of Weobley, at the general election of 1796; but his father's death occurring in the following November, and his brother who had been member for Bath from the year 1790, then succeeding to the peerage, Lord John having accepted the Chiltern hundreds, was adopted by the corporation of Bath as his substitute.

They afterwards re-elected him eleven times. One of these occasions was in July 1804, when he was appointed Vice Chamberlain of his Majesty's Household, and sworn a Privy Councillor. The next occasion was more extraordinary. Having inadvertently voted after his re-election, without having taken the oaths required by law, his seat became vacated, and a new election necessary. An act of indemnity was also passed to relieve him of the penalties incurred by this irregularity.

He retained the office of Vice Chamberlain until the death of King George the Third in 1820. In 1826 he encountered the first contested election, in the hitherto quiescent city of Bath. He was returned at the head of the poll with 17 votes, the Earl of Brecknock had 16, and Major General Charles Palmer 12.

With the passing of the Reform Act in 1832 the functions of his electors the old Corporation ceased and the new electors returned the Liberal Mr Roebuck in his place. He served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household from 1804 to 1812 and was sworn of the Privy Council in 1804. In 1838 he succeeded his childless elder brother in the barony and took his seat in the House of Lords. On his death at Hawnes Place, near Ampthill, Bedfordshire, the barony became extinct, with his estates devolving on his nephew.

Princess Charlotte of Wales
As wife of Lord John Thynne, Lady Carteret would have been in attendance when Queen Charlotte visited Bath. In October, 1817, it was announced officially the queen intended to honour Bath with a visit.

On Monday, November 3rd, at an early hour, her Majesty, with the Princess Elizabeth and suite, left Windsor Castle for Bath. They proceeded at a rapid rate. In the course of the afternoon, a vast concourse left Bath to meet the Royal party, who entered the city at half-past four, full an hour before they were expected. The Royal carriages, escorted by the 15th Dragoons, passed Walcot Church and proceeded by the York House, down Milsom Street, and through New Bond Street to Sydney Place. In the evening a deputation from the Corporate Body waited on her Majesty, who was graciously pleased to fix a time for receiving an address. The Countesses of Ilchester and Cardigan, Lord John Thynne, Major-General Taylor, and Colonel Stephenson were in attendance. His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence had previously arrived from Lord Harcourt's seat in Oxfordshire.

On Wednesday, the 5th, at two o'clock, the Queen was received at the Pump Room by several of the Royal household, a glass of Bath water being handed to her Majesty by John Kitson, Esq., the Mayor. At two o'clock on the 6th, the Mayor, accompanied by the Marquis Camden (the Recorder), the City Representatives in Parliament, the Rector, Aldermen, and Common Council, proceeded to the Queen's residence, where the Marquis delivered a loyal address, to which her Majesty replied in person, with much dignity and expressive animation. The Municipal Body were then severally introduced by Colonel Disbrowe, and had the honour of kissing her Majesty's hand.

At six on the same evening, a public dinner was served at the Guildhall, and the Mayor was honoured with the company of his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, the Marquisses of Bath and Camden, the principal officers of the Royal household, and several distinguished military and naval officers, with the resident clergy and members of the Corporation. The dinner having passed with much hilarity, and the cloth being removed, a messenger arrived with a letter for the Royal Duke, the perusal of which evidently produced much agitation ; and in a few minutes afterwards his Royal Highness hastened, with hurried steps, from the table. All was consternation! What could it mean?

In a few minutes the Marquis Camden, in the most feeling manner, announced the death of her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte of Wales! It has been stated that her Majesty was at a ball, at the Guildhall, when the intelligence arrived. It is almost needless to say that even if her Majesty had visited Bath for pleasure she would not have attended a public ball, either at the Guildhall or the recognised Assembly Rooms. But it must be remembered that her Majesty was advanced in years, and that her sole object in visiting the city was for the use of its thermal springs.

Princess Caraboo
The Master family, as owners of Knole Park, Almondsbury, although it appears it was rented out to a Mr Samuel Worrall at the time, were indirectly associated with the strange story of "Princess Caraboo". It being highly likely Lady Carteret met Princess Caraboo.

Mary Baker (née Willcocks; 1791 – 4 January 1865) was a noted imposter who went by the name Princess Caraboo. She pretended to be from a faraway island and fooled a British town for some time.

On 3 April 1817, a cobbler in Almondsbury in Gloucestershire, England, met an apparently disoriented young woman with exotic clothes who was speaking a language no one could understand. The cobbler's wife took her to the Overseer of the Poor who left her in the hands of the local county magistrate, Samuel Worrall, who lived in Knole Park. When he and his American-born wife Elizabeth, could not understand her either, they sent her to the local inn, where she identified a drawing of a pineapple with the word ‘ananas’ which means pineapple in many Indo-European languages, and insisted on sleeping on the floor. Samuel Worrall declared she was a beggar and should be taken to Bristol tried for vagrancy.

All they could immediately find out was that she called herself Caraboo and that she was interested in Chinese imagery. They sent her to the mayor of Bristol who ended up sending her to St Peter's Hospital. There she declined all meat.

Locals brought many foreigners who tried to find out what strange language the lady was talking, but apparently in vain. Then came a Portuguese sailor named Manuel Eynesso who said he knew the language and translated her story. According to Eynesso, she was Princess Caraboo from the island of Javasu in the Indian Ocean. She had been captured by pirates and after a long voyage she had jumped overboard in the Bristol Channel and swum ashore.

The Worralls brought Caraboo back to Knole Park. For the next ten weeks, this representative of exotic royalty was a favourite of the local dignitaries. She used a bow and arrow, fenced, swam naked and prayed to God, whom she termed Allah Tallah. She acquired exotic clothing and a portrait made of her was reproduced in local newspapers.

Eventually the truth came out. A certain Mrs. Neale recognised her from the picture in the Bristol Journal and informed her hosts. The would-be princess was actually a cobbler's daughter, Mary Baker (née Willcocks) from Witheridge, Devon. She had been a servant girl in various places all over England, but had not found a place to stay. She had invented a fictitious language out of imaginary and gypsy words and created an exotic character. The British press had a field day at the expense of the duped rustic middle-class.

Her hosts arranged for her to leave for Philadelphia and she departed 28 June 1817. In the USA, she briefly continued her role, but lost contact with the Worralls after a couple of months. In 1821, she had returned to Britain but her act was no longer very successful. She briefly travelled to France and Spain in her guise but soon returned to England and re-married. In September 1828, she was living in Bedminster with the name Mary Burgess and gave birth to a daughter the next year. In 1839, she was selling leeches to the Bristol Infirmary Hospital. "Princess Caraboo" died on January 4, 1865 and was buried in an unmarked grave in the Hebron Road cemetery in Bristol. 1371

Bone, Henry - portrait of Sir Anthony Carlisle

2008-09-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

(Visitors, please note that since this copyright content was written there have been another six months of research into more important and controversial aspects of Carlisle's life, which are not reflected here and are far too much to include in this blog! Thus, anyone researching Carlisle is welcome to contact me, via clicking on my photo for an email link. Notice of a proposed biography can be seen at The Real Mr Frankenstein )

A Surgeon and Discovery of a Large Bone, Electrolysis, Photography, Flight, and More
(Please forgive the awful Henry Bone pun! It was irresistible! The research of this portrait has determined Sir Anthony Carlisle as an amazing and influential person in the early 19C who really deserves a much fuller biography than can be included here. For no apparent reason, history books have largely overlooked him and so this description attempts to redress the balance a little. It may be presumptuous to describe Carlisle as a really great man, but the research below indicates he made insightful comments across many different disciplines.)

This large (170mm x 205mm) miniature portrait in enamel on copper is by Henry Bone (6 Feb 1755-17 Dec 1834) and portrays the surgeon, anatomist, scientist, and author, Sir Anthony Carlisle (15 Feb 1768-2 Nov 1840).

The miniature is dated 1827 and represents the discovery of a previously unknown, and earlier, version of a similar enamel miniature of Sir Anthony Carlisle by Henry Bone, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1828.

Carlisle was primarily a surgeon, but lived at a time when scientists could still be generalists in the scientific field, making positive contributions in whatever aspect attracted their attention.

He was a leading person of his day in many fields.

For example, Sir Anthony Carlisle has been credited as the discoverer of electrolysis in 1800, even though he does not seem to have pursued the concept beyond his initial discovery, to seek a commercial or scientific use.

It instead seems Carlisle's experimentation with electrolysis and photography were perhaps regarded by him as hobbies to be pursued with friends and, as such, separate from his main career as a surgeon.

Quite possibly it was the 1800 letter from Volta which diverted Carlisle from the previous pursuit of a photographic image, instead towards batteries and electrolysis, where a successful outcome was achieved.

Carlisle obviously had an acute and inquiring mind over many fields. He is even mentioned in both "Capital" by Karl Marx and Isabella Beeton in "The Book of Household Management" !

The Miniature
Although it is hard to read in this image, the counter enamel of the portrait is inscribed and signed by the artist as; "Sir Anthony Carlisle FRS after M A Shee RA" and "HBone 1827".

The miniature is very large for any kind of miniature portrait, being 200mm x 170mm (8ins x 6.75ins), especially so being painted in enamels.

The size can be better appreciated from a photo below, which shows four other enamel miniatures in this collection next to it for comparative purposes. The four includes two miniatures in the centre by one of Henry Bone's sons, Henry Pierce Bone (1779-1855).

The technique of painting in enamels is especially demanding, as the pigments change colour during firing and different colours fire at different temperatures. The reverse of the copper panel needs to also be covered in enamel to prevent cracking.

Even with much experience, it is hard to avoid firing fractures when painting a portrait of this size and nature. In the photos it is possible to see several pale horizontal lines which were in-filled by Henry Bone before he completed the portrait. (At the top left can be seen later damage.)

That this in-filling is acceptable on a large enamel portrait is proved by a comment by Bone himself which forms part of the inscription on an enamel portrait which Bone painted of George Washington.

The Washington portrait is part of the famous Gilbert Collection of enamel miniatures and the inscription on the reverse reads in part "...cracked on the 5th fire...". The portrait is illustrated on page 60 of the Gilbert Collection catalogue by Sarah Coffin and Bodo Hofstetter, but it can also be seen at Gilbert Collection There is an almost identically positioned horizontal mark, to that showing on the Carlisle miniature, running from the middle right to the centre of the Washington portrait.

Enlarged photos, such as these two close up images reveal even more clearly the skill of Bone as an artist.

Although it is not currently on public view, Henry Bone's preliminary sketch for this Carlisle miniature, being a pencil drawing squared in ink for transfer, is held by the National Portrait Gallery in London, see Sir Anthony Carlisle

The squared drawing would then be traced with red chalk onto the enamel surface which would then be fired to fix the chalk outline.

Colours, often based upon powdered glass would then be added over several different firings. The artist needing to know how the various pigments would each react to heat.

The Carlisle enamel is based upon an oil portrait by Sir Martin Archer Shee (1770-1850), the current whereabouts of which is not confirmed, but it may be held by the Royal College of Surgeons in London. At present a photo of the oil is therefore unavailable.

The Shee portrait was exhibited in 1824 at the Royal Academy where the reviewer noted, amongst other portraits: "those of Mrs Borridge and of Sir Anthony Carlisle by Shee, both of which are conspicuous for that neatness of handling which adds to the pleasantness of the general effect without much diminishing its force. See The New Monthly Magazine - Google Books Result

Another review of the Shee oil portrait was included in the London Magazine of 1824, where the reviewer wrote; "No 83 Portrait of Sir Anthony Carlisle MA Shee HA This is Mr Shee's best picture it is an excellent likeness the distribution of light and shade is very judicious and there is very little of this artist's manner in the execution." The London Magazine - Google Books Result

In the "Court and Fashionable Magazine" of 1830 the reviewer "P J" recorded of Martin Arthur Shee, that "Sir Anthony Carlisle was another of his happiest portraits".

I am grateful to a kind visitor who has provided some more information on versions of the Carlisle portrait. Two of them are shown here.

Showing on the left is an engraving of the oil portrait. It was engraved by H Robinson and appears in a book by Thomas Joseph Pettigrew (1791-1865) titled "Biographical Memoirs of the Most Celebrated Physicians, Surgeons etc who have contributed to The Advancement of Medical Science". The book was published in several volumes in 1838-1840.

It may be an optical illusion, but in the engraving taken from the oil, Carlisle appears to be looking slightly to the left of the viewer, whereas in the miniature by Bone, he is looking directly at the viewer. If this impression is correct, it shows that Bone used the large oil portraits as a base, but was prepared to adjust the pose to suit his own interpretation of how the portrait should look.

On the right is a catalogue photograph from an auction of Christie’s London on 27 March 1984, Lot 192, showing the 1828 enamel version of the miniature, which is of similar size to the 1827 version.

As can be seen in the accompanying catalogue description of Lot 192, there is a much longer inscription on the reverse of the portrait.

It is interesting to speculate on the reason for the second, 1828 version. The most likely reason seems to be that Bone was very pleased with this 1827 result and wished to exhibit it at the Royal Academy.

However the firing fractures discussed above, which he had needed to fill in completing the enamel, would have detracted from the finished work. Hence he probably decided to paint a second version for the exhibition. This would also explain the much fuller inscription on the rear of the 1828 version.

In the Literary Gazette, a report of the 1828 Royal Academy Exhibition included the following reference to the 1828 Bone enamel of Carlisle. "The Enamels by H Bone RA are in their usual style of finished excellence and will perpetuate copies of the following valuable and characteristic paintings; No 502 His Majesty then Prince of Wales by Sir Joshua Reynolds in the possession of Col Braddytt, No 503 Sir Anthony Carlisle by MA Shee Esq RA, No 515 Holy Family by Andrea del Sarto in the collection of the Marquess of Lansdoicne, No 516 an Angel by Aloano, and No 517 The Countess of Somerset in the gallery of the Duke of Bedford Woburn Abbey." See The Literary Gazette: A Weekly Journal of Literature, Science, and ... - Google Books Result

A further reference to the 1828 version, but not the newly discovered 1827 version, can be seen in a famous and comprehensive article by Richard Walker on Bone’s pencil drawings. The article also records the previously mentioned drawing held by the NPG, see Sir Anthony Carlisle

The Walker article was published by the Walpole Society in its annual publication, Volume 61 1999, see Publications on the History of British Art

The Artist

Works by Henry Bone are highly regarded today and keenly sought after when they appear on the market.

His miniatures tend to average about 100mm in height, but vary a great deal in size. Thus the Carlisle miniature being 200mm high, ranks as one of his larger works.

On 2 Sep 2008 this round enamel by Henry Bone described as; "James William Caulfeild, Viscount Caulfeild (1803-1823), wearing black coat, yellow waistcoat, white chemise and black stock", signed and dated 1824 and 57mm in diameter, was sold by Bonhams as lot 173, for GBP3,600 inclusive of buyer's commission.

On 15 November 2006 a Henry Bone miniature of the artist George Stubbs (1724-1806) and about 115mm high, sold for nearly GBP50,000, which may be a record for the artist.

Henry Bone was born in Truro Cornwall, the son of a woodcarver and cabinet-maker. Initially he trained as a china painter and worked at the Plymouth and Bristol factories until the latter failed in 1778.

The china item shown here and described as "A rare genuine Bristol Plymouth hard paste porcelain large deep dish painted in the style of Henry Bone, 7.5ins x 1.3ins high" was recently offered for sale.

Bone settled in London in c1779 and married Elizabeth van der Meulen there on 21 Jan 1779. They had twelve children, including those dying in infancy, and several who became artists in their own rights.

Henry Bone was much employed by London jewellers for small designs in enamel, before his merits as an artist were well known to the public.

In 1800 the beauty of his pieces attracted the notice of the Royal Academy, of which he was then admitted as an associate; in 1811 he was made an academician. The bust of Henry Bone here is by Francis Chantrey.

Thus soon after his arrival in London, Bone had commenced to paint and exhibit in enamels. He proceeded to exhibit for over fifty years from 1781 until 1834, the year of his death. His enamel works for the most part, tended to be copies of paintings by other artists.

The first enamel miniature he exhibited in 1780 attracted a great deal of interest, as it was about 60mm high, whereas previous British enamel portraits had been much smaller, about 30mm high, which is the size of the miniature portrait of King William III shown above, the smallest of those shown, at the top left adjacent to the Carlisle portrait.

The Prince Regent was a great patron of Henry Bone until the second decade and Bone painted a very famous portrait of the Prince Regent based upon an oil by Sir Thomas Lawrence, for which there was a great demand for copies. There are at least ten miniature versions of this portrait by Bone in existence, including one in the Gilbert Collection

For several years the Prince Regent was the purchaser of the large enamels painted by Bone, which had not been specifically commissioned and in 1800 Bone was appointed Enamel Painter to His Royal Highness. He was successively appointed Enamel Painter to George III, George IV, William IV and the Duke of York.

Perhaps the climax of his enamel work was a "miniature" of "Bacchus and Ariadne" a copy of an oil by Titian which he exhibited in 1811.

Bone's copy was on a huge, enamelled, copper plate, 460mm x 400mm (18ins x 16ins), more than twice the size of the Carlisle enamel above.

Bone sold "Bacchus and Ariadne" to George Bowles for 2200 guineas, an enormous sum at the time and probably around GBP100,000 in today's money.

Most major art museums around the world hold examples of Bone's work and he was a prolific artist. At the National Portrait Gallery in London, he is recorded as Artist associated with 671 portraits !!

A very full obituary for Henry Bone, recorded in 1836, can be read at The Annual Biography and Obituary for the Year ... - Google Books Result

The Sitter
Sir Anthony Carlisle FRCS, FRS (15 Feb 1768-2 Nov 1840) was born in Stillington, County Durham, England. He was the third son of Thomas Carlisle (c1735-?) and his first wife. There are conflicting reports of her name, one source says Barbara Hubback (Hubbock, Hubbuck) of Cowpen, Bewley and another says Elizabeth Hutchinson. However, it seems probable that report is incorrect and Elizabeth Hutchinson was actually his father's mother.

The younger half-brother of Anthony Carlisle was also prominent in the 19C. He was Nicholas Carlisle FRS (1770-27 Aug 1847). For over 40 years he was one of the Secretaries of the Society of Antiquaries.

Anthony and Nicholas Carlisle traced their descent from their ancestor in the fifth degree John Carlisle of Witton le Wear in the county of Durham who was buried there on the 26 May 1670. Nicholas was himself born it is believed in the city of York where he was baptized in the church of Bishophill the Younger on the 8th Feb 1771.

Their grandfather married first Elizabeth Hutchinson an immediate descendant from Colonel Hutchinson who defended Nottingham Castle and secondly Susanna Skottowe (1737-?) to whose father Captain Cook the celebrated circumnavigator owed his education. Her sister Anne was the wife of Robert Wood esq the author of the Essay on Homer and of magnificent works on the ruins of Palmyra and Balbec.

Anthony Carlisle was first apprenticed to practitioners in York and Durham, including his uncle Anthony Hubback, then William Green and later he studied under John Hunter in London. On arrival in London, he also studied art at the Royal Academy. He was appointed Surgeon at Westminster Hospital in 1793 and remained in that position for 47 years.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1804. He was appointed Professor of Anatomy to the Royal Society in 1808, which position he held for sixteen years. In 1815 he was appointed to the Council of the College of Surgeons and for many years was a curator of the Hunterian Museum.

The Friends of Kensal Cemetery have kindly confirmed that Carlisle is buried in Kensal Cemetery; "I can confirm that Sir Anthony is resting at KGC. The records show that on 7th November 1840 Barbara Leonora Carlisle and Annabella Carlisle purchased grave number 2736 in Square 21 for the sum of £3 3s 0d. The grave was 6' 6" x 2' 6'' x 12' deep. Sir Anthony Carlisle was deposited in the grave in 1840 and Annabella Carlisle in 1856.
According to the records there was a head and foot stone, curbs and a rail. I will have a look at the cemetery plans and then on the ground to see if any trace of the monument remains." For more about the cemetery refer to The Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery where there is information about many famous people buried there.

One of Carlisle's innovations was the collection, analysis and publication of medical statistics. His first Royal appointment was as surgeon to the Duke of Gloucester.

Carlisle also became Surgeon Extraordinary (5 Apr 1820-26 June 1830) to King George IV, by whom he was knighted on 24 Jul 1821. Carlisle was a founder of the Royal College of Surgeons and twice its President, in 1829 and 1839.

Carlisle took great interest in Westminster Hospital, and was largely instrumental in raising funds for the new building. He was said to be neither a brilliant anatomist nor physiologist, but was a fairly good surgeon. His introduction of the thin-bladed, straight-edged amputating knife, in place of the old clumsy crooked one, and his use of the simple carpenter's saw, make his name worthy of note.

Evidence of the thoughts of Carlisle about reviving bodies at the time, can be found in the will of Francis Douce (1757-1834), the 1807 author of "Illustrations of Shakespeare". Douce was a learned antiquary, an active author on antiquarian subjects, Keeper of Manuscripts in the British Museum and member of the Roxburghe Club. He built up a very substantial personal collection of books which he used in his writing and editing before bequeathing them to the Bodleian Library.

Douce was perhaps a trifle eccentric, (or concerned about success!) as can be seen in the first clause of his will (as quoted by DNB): "I give to Sir Anthony Carlisle £200 requesting him either to sever my head or extract the heart from my body so as to prevent any possibility of the return of vitality".

However, this may have been from a fear of premature interment, which was not uncommon in the 19C, see an 1859 reference where Bruhier collected 180 instances. Things Not Generally Known, Familiarly Explained: A Book for Old ... - Google Books Result These instances would have been well known to Carlisle and no doubts via his discussions with William Godwin, also to Mary Godwin as a child. Perhaps another fear she had when she visited her mother's grave.

Another anecdote regarding Carlise refers to his lectures at the Royal Academy when he handed round human remains including heads and brains on plates: "Yet there have been times when the anatomy lectures at the Academy drew such crowds that people fought to get in, and officers from Bow Street had to be stationed at the door to keep out the disorderly element. Those were the addresses of Sir Anthony Carlisle, and the crowds were drawn to Somerset House not by the merits of the lecturer but by extraneous attractions. Sir Anthony, who used to lecture in full Court dress, with lace ruffles, and a bagwig, made a point always of providing some novelty that would be sure of attracting the town. Once, to display the muscles in action, he had a squad of eight nude Life Guardsmen going through the sword exercise, and again a troupe of Chinese jugglers displaying their agility. Mr. Thomson in lecturing for artists and students confines himself, properly enough, to the bones and muscles that affect the structure and the external forms, but Sir Anthony loved to go deeper and to horrify his audience with pitiful remnants of humanity handed round on dinner plates, Hazlitt when he attended one of these lectures had a hard struggle to keep himself from fainting." See Review: Page

In a letter of 1823 Charles Lamb wrote:"...Carlisle is the best story teller I ever heard." Thus it seems likely any of his discussions with William Godwin and others, carried on in front of Mary Godwin, were rather better than dull and dusty lectures!

Interestingly, several other miniatures in this collection also have a link to the Wollstonecraft family!

Aaron Burr, showing here, had a high regard for the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft in connection with the education of his daughter Theodosia Burr Alston. She is also showing here along with Mrs Parker, i.e. Helen Shelley, the aunt of Percy Bysshe Shelley, although there is some doubt about this, which would need comparison with a known portrait of Helen Shelley.

For more, see Unknown - portrait of Aaron Burr, Jarvis, John Wesley - portrait of Theodosia Burr Alston, and Unknown - portrait of Helen Shelley

Other Patients and Friends
Based at 12 Soho Square, Carlisle also treated the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1812, and was physician to Willima Godwin and Basil Montagu, among others. Carlisle had subscribed to Coleridge's "The Friend" in 1809.

He was known also to the author Captain James Burney (1750-1821) and John Rickman (1771-1840). Rickman, a parliamentary official and statistician, was resident by 1812 at St Stephen's Court, New Palace Yard, Westminster. Rickman organized the first-ever national census in 1801.

Carlisle was doctor to the artist JMW Turner (1775-1851), who presented him with this painting of "Hastings: Fish Market on the Sands, Early Morning" which is now in the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery. It was purchased in 2006 with the assistance of the Art Fund for GBP262,000. See The Art Fund - Hastings: Fish Market on the Sands, Early Morning

The painting has increased in value enormously. In the mid 19C it was owned by Charles Ford who owned both “Kenilworth Castle, a fine drawing” which sold in 1852 to W. Evans for £4 8s., and “Sands at Hastings, effect of sunset, with numerous Boats and Figures—admirably drawn” (Lot 194), which sold to J. Wilkenson for £2 4s. Wilton records the provenance of the second as “presented by Turner to Sir Anthony Carlisle, his doctor; Joseph Gillott, sale Christie's 4 May 1872, now untraced”. See Blake in the Marketplace 1852: Thomas Butts, Jr

William Hazlitt (1778-1830) attended one of Carlisle's lectures at the Royal Academy where he was Professor of Anatomy, and featured Carlisle in the "Memoirs of Thomas Holcroft", published in 1816, which Hazlitt completed after the death of dramatist Thomas Holcroft (1745-1809). Charles Lamb thought Carlisle "the best story teller I ever heard".

Literature
Although this list is probably incomplete, books, articles, and lectures written by Carlisle include;
-"Observations on the Structure and Oeconomy of those Intestinal Worms called Taenia", Linnean Society, 1794
-"Account of the new Electrical or Galvanic Apparatus of Sig. Alex Volta, and Experiments performed with the same, 1800" with William Nicholson
-"A Letter to John Symmons giving Account of a Peculiarity in the Distribution of the Arteries sent to the Limbs of slow-moving Animals; together with some other similar Facts. Read Jan.9, 1800"
-"A Letter to John Symmons giving a Continuation of an Account of a peculiar Arrangement in the Arteries distributed on the Muscles of slow-moving Animals. Read Dec.8, 1803"
-"The Croonian Lecture on Muscular Motion. Read Nov.8, 1804"
-"Croonian Lecture on the Arrangement and Mechanical Action of the Muscles of Fishes, 1805"
-"An Essay on the Connection Between Anatomy and the Fine Arts, c1807"
-"The physiology of the stapes,: One of the bones of the organ of hearing."
-"An account of a family having hands and feet with supernumerary fingers and toes: In a letter addressed to ... Sir Joseph Banks ... Read December 23, 1813
-"Preliminary observations to the second volume of the Horticultural transactions, 1814"
-"On the connection between the leaves and fruit of vegetables;: With other physiological observations; in a letter to Richard Anthony Salisbury, 1816"
-"An Essay on the Disorders of Old Age, and on the means for prolonging Human Life, 1817"
-"Hunterian Oration, Feb. 1820"
-"A letter to Sir Gilbert Blane, bart. on blisters, rubifacients, and escharotics;: Giving an account of the employment of an instrument adapted to transmit ... of heat, to effect those several purposes"
-"Account of some coins found in certain Tumuli in the Southern district of the peninsula of India, 1827"
-"Alleged discovery of the use of the spleen, and of the thyroid gland, 1829"
-"Lecture on cholera and other pestilential diseases; delivered at The London Mechanics' Institution 1832"
-"Practical Observations on the Preservation of health, and the Prevention of Diseases; Comprising the Author's Experience on the Disorders of Childhood and Old Age, 1838"
-"The Means of Preserving Health and Prolonging Life, applied to Hereditary Diseases; the Affections of Children; and the Disorders of Old Age, 1841"

Carlisle in Society and the Literature
Apart from the above instances, Carlisle was a focal figure in other events and anecdotes.

A - For example, Karl Marx in "Capital" referred to Carlisle as promoting the adoption of the 1833 Factory Act, to prevent child labour in the following passage.

"A normal working-day for modern industry only dates from the Factory Act of 1833, which included cotton, wool, flax, and silk factories. Nothing is more characteristic of the spirit of capital than the history of the English Factory Acts from 1833 to 1864.

The Act of 1833 declares the ordinary factory working-day to be from half-past five in the morning to half-past eight in the evening and within these limits, a period of 15 hours, it is lawful to employ young persons (i.e., persons between 13 and 18 years of age), at any time of the day, provided no one individual young person should work more than 12 hours in any one day, except in certain cases especially provided for. The 6th section of the Act provided. “That there shall be allowed in the course of every day not less than one and a half hours for meals to every such person restricted as hereinbefore provided.” The employment of children under 9, with exceptions mentioned later was forbidden; the work of children between 9 and 13 was limited to 8 hours a day, night-work, i.e., according to this Act, work between 8:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., was forbidden for all persons between 9 and 18.

The law-makers were so far from wishing to trench on the freedom of capital to exploit adult labour-power, or, as they called it, “the freedom of labour,” that they created a special system in order to prevent the Factory Acts from having a consequence so outrageous.

“The great evil of the factory system as at present conducted,” says the first report of the Central Board of the Commission of June 28th 1833, “has appeared to us to be that it entails the necessity of continuing the labour of children to the utmost length of that of the adults. The only remedy for this evil, short of the limitation of the labour of adults which would, in our opinion, create an evil greater than that which is sought to be remedied, appears to be the plan of working double sets of children.”

... Under the name of System of Relays, this “plan” was therefore carried out, so that, e.g., from 5.30 a.m. until 1.30 in the afternoon, one set of children between 9 and 13, and from 1.30 p.m. to 8.30 in the evening another set were “put to,” &c.

In order to reward the manufacturers for having, in the most barefaced way, ignored all the Acts as to children’s labour passed during the last twenty-two years, the pill was yet further gilded for them. Parliament decreed that after March 1st, 1834, no child under 11, after March 1st 1835, no child under 12, and after March 1st, 1836, no child under 13 was to work more than eight hours in a factory. This “liberalism,” so full of consideration for “capital,” was the more noteworthy as. Dr. Farre, Sir A. Carlisle, Sir B. Brodie, Sir C. Bell, Mr. Guthrie, &c., in a word, the most distinguished physicians and surgeons in London, had declared in their evidence before the House of Commons, that there was danger in delay." From Economic Manuscripts: Capital Vol. I - Chapter Ten

B - Isabella Beeton referred to Carlisle's treatment for lumbago in her famous book; "The Book of Household Management" under:

LUMBAGO.—A “new and successful mode” of treating lumbago, advocated by Dr. Day, is a form of counter-irritation, said to have been introduced into this country by the late Sir Anthony Carlisle, and which consists in the instantaneous application of a flat iron button, gently heated in a spirit-lamp, to the skin.

C- In his 1989 book "Anglo-American Psychiatry in Historical Perspective", Andrew Scull commented on how Carlisle and John Bright argued that madness was a medical condition, compared to earlier views that persons displaying madness were "possessed".

Scull wrote; The profession was able to use its representation in Parliament, as well as its position as one of the three ancient learned professions, to ensure that its views received due consideration. When there was a renewed inquiry into conditions in private madhouses, it could call on the services of eminently respectable society physicians like Sir Anthony Carlisle next hit and Dr. John Bright to lend their authority to the contention that this was a medical problem. Medical certification of insanity (for private patients only) had been required by the 1774 Madhouse Act as an additional security against improper confinement of the sane, and the doctors-now sought to clarify and extend their authority in this area, so as to develop an officially approved monopoly of the right to define (mental) health and illness.

D - Another anecdote linked to Carlisle is noted in The Art of Living in Australia, by Philip E. Muskett (chapter9)

"It is evident that the natural dietary of the earth’s inhabitants is controlled largely by the particular region in which they dwell. Thus the Hindoos, and contiguous Eastern nations, subsist mainly upon the cereals, in which rice plays so prominent a part. The Greenlander’s fare, on the contrary, consists almost entirely of oils and fats; indeed, on this point Sir Anthony Carlisle relates the following anecdote:—“The most Northern races of mankind,” says he, “were found to be unacquainted with the taste of sweets, and their infants made wry faces and sputtered out sugar with disgust, but the little urchins grinned with ecstasy at the sight of a bit of whale’s blubber.” In the same way the Arab is a date-eater and the Kaffir is a milk consumer."

E- In 1794 the eminent Italian physiologist Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-99), one of the founders of experimental biology, published a modest but heretical proposal. Long intrigued by the ability of bats to fly in total darkness without bumping into things, he set out to discover how they did it. It soon became clear to him that it was the sense of hearing that bats needed in order to avoid obstacles.

However, his opinion was only supported by a handful of researchers. One of that handful was Carlisle who, after carrying out his own experiments, concluded that flying bats avoided obstacles "owing to extreme acuteness of hearing". However, science refused to accept this until the early 20C, see Skeptical Observer - How Skepticism Blocks Progress

Had Spallanzani [or Carlisle] been taken seriously, how much sooner might we have discovered radar? asked the late Eric Laithwaite. It would only have to have been invented five or ten years earlier to have possibly saved the more than 1,500 lives lost when the Titanic hit an iceberg in 1912.1350

Nicholas Carlisle
The younger half-brother of Anthony Carlisle was also prominent in the 19C. He was Nicholas Carlisle FRS (1770-27 Aug 1847). For over 40 years he was one of the Secretaries of the Society of Antiquaries. Nicholas was in the city of York where he was baptized in the church of Bishophill the Younger on the 8th Feb 1771.

Their grandfather married first Miss Elizabeth Hutchinson an immediate descendant from Colonel Hutchinson who defended Nottingham Castle and secondly Susanna Skottowe to whose father Captain Cook the celebrated circumnavigator owed his education. Her sister Anne was the wife of Robert Wood esq the author of the Essay on Homer and of magnificent works on the ruins of Palmyra and Balbec.

There are conflicting reports of who was their mother, but it seems most likely that the mother of Nicholas and Anthony Carlisle was Barbara Hubback. After receiving a humble education from the Rev James Lawson at West Witton in Yorkshire Nicholas Carlisle entered the naval service of the East India Company in which he attained the post of purser.

Enjoying opportunities of private trade he amassed a considerable sum of money, most of which he expended as joint housekeeper with his brother to whom he was much attached and whom he assisted at the commencement of his professional career.

Amongst other accomplishments, Nicholas Carlisle authored a number of publications, including "A Memoir of the Life and Works of William Wyon, .. - Google Books Result about the Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint. See also his obituary at The Gentleman's Magazine - Google Books Result 1350

Thomson, William John - portrait of Charlotte Knox Trotter

2008-07-27T00:23:00.000-07:00

The Case of the Cabinet-Maker's Daughter
Another stroll through history, via the "back of a miniature portrait"!

Introduction
Signed and dated miniature portraits, with identified sitters are generally preferred by collectors, although very few miniatures are each; signed, dated, and identified.

Obviously, those characteristics make it easier to research an artist and their sitter. However, another benefit of dated miniatures, is the ability to assign an approximate date to another undated miniature though a comparison of comparative costume or hairstyle, seeking similarities.

Thus this miniature by William John Thomson (sometimes recorded as William John Thompson), clearly signed and dated on the reverse "Painted by W J Thomson Sept 1831 Edinburgh" is helpful as a reference piece.

Charlotte is wearing a pale blue loosely draped dress, with what were called "leg-of-mutton" sleeves, a wide belt, and a low neck. She has a shawl over her shoulder and her hair is piled very high. Her hair is almost a throw back to the 1770's, but without the use of powder and decorations. Her long necklace may hold a miniature portrait and she has long drop ear earrings.

Thus we can tell these features were fashionable in 1831 and undated miniatures with similar features can be dated to around 1830.

Also, as will become evident below and as is often the case in researching miniatures, the name of a sitter can turn a miniature from being just another miniature "portrait of a young lady" into an interesting and almost three dimensional "living" person, by adding "flesh and bones" to the portrait.

Thus this sitter has been revealed as Charlotte Trotter, the daughter of the famous Scottish cabinet-maker, William Trotter, who also served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh.

The Miniature and the Artist
Unusually the case and the miniature are octagonal in shape, with the miniature set within a 15ct gold bezel frame and with its original protective convex glass. Miniatures of this shape are rarely found, and from memory, I think there are only two others in this collection, one being English and one French. However, both of those are much smaller than this one which is 82mm x 63mm.

A little confusingly, the outer case (not shown) is Edwardian. This may be because the reverse glass of the original locket case was broken and it was cheaper to have it framed in an Edwardian case, rather than having a rear octagonal glass custom made which would have been expensive. The reverse of the outer case has a pull-out strut and is embossed with the framer's name "Mansfield, 90 Grafton Street, Dublin".

The artist, William John Thomson (1771-1845) classifies as both a British and American artist, as he was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1771, but worked for most of his life in Britain.

He was the son of Alexander Thomson and Mary Elizabeth Spencer (?-1778) who appear to have been married on 24 Nov 1770 in Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, Alexander Thomson (?-1798), and son of James Thomson, was a customs collector and loyalist who returned to Britain in 1776, although he did return briefly to Georgia in the early 1780's. He then retired in Britain on a small pension.

Mary Elizabeth Spencer was the daughter of William Spencer. I have been advised by a direct Thomson descendant that Alexander Thomson and Mary Elizabeth Spencer had a second son, Anthony Todd Thomson. The family is seeking to identify more closely James Thomson, as there is a family story that he was in fact the son of a Jacobite Earl.

The information available to the Thomson descendent is that William John Thomson, shared the view of his father Alexander Thomson, that his grandfather James Thomson, was in actual fact James Carnegie (the son of James Carnegie, the 5th Earl of Southesk). The 5th Earl fled Scotland to the continent as a result of the 1715 Jacobite uprising and legend has it that he died in France. In 1716 he was attainted as a Jacobite. His estates, at that time of the annual rental of £3,271, probably about a tenth of their present value, were forfeited to the crown. In 1717 an act passed to enable his majesty to make provision for his wife and children. He died in France in 1729. He married Lady Margaret Stewart, eldest daughter of the fifth earl of Galloway, and had a son and a daughter, who both died young. With this earl the elder branch became extinct. His countess took for her second husband John, master of Sinclair

However, see also thePeerage.com - Person Page 19799 which records that the 5th Earl of Southesk died 10 Feb 1729/1730 and had two children who both died young.

Two possible explanations are;
Firstly, that the two children did not die young, but were left behind when the 5th Earl fled to France and adopted by someone called Thomson, to conceal their identity. The wife of the 5th Earl, Lady Margaret Stewart was remarried after his death to John St Clair, Master of Sinclair in about 1733 . John St Clair had also been attainted as a Jacobite, but was pardoned in 1723.

As Lady Margaret lived until 1747 and had no children from her second marriage, it seems highly likely she would have reclaimed the children from her first marriage, after the 1717 Act providing support for her and her children, if not to seek also a pardon and so protect their inheritance and/or title.

Secondly, that James Thomson was perhaps an illegitimate son of the 5th Earl, which would provide an explanation for the different surname and also explain the apparent disinterest in the children's inheritance and/or title on the part of Lady Margaret.

Evidence from several independent sources shows that Alexander Thomson (postmaster in Savannah) and his sons were extremely well connected and that there was always a question about the parentage of Alexander.

The family records that William John Thomson had one son, William Thomas Thomson, who had a son Spencer Campbell Thomson, but there the trail ends. Any leads about the early Thomson family history would be welcomed by the Thomson family.

William John Thomson was originally taken to London where he learned to paint and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1795 to 1843. He moved to Scotland in 1812 where he painted many miniatures and was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1829.

On 12 May 1797 he married Helen Colhoun in Edinburgh. According to Foskett, he was offered a knighthood, but declined.

In 1832 he painted a miniature of the well known novelist Mrs Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865) (nee Elizabeth Stevenson) who wrote various books, including "Cranford". Elizabeth Gaskell being the step-daughter of Thomson's sister.

Johnson observed of his work; "His subjects dace slightly to the right; their features are emphatically delineated, the left eye appearing overly large. A pink tonality suffuses the paintings, reddish-brown shading models the forms, and brown hatching often makes up the background."

Although the pink tonality is not as obvious in this example, it can be seen in her face, together with the other characteristics, in the close-up image. William John Thomson died in Edinburgh on 24 March 1845.

One of Thomson's main competitors in Edinburgh in the early 19C was William Douglas. For some examples of his work, see May - Twenty years on the trail of William Douglas

A miniature painter who moved from London to Edinburgh, perhaps to compete in the Edinburgh market in the 1820's, was Henry Daniel Thielcke, although no dated miniatures by him have been yet located from that era. Thielcke moved to Canada around 1830, perhaps because he could not break into the Edinburgh market, see Thielcke, Henry Daniel - portrait of an unknown lady

Other Works by the William John Thomson
In America, examples of his work are included in the Manney Collection at the Metropolitan Museum, in the Cincinnati Art Museum, and in the Carolina Art Association Collection at the Gibbes Museum in Charleston.

There are also examples of his work in British Museums, including the Victoria & Albert Museum and the National Gallery of Scotland.

There are three other miniatures by Thomson in this Artists and Ancestors collection.

One is of John Gloag signed and dated 1814 (please pardon the scanner glare).

The second is of a young lady with a white ruff signed and dated 1820.

The third is of a young lady where the backing paper is missing and so there is no signature, but which has been attributed to Thomson. This miniature probably dates to around 1825. (931, 1213, 1276, 1343).

Thus the four works shown here are later works by him, although they do cover 17 years of his career.

It is a great pity the identities of the young ladies are unknown, as they could well have been as interesting as Charlotte Trotter.

Identifying Charlotte Trotter
The sitter in the miniature is identified, although with a little confusion by two contradictory notes. One very old note is as shown and reads; "On ivory. Portrait of Charlotte Trotter, daughter of William Trotter of Ballindean, Edinburgh. Painted by W J Thomson, September 1831. She afterwards was the wife of Col(onel) Robert Knox of the 6th Bengal Light Cavalry."

The second note was apparently cut from a fairly recent auction catalogue and reads; "Charlotte was the fifth daughter of David Knox, Surgeon of Edinburgh, and Isabel Hepburn. She married Thomas Trotter, a merchant in Edinburgh and had a son William and a daughter St Clair Skene Knox."

However, this second note has been completely discounted after finding the reference to A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great ... - Google Books Result The auctioneer, must have misread the entry, as the book which was published in 1838, notes that the Thomas Trotter who married Charlotte Knox, daughter of David Knox and Isabel Hepburn, was himself born in 1724. Thus that Charlotte Trotter was about 100 years too early to be the sitter in this miniature. However, it seems she was the grandmother of this younger Charlotte Trotter.

The same history comments on William Trotter (1772-16 Aug 1834) as follows; "William Trotter esq of Ballindean, in the county of Perth, born 10 November 1772, was several times member of the town-council of Edinburgh and latterly, in the years 1826 and 1827, elected Lord Provost (i.e. Lord Mayor, and as on the attached board) of the city. To him Edinburgh is indebted for many of its greatest improvements and he was one of the most influential and respected of her citizens. He was deputy-lieutenant, justice of the peace, and commissioner of supply for Perthshire. He married 3 June 1801, his cousin-german (i.e. first cousin), St Clair Stuart, daughter of Dr Robert Knox, physician in London, and had issue."

The Dr Robert Knox (?-1792) mentioned here, was the son of the Dr David Knox referred to in the second, discounted note. As the book concentrates on the male line of British families, in most instances the names, or even existence of daughters, are not mentioned.

However a different reference notes the 1844 marriage of Sarah Jane, the youngest daughter of the late William Trotter of Ballindean, to Charles Baron De Lanchen, Chamberlain to the Elector of Hesse. The use of the term "youngest daughter", rather than "elder daughter" or "daughter" is an indication William Trotter had at least three daughters. See The Annual Register - Google Books Result and more recently, a kind visitor has sent me the extract here taken from Burkes, which mentions Charlotte.

This is confirmed by a reference stating William Trotter had four sons and three daughters, see The Scottish Nation: Or, The Surnames, Families, Literature, ... - Google Books Result although they are not named there.

(Another kind visitor has also advised that the names of the children were; Thomas, William, Francis Skene, John, Charles, St Clair Stuart, Charlotte Knox, and Sarah Jane. The same kind visitor has advised that Charlotte's birth is recorded on 11 Aug 1819, although some records refer to this also as her christening date. Usually christening occurred later than the birth date, sometimes by a year or more, so currently I do not know whether 11 Aug was her birth date or her christening date. In any event, it must be conceded that the sitter in the miniature looks a little older, as based on the 1819 date she would have been 12 at the time of the painting. She may have been painted to look a little older than her age, or alternatively, it may possibly represent her older sister, St Clair Stuart Trotter. Without other portraits to compare, her identity cannot be confirmed. However, the details of the note shown indicate that the writer was familiar with the Trotter family, thus in the absence of any differing evidence, it seems appropriate to continue to regard the sitter as Charlotte.)

Ballindean is a small hamlet in Inchture Parish, Perthshire, half way between Perth and Dundee. William Trotter of Edinburgh purchased the Ballindean property around 1820, from Sir David Wedderburn of Ballindean, Bart. He then substantially extended the property.

In the early 1880's Ballindean House, in Ballindean, then described as "a tasteful modern mansion", was occupied by the Hon Mrs Trotter and included 1175 acres.

(Confusingly, I believe she was the Hon Mary Rollo Trotter (8 May 1897-9 Oct 1886), being the eldest daughter of the 8th Lord Rollo and the widow of Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Knox Trotter(7 Feb 1807-1876) of the 17th Lancers, who she had married on 27 Mar 1833. He being an elder brother of the Charlotte Knox Trotter in this miniature who, as outlined below, was to marry Colonel Robert Trotter Knox. The eldest daughter of Robert Knox Trotter and Mary Rollo Trotter, i.e. Agnes Bruce Trotter (?-2 May 1906) on 15 Oct 1857 married John Rogerson Rollo (24 Oct 1835-2 Oct 1916) 18th of Duncrub and the 10th Lord Rollo.)

Ballindean House with its 29 rooms and remaining 26 acres, was purchased as derelict in 1984. It has been renovated as shown in these two images, and is now the home of a pony club, see www.teenranch.org.uk

All this detail, taken with the names and dates on the old note as illustrated, but subject to the apparent age of the sitter, seems to make it reasonable to conclude that the sitter in the miniature is Charlotte Knox Trotter, daughter of this William Trotter.

Apart from being Lord Provost of Edinburgh in 1826/27, this William Trotter is recorded as a cabinet-maker and entreponeur.

No doubt he commissioned and paid for this miniature of his daughter and also miniatures of other members of his family. There must also be some oil portraits of the family, but at present their location is unknown.

The Wedderburns and Abolition of Slavery in Scotland

As mentioned above William Trotter purchased Ballindean as his country home around 1820 from Sir David Wedderburn of Ballindean, the son of a Sir John Wedderburn. In 1828, Sir David Wedderburn was Seputy Postmaster-General and Cashier at the General Post Office in Waterloo Place, Edinburgh. Interestingly, the Wedderburns were Baronets of Nova Scotia, Canada, created in 9 Aug 1704 and of the United Kingdom created in 10 Aug 1803.

Alexander Wedderburn of Kingennie, Co. Forfar, born 1561, was in high favour of the Stuart King James VI of Scotland (showing here in a miniature recently acquired for this collection).

Alexander Wedderburn accompanied James VI to England in 1603 and Alexander was one of the signatories to the treaty for a union between England and Scotland in 1604, when James VI also became James I (1603-1625) of England.

On his return to Scotland next year, James VI presented Alexander with a ring off his own finger, still preserved in the family.

Alexander's descendant was later created a baronet in 1704. See History of the Wedderburn family The bestowing of the Wedderburn baronetcy in 1704, would have marked the resumption of the reign of the House of Stuart, represented by Queen Anne (1702-1714) shown here in a miniature from this collection. She ascended the throne on the death of William III (1689-1702) of the House of Orange, also shown in a miniature in enamel from this collection by Michael Rosse.

The House of Stuart had earlier been deposed when James II (1685-1688) was forced from the throne for being a Catholic.

After he purchased it from Sir David Wedderburn, William Trotter substantially enlarged Ballindean.

Thus Charlotte Trotter would have been living at Ballindean House from around 1820, probably until she was married in 1839. She would have therefore been well aware of the Wedderburn connections, as well as the following three stories, as the name of Sir John Wedderburn was of then recent historic interest on several counts.

Firstly, as most scholars believe the legal movement to abolish slavery in Scotland started in 1778 when a majority of judges in the Court of Session found against Sir John Wedderburn and decided that the law of Scotland could not support slavery.

A black man named Joseph Knight had been brought as a slave from Jamaica to Scotland by Sir John Wedderburn of Ballindean in 1769, and for eight years had sought a determination of his freedom. See Joseph Knight - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For a recent novel based on the events see the attached book by James Robertson.

Three years later in 1772 a ruling in England (see Somersett's case) cast doubt on the legality of slavery under the common law.

Assuming this applied to the rest of Britain Joseph Knight demanded wages from his owner, Sir John Wedderburn of Ballendean, and ran away when this was refused. When Wedderburn had him arrested, Knight brought a case before the Justices of the Peace court in Perth.

When the Justices of the Peace found in favour of Wedderburn, Knight appealed to the Sheriff of Perth, who found that ‘the state of slavery is not recognised by the laws of this kingdom, and is inconsistent with the principles thereof: That the regulations in Jamaica, concerning slaves, do not extend to this kingdom’.

In 1777 Wedderburn in turn appealed to the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland's supreme civil court, arguing that Knight still owed perpetual service, in the same manner as an indentured servant or an apprenticed artisan. The case was important enough that it was given a full panel of judges including Lord Kames the important legal and social historian.

The case for Knight was helped in preparation by James Boswell and Samuel Johnson. Their argument was that 'no man is by nature the property of another'. Since there was no proof that Knight had given up his natural freedom, he should be set free.

Lord Kames said 'we sit here to enforce right not to enforce wrong' and the court emphatically rejected Wedderburn's appeal, ruling that ‘the dominion assumed over this Negro, under the law of Jamaica, being unjust, could not be supported in this country to any extent: That, therefore, the defender had no right to the Negro’s service for any space of time, nor to send him out of the country against his consent: That the Negro was likewise protected under the act 1701, c.6. from being sent out of the country against his consent.’

Essentially Knight succeeded in arguing that he should be allowed to leave domestic service and provide a home for his wife and child. See also Joseph Knight case - The National Archives of Scotland

Any website visitors wishing to read more about miniature portraits in this collection which are connected with slavery in Britain, should see the story of an English slave trader's widow at Hargreaves, Thomas - portrait of Esther Watson Tobin

Secondly, the Wedderburn family were even less successful in other causes they supported in the 18C, as Sir John Wedderburn's father, also a Sir John Wedderburn was captured at the Battle of Culloden in 1745 where he was acting as a lifeguard supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie and was then executed on 26 Nov 1746.

The woodcut shown here was taken from a silhouette projected by candle-light onto paper by the daughter of one of Sir John's gaoler's, the night before his execution.

For a letter written to his wife hours before he was executed, see Letter from Sir John It commences "My Dearest, Be the time this comes to hand I shall be no more. I hope God who has given me patience to bear with a great many hardships hitherto will support me to the last.......,"

Thirdly, the executed Sir John Wedderburn had been the son of Sir Alexander Wedderburn, 4th Baronet, who was deposed from his office as clerk of Dundee for his part in the 1715 Stuart uprising.

It appears that recent Wedderburns have had more luck with their causes, as it seems the estates of the family were inherited by the heir of line now represented by Henry James Scrimgeour-Wedderburn, and Wedderburn and Birkhill, Hereditary Royal Standard Bearer of Scotland.

William Trotter - Cabinet-maker and Lord Provost
William Trotter, the father of Charlotte was, and still is, recognised as the leading Scottish cabinet-maker of the early 19C. The firm of Young, Trotter, and Hamilton dominated the Scottish cabinet-making market from 1730-1830.

Auction catalogues from Christie's and Sotheby's frequently include furniture attributed to him.

At the current time, i.e. mid 2008, the firm of Millington Adams has for sale (at www.millingtonadams.com) the attached fine Scottish Regency figured mahogany linen press attributed to William Trotter of Edinburgh.

It is described as; "The moulded cornice over a flame mahogany frieze, with a pair of panelled doors below opening to reveal a fitted interior of five original mahogany linen slides. The bottom half with an arrangement of two over three graduated, oak lined cock beaded drawers, retaining the original unusual gilt brass rectangular drop handles. The press stands on shaped bracket feet. This piece is in remarkably fine condition, and is of the highest quality throughout; it appears that it has had minimal use during its 190 or so years at Blairquhan.

William Trotter was born into a family of merchants in 1772, descended on the maternal side from the family of John Knox, he became a member of The Merchant Company in 1797 and by 1809 he was sole proprietor of the firm Young & Trotter. In 1819 (some references say this was in 1809) he was elected master of The Merchant Company and from 1825-27 he was Lord Provost of Edinburgh. In 1814-15 he furnished the library and picture gallery which the architect Robert Reid had added to Paxton House for George Home. Trotter continued to trade from 9 Princes Street (the site on which the 'Balmoral Hotel' stands today) until his death in 1833. He was regarded as the perhaps the most eminent of all Scottish cabinet makers. Trotter was a great rival of James & Mathew Morrison who supplied the majority of furniture for Sir David Hunter Blair at the newly renovated Blairquhan House. This piece was apparently documented in the house archives as one of the few pieces at Blairquhan made by William Trotter
Provenance: Blairquhan House, Ayrshire commissioned by Sir David Hunter Blair from William Trotter of Edinburgh
Price: £6,750
Origin & Age: Scottish, Regency, George IV, circa 1820

Auction catalogues include these examples of recent sales of items of furniture attributed to William Trotter.

Some items of William Trotter's furniture have sold for high prices. A set of three caned library bergere chairs, plus one modern replacement, in mahogany and dating from 1814 were purchased by the British Art Fund in 2003 for £18,164 each (Total: £46,707) at Christie's.

They were described as: "These Grecian-scrolled library bergeres have incised 'tablet' rails and truss-pillared arms with volutes enriched with paterae en suite with the legs. They formed part of a set of four mahogany caned Library chairs supplied in 1814 for George Home's Library at Paxton House, Berwickshire by William Trotter of Prices Street, Edinburgh, at a cost of £7.70 each. The current set has one modern chair.
Provenance: George Home; by descent to Helen Milne Home; Christie's 2003."

A major commission for William Trotter in 1811 was the library and painting gallery (showing here) at Paxton House at Berwick-on-Tweed. The history of this house is interesting.

Some sources state that Paxton House was purchased by Frederick the Great and gifted to Patrick Home who had fallen in love with Sophie de Brandt, the illegitimate daughter of Frederick the Great, after Patrick's mother had threatened to disinherit Patrick if he moved to Germany to marry Sophie.

Patrick was en route back to Prussia and Sophie in late 1751 when news reached him that his mother had been murdered by the butler in one of the family houses. As a result he had to return to Scotland to take over the estate and attend the trial, without being able to see Sophie again.

Other sources, just say that Patrick envisaged the house as a home fit for Sophie. In the event, they did not marry, but Patrick Home retained the house. At one time, it held the greatest collection of antique furniture in Scotland, with furniture by Chippendale as well as by William Trotter.

Frederick the Great is shown here in a mid 18C miniature by Jude Low Pinas from this miniature portrait collection, still in its original mid 18C silver frame, see Pinhas, Jude Low - portrait of Frederick the Great

For more about Paxton, see Friends At Paxton House - A Magnificent Stately House Set In The ...

William Trotter was also the Lord Provost present at the laying of the foundation stones of the Western Approach and the George IV bridge on 15 August, 1827.

See also a magazine titled "The Journal of The Furniture History Society XIX", Haywards Heath 1983, by Bamford, F. which includes "A Dictionary of Edinburgh Wrights and Furniture Makers 1660-1840" and also includes;
-Appendix I: William Trotter's estimate for furnishing No. 3 Moray Place, Edinburgh for Sir Duncan Campbell of Barcaldine, 1825.
-Appendix II. Summary of the will and inventory of William Trotter, Esq. of Ballindean, who died 16 August 1834(?).

John Knox - the Founder of Presbyterianism
The reason for the name Knox to be prevalent in Carlotte Trotter's family is that on her father's maternal side, some sources state Charlotte was descended from John Knox (1515-1572) who was a leading Pastor and teacher in Scotland, in England and in continental Europe.

However, it seems unlikely she was a direct descendant of the 16C John Knox, as that John Knox seems to have had three daughters, but no sons. (A kind visitor has since advised me the descent was from William Knox, the brother of John Knox.)

John Knox was a leading figure in the Scottish reformation of the 16th century and is regarded as the founder of the Presbyterian Church. See John Knox - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charlotte and her Family
Thus, Charlotte Knox Trotter came from a highly regarded family living in Edinburgh and with a proud history.

From July 1837, Births, Marriages, and Deaths (BMD) had to be officially recorded in Britain. This has enabled the location of her marriage, which is believed to be recorded as Charlotte Knox Trotter, daughter of William Trotter, marrying Robert Trotter Knox on 7 Mar 1839 at St Cuthbert's in Edinburgh.

It seems Robert Trotter Knox was already based in India, as he is recorded as a lieutenant in the 6th Bengal Regiment of Light Cavalry, see The Bengal directory and annual register - Google Books Result

Robert and Charlotte appear to have been cousins and must have left for India not long after their wedding. A kind visitor has found a reference that reveals Charlotte and her husband sailed to Calcutta from England on the ship "Robert Small" captained by J.P.Scott and arrived there in December 1839. The same visitor found that Robert wrote a will which was recorded in 1844.

Traces of Robert Trotter Knox and Charlotte Knox have been found in India, where they had a daughter, St Clair Stewart Knox who was born on 30 Apr 1840 at Sultanpore, Benares, West Bengal, India and a son, Frances Arthur Skene Knox who was born 23 Apr 1841, also at Sultanpore, Benares, West Bengal, India.

It seems likely there were other children, as there is a 12 Mar 1861 reference to a Captain Robert Trotter Knox exchanging from the 90th Regiment of Foot to 2nd West India Regiment and, given the same name, he may well be a son born around 1840. See Bulletins and Other State Intelligence Compiled and Arranged from ... - Google Books Result and an 1863 reference which states he joined the army as an ensign on 15 May 1855, was promoted to Lieutenant on 13 July 1855 and to Captain on 26 Sep 1858, see Hart's Annual Army List, Militia List, and Imperial Yeomanry List - Google Books Result This same Captain Robert Trotter Knox is referred in the Edinburgh Evening Courant of 1 Dec 1867 as retiring on temporary half-pay on 28 Dec 1866.

By coincidence, also on 12 Mar 1861 and in connection with the 90th Regiment of Foot, and at the same 12 Mar 1861 reference above, there is the comment: "Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Garnet Joseph Wolseley promoted without purchase, to an unattached majority." Lord Wolseley later became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army and he is represented in that rank, in a miniature portrait held as part of this collection, see Unknown - portrait of Lord Wolseley

Colonel Knox and the 6th Bengal Light Cavalry
Reverting to Colonel Knox, the old note pictured above refers to the 6th Bengal Light Cavalry. As there is often confusion between "regular" and irregular" cavalry, the background to each branch is covered here.

Regular Cavalry - Bengal Light Cavalry
The regular cavalry established by the East India Company relied on the patronage of Indian rulers. In 1760 the first troops of Moghul Horse (rissalahs) to be raised were commanded by Sirdar Minza Shahbaz Khan (1st Horse) and Sirdar Khan Tar Beq (2nd Horse) and a third was raised in 1765. All three were disbanded in 1772.

Then in 1776 there were two regiments raised for the Nawab Wazir of Oudh and a third in 1776. The first two were disbanded in 1783 but the third continued as a troop for a while. A troop of Pathans was formed in 1778 and called the Kandahar Horse, then in 1783 this and the third troop were raised up to regimental strength.

When the British Army formed its own cavalry, the third troop above became the 1st Regiment of Light Cavalry and the Kandahar Horse became the 2nd Regiment.

A third and fourth regiments were raised in the mid 1790s, four more in the early years of the 19th century and two more in 1825. The 11th was the last to be raised as late as 1842. The officers were British and the other ranks were Indian but all were dressed in British style uniforms as with the example here, except for the other ranks' head-dress. All these cavalry regiments were disbanded during the Indian Mutiny.

1st Bengal Light Cavalry
2nd Bengal Light Cavalry
3rd Bengal Light Cavalry
4th Bengal Light Cavalry
5th Bengal Light Cavalry
6th Bengal Light Cavalry
7th Bengal Light Cavalry
8th Bengal Light Cavalry
9th Bengal Light Cavalry
10th Bengal Light Cavalry
11th Bengal Light Cavalry

Irregular Cavalry - Bengal Irregular Cavalry
The Bengal Irregular Cavalry units were distinct from the Bengal Light Cavalry regiments. This can more readily be seen by their red uniforms

At first the irregular units were called Local Horse and were raised by Europeans from volunteers who owned their own horse and equipment and were prepared to provide for themselves in the field.

This was called the sillidar system. Sometimes a local leader called a sirdar would bring a whole group of horsemen and act as their officer within the regiment. The firearms and ammunition would be provided by the regiment. By the early 1900s the system was regulated so that a recruit did not need to bring a horse, but paid a cash equivalent. He also had a monthly amount deducted from his pay for replacement of worn-out kit, and which acted as an insurance against his horse getting killed.

In the early days, uniform were not very military but the colour of the alkalak or kurta was regulated as was the colour of the turban and kummerbund to make members of each regiment recognisable, especially necessary in the heat of battle.

The difference between regular and irregular cavalry was very obvious, apart from the uniforms. There was much stricter discipline in the regular cavalry and the standard of intelligence there tended to generally be lower. The irregular cavalry appealed to men of free spirit and thus attracted British officers of like mind.

The Impact of the Indian Mutiny of 1857

After the 1857 Indian Mutiny, the regular army regiments disappeared and the irregulars formed the nucleus of the cavalry taken over by the crown from the East India Company. By the end of the 19th century, the cavalry were smart disciplined units but still retained the sillidar system.

The brief history of the 6th Bengal Cavalry is that it was raised at Fatehgarh in 1842 by Lieutenant W H Ryves as the 8th Regiment of Bengal Irregular Cavalry, then in:

1861 reformed as 6th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry

1883 reformed as 6th (the Prince of Wales) Regiment of Bengal Cavalry

1901 reformed as 6th (Prince of Wales) Bengal Cavalry

1906 reformed as 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry

1922 reformed as 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry

1950 reformed as 18 Cavalry of the Indian Army

Their first action was in 1843 during the Gwalior Campaign in central India for which they earned the battle honour Punniar.

In 1845 the regiment was involved in the First Anglo-Sikh War and participated in the Battle of Moodkee the Battle of Ferozeshah and the Battle of Sobraon

In the 20C, the 18 Cavalry Regiment participated in battles in France, North Africa, Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and Burma in the two World Wars and other campaigns.

In the defence of India, it fought in the Sialkot (Pakistan) and the Ganganagar sectors in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistan Wars respectively. For its distinguished record, 18 Cavalry has the proud privilege of being awarded 29 battle honours, which is the second highest number awarded to any unit of the Indian Army.

An impressive number of personnel of the Regiment have been decorated for gallantry and sacrifice, principal amongst which are 3 Victoria Crosses, 46 Indian Distinguished Service Medals, 24 Indian Orders of Merit and 2 Vir Chakras. As recently as 1991, the 18 Cavalry regiment featured on this postage stamp from India.

Given the old note referring to Colonel Robert Knox of the 6th Bengal Light Cavalry, it seems Colonel Knox was with the Bengal Light Cavalry, not the Bengal Irregular Cavalry, but may have been Colonel of the Regiment around the time it was reformed as the 6th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry in 1861.

To clarify this and for more details of Colonel's Knox's career it would be necessary to follow him via the National Archives, Family history | Indian Army which comments; "The Indian Army was the successor to the East India Company armies from 1859 and existed until the partition of India in 1947. The East India Company had administered India until 1858, through three Presidencies - Bengal, Madras and Bombay each with its own army. These armies consisted of British regiments and Indian regiments commanded by British officers. Service records for officers and soldiers of the East India Company armies are held in the British Library Asia, Pacific and African Collections."

Later history
Investigation is continuing into Charlotte and her family, to see if the family was affected by the 1857 Indian Mutiny, but with some difficulty.

Her daughter St Clair Stewart Knox referred to above and who was born on 30 Apr 1840 at Sultanpore, Benares, West Bengal, India returned to England and seems not to have married. She can be traced through the English census records. In 1871 she was lodging as an "Officer's daughter" in Marylebone, London. In 1881 she was a teacher of French and German in Bristol, the entry is hard to read, but possibly she was Landlady". In 1891 she was living "on her own means" in Bristol and had a nurse living with her as a servant. Thus she may have been in bad health.

Her son, Frances Arthur Skene Knox who was born 23 Apr 1841, also at Sultanpore, Benares, West Bengal, India has not yet been located.

Young Trotter

William Trotter had an elder brother named Young Trotter. The above entry prompted an email from a helpful descendant of Young Trotter and as part of it refers to William Trotter and Charlotte Trotter's ancestors, the email is repeated here for any interested researchers. The descendant also kindly provided these images of Young Trotter and his wife Jean Cranston and also two old images of Ballindean House shown above.

"Very interesting site you have set up. A distant cousin sent me the link for "The Case of the Cabinet-Maker's Daughter" - as we are both doing family history research and the Trotter family is one of our family lines.

When I first saw the site - due to the name - I thought the miniature was of one of my direct ancestors with the same name - another Charlotte Knox Trotter who was the daughter of Young Trotter - who was a brother of William Trotter - Cabinet Maker and Lord Provost of Edinburgh.

Young Trotter - was the Young Trotter of the Chirnside Paper Mill that operated under the name of Young Trotter & Son. The Paper Mill is still in existence and is owned by Ahsltrom - a Finnish Company. The Mill still has the original stone facade built in 1842 - and the old family home has been restored and is used as boardroom and offices. I have photos of paintings of Young Trotter and his wife Jean Cranstoun - William Trotter's brother and sister-in-law.

In addition to the father of John Knox being an ancestor of the Trotter family - Burke's Landed Gentry (1838 and 1898) indicates that the Trotter family of Ballindean are descendants of the Trotter family of Morton Hall - "This family is a branch of that of Morton Hall". I contacted the current Chief of Trotter - Alexander Richard Trotter of Mortonhall and Charterhall - and he indicated that a genealogist in the 1950's concluded that if there was a direct family link between the Trotter families of Morton Hall and of Ballindean - then it goes back earlier than the 1600's or was from illegitimate offspring.

Other ancestors of William's sister-in-law Jean (Cranstoun) Trotter (wife of William's brother Young Trotter) include:
- Hay family of Yester/Tweeddale - descendants include the current Marquess of Tweeddale
- Hay family of Erroll - descendants include the current Earl of Erroll
- Kings Robert II and III of Scotland - ancestors include the early Kings of Scotland and England - the early High Kings of Ireland - Roman Emperors Constantine the Great and Charlemagne - Saint James the Just the First Bishop of Jerusalem (1-85 AD). Descendants of Kings Robert II and III of Scotland include Queen Elizabeth II.

I have an old handwritten family tree (1940's) that shows the family lines back to:
- the William Knox - the father of John Knox and
- Anne Hay who married George Cranstoun of Dewar & Harvieston - after further research I discovered that the family lines back from Anne Hay - lead to the Hay of Yester/Tweeddale and Erroll and Kings Robert II & III of Scotland and so on ...

This handwritten family tree includes William Trotter and his children - the sons by name and a notation that he had three daughters.

There is also a note on the tree as follows "There are miniatures at Ballindean of Thos. Trotter & Charlotte Knox" - the parents of William and Young Trotter. I sent an e-mail to the Ballindean Teen Ranch - asking if they knew anything about the miniatures and they did not reply - so I have not yet been able to locate the miniatures.

I have also tried to do some detective work to identify who painted and who was painted in a few old Hay family paintings - and also who is included in old photographs of ancestors in Canada. Unfortunately - as you have seen the living relatives know who the subject is - so tend not to make any notation that would help future generations." 1343

Unknown - portrait of Major Thomas Cansh

2008-03-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait by an unknown artist is of Major Thomas Cansh (28 Jan 1781-?).

It is well documented by an inscription on the front and a portion of a printed document on the reverse.

The front inscription reads "Lieut & Adjut Thos Cansh - Vth Regiment - Valenceinnes, 15 Feby 1817". The 2nd battalion had been disbanded by this date with only the 1st battalion serving in France. As there was no fighting at this time, the date must have some other significance.

Unfortunately the rear document has large portions missing, with essentially four sections.

Section 1 ......Banquet held at Glasgow ......giving.......h details of services of the invited.....

Section 2 CANSH
....reference was made as follows:-
....an who planted his foot on the summit of the ramparts of Badajos
....allant veteran beside me, who planted the British Standard on the
....ilated the French Army on the Plains of Vittoria
....he arms of one of the veterans who now adorns this table - I mean ...

Section 3
....d of Major Cansh's services;-
....the Expedition to Hanover in 1805-1806; In the Peninsular with the
....from October 1813 to the end of that war in 1814, including the battles of
....lines at Torres-Vadras: Actions of Leria, Pombal, Redinha and Sabugal-
....tes d'Onore: Second Seige of Badajos - contused wound on chest: Actions
....capture of Cindad Rodigo - wound to right thigh in the assult ; Third Siege and
....at the assult: Battle of Salamanca - horse killed : Capture of Madrid and the
....Orthes : Actions of Sauveterre and Vic Bigorre, and Battle of Toulouse - horse wounded. Served afterwards in the American War, and was present at the Battle of Plattsburg.

(His date of death is not known, but if Major Cansh was still alive in 1847 he would have been entitled to wear this 1813-1814 Military General Service Medal which shows clasps for CORUNNA, BADAJOZ, SALAMANCA, VITTORIA, and ORTHES. This medal was only sanctioned in 1847 and awarded the next year.)

Section 4 The above mentioned book (presumably Narrative of the Peninsular Campaign 1807 -1814 Its Battles and Sieges (ISBN: 1847342663) by William Francis Patrick Napier) was given to General James W Walker, Irvine by Mrs M J Calder Xmas 1921, who wrote the following letter:-

To the Editor of the "Belfast News-Letter". (This is the oldest English language general daily newspaper still in publication in the world, having first been printed in 1737)
The Storming of Badajos
Dear Sir, Still further interest may be added to our correspondence on the Storming of Badajos, if I mention that my grand uncle, Major Cansh (not then of that rank) was the man who placed and scaled the second ladder by the side of Colonel Ridge, and was the first man alive to enter the city; for Ridge was shot as he gained the ramparts, and expired in Cansh's arms as he fell. Cansh is mentioned in Napier's "Battles and Sieges in the Peninsula" as follows :-
"A second ladder was placed alongside by the Grenadier Officer Cansh, and the next instant he and Ridge were on the rampart . . . the Castle was won." Major Cansh is buried in Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh, and a handsome monument erected by his fellow officers and friends gives a long list of the engagements in which he fought. I have a copy of a portrait of my grand uncle, and we have the sword which he carried throughout the Peninsula War. This fine soldier was one of ten sons, each of them measuring six feet and over in height. Not only was he a brave man, but he was also a devout Christian. I have heard my mother tell of how her "Uncle Thomas" never went into battle without prayer and reading a portion of scripture - Yours, etc M J Calder, 8 Stranmillis Road, Belfast.

The action is shown in a postcard and another illustration. The Siege of Badajos was regarded as one of the bloodiest actions of the Napoleonic Wars and more about it can be seen at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Badajoz_(1812)

From the above inscription on the reverse of the miniature, it seems there was a banquet, perhaps shortly after 1921, at which Major Cansh's exploits were remembered. There are many references to Badajos and Colonel Ridge of the 5th (Northumberland) Regiment of Foot on the Internet, including BADAJOZ and War Medals of The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. 5th Foot Regiment The Regimental Museum is at The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers

The history of the regiment is summarised at RootsWeb: GOONS-L Re: [G] Chelsea Pensioner - Fifth Fusiliers and includes the following. From 1787 to 1797 the 5th (Northumberland) Regiment of Foot was stationed in Canada. After its return home with the onset of the French Revolutionary War, it raised a 2nd Battalion that was disbanded after the Peace of Amiens of 27 Mar 1802. Both battalions fought under the Duke of York in Holland in 1799, and were afterwards stationed at Gibraltar. On the renewal of hostilities in May 1803, another 2nd Battalion was raised in Sussex. The 1st Battalion was based in Hanover in 1805 and was then despatched to South America where it was involved in the Battle of Buenos Aires on 5 Jul 1807, Returning to Europe it was stationed in Portugal in 1808-09 and fought at the Battles of Rolica (17 Aug 1808) Vimiera (21 Aug 1808) and in the withdrawal to and recovery from Corunna on 16 Jan 1809. Later that year it took part in the disastrous Walcheren Expedition of 13 Jul to 16 Aug 1809. In that year a detachment, that had remained in Portugal, was present at the Battle of Talavera (27-28 Jul 1909).
The 2nd Battalion then went to the Peninsula, and fought at Busaco on 27 Sep 1810, in the operations on the Coa, and at the second siege of Badajos. It formed part of a small force that beat off an overwhelming body of the enemy on the heights of El Bodon, on 25 Sep 1811, during the investment of Ciudad Rodrigo. This was a performance that Lord Wellington notified to the Army as "a memorable example of what can be done by steadiness, discipline, and confidence". The battalion fought at the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo on 9 to 12 Jan 1812, and at the Siege and capture of Badajos (17 Mar 16 Apr), where the gallant Colonel Ridge fell. The 1st Battalion having joined from England, both were present at the battle of Salamanca on 22 Jul 1812, after which the 2nd Battalion went home. The 1st Battalion continued to serve under General Picton in the "Fighting Division" until the end of the war. It was engaged in the Battles of Vittoria on 21 Jun 1813, the Nivelle on 10 Nov 1813, Orthez on 27 Feb 1814 Aire on 3 Mar 1814 and Toulouse on 10 Apr 1814. From France it went to Canada, and served on the frontier during the War of 1812, afterwards returning to Europe. The 1st Battalion landed at Ostende too late for Waterloo, but served with the Army of Occupation in France until 1818, during which time the 2nd Battalion was disbanded. (Source: "Records and Badges of the British Army 1900"; by Henry M Chichester and George Burges-Short; 2nd Edition; published in 1900 by Gale and Polden, Paternoster Row, London and Aldershot.)

Thomas Cansh was probably christened 28 Jan 1781 at Govan, Lanark, Scotland being the son of Alexander Cansh and Margaret Maxwell.

There seems to be little other information about the Cansh family on the Internet. However, as a further aside, according to the owners of the Belfast News-Letter referred to above:

"The News Letter [can claim] the first genuine "world exclusive". The boat carrying the first copy to leave America of the Declaration of Independence, and bound for London, hit stormy waters off the north coast of Ireland. The boat sought refuge in Londonderry port and arrangements were made for the declaration to be sent on horseback to Belfast, where it would be met by another ship for delivery to King George III.

Somehow, and in the best traditions of revelatory journalism, the News Letter editor of the day gained access to the priceless document and duly published it on the front page of the August 23, 1776 edition. Today there is a constant demand for copies of that famous and historical front page." 560

Barret(t) - profile of Insull Burman

2008-03-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Although this miniature portrait is not of high quality as many other miniatures, it is an important reference for collectors of silhouettes.

Also, it has enabled some interesting "ancestor archaeology" to be conducted, albeit with several research diversions noted below, such as the Irish Potato Famine, Bear Farming, a School for Young Ladies, the reason for the slow acceptance of Daguerreotypes in England, and the transportation to Australia of convicted pickpockets!!

The important collecting reference is the two typeset trade labels. One being a printed label on the reverse and the other being an impression on the lower left of the portrait. The trade labels are discussed further below.

The frame is gesso over wood and unusually is painted black, most frames of this type and period being gold in colour.

Also most unusually, it has a painted border with tiny 3D metallic decorations inside all of the black shapes in the design.

I am not sure what the technique was to achieve this effect, but it must have been an expensive frame at the time.

The miniature was acquired from Stoke-on-Trent, England and the sitter has been identified as Insull Burman (1810-JAS 1884) by a hand written label on the rear which reads "Insull Burnan (sic) - husband of Caroline - my great-grandfather 1810-1884". Although the writer misspelled the name, this is an example of the importance of identifying miniatures, as it has enabled a little re-creation of the sitter's life".

A complication in tracing his life is that some records refer to him as Insull Burnan and some refer to him as Insull Burman. There are also variations of his first name as Insull, Insell, Insall, and Insul.

The 1851 census for 76 Temple Street, West Bromwich, Staffordshire shows Insull Burman aged 40 as a brewer's agent born in Tanworth (now usually referred to as Tanworth-in-Arden and not to be confused with Tamworth), nine miles south of Birmingham, Warwickshire. His wife Caroline (16 May 1824-?) is aged 26 born in Worcester City and they have four children; Mary C (1842-?) aged 9 born in Aston, Martha (1845-?) aged 6, John (1847-?) aged 4 and Annie (1849-?) aged 2 with the three youngest children all born in West Bromwich. Also in the household is Edwin Nichols a clerk aged 21 and unmarried, born in Hagely, Worcs and described as Insull's brother-in-law. Thus he is Caroline's brother and her maiden name of Nichols can be determined. This is confirmed by their marriage record of 20 Dec 1840 at Aston Juxta Birmingham, Warwickshire. It would seem that Caroline was only 16 at the time of her marriage.

There is also a servant in the house during the 1851 census, Sarah Burns aged 19 who was born in Ireland. As this is the 1851 census, it seems certain that Sarah had fled from Ireland because of the potato famine which in 1851 had been running for six years from 1845. During the famine over one million people died from starvation and its associated effects, with another million fleeing the country to England, America, and elsewhere.

Thus although we can sympathise with Sarah Burns living the life of a servant, in all probability she would have considered herself fortunate to have enough to eat. For more about the famine see The History Place - Irish Potato Famine

The parents of Insull Burman were John Burman of Light Hall (shown here) and Mary Heath who were married 21 June 1808 in Tanworth, so this was his childhood home. The name Insull being taken from his great-grandmother's maiden name Mary Insull who married John Burman on 1 May 1747.

There is much about the history of the Burman family at Burman They had lived in the general area since 1273, with an unbroken record from 1467 to the present, with a Burman being Mayor of Stratford on no less than five occasions.

In 1857 Insull Burman moved to Farndon, seven miles south of Chester where he died in JAS 1884. Some records are a little hard to locate due to Insull being wrongly spelled when transcribed to www.ancestry.com, but the family can be found in the 1861 census with three more children Clara (1852-?), Ella (1854-?) and Edwin (1856-?). Insull's occupation is very hard to decipher and perhaps looks like "Landowner Fisher"?

In the 1871 census for Farndon Insull's occupation is given as "Income derived from interest on property". Interestingly, four unmarried daughters are all still living at home as teachers with the family residence called Holly Bank School, described as a "School for Young Ladies", and with eight live in pupils aged 9 to 14, and perhaps also some day pupils.

In 1881 the family lives at 74 Barton Road, Farndon still with eight live in pupils. By 1891 Insull has died and Caroline lives at Bridge House, Farndon as a housekeeper with her widowed son-in-law William Thelwall, a surgeon and his six children.

Turning to the trade labels, the printed one on the reverse reads "Likeness Copied, Repaired &etc. Barrett (sic), Miniature and Portrait Painter, and Profilist ,148, Holborn Bars, Five doors down from Gray's Inn Lane, London - Hours 10 to 9 - Frames provided".

Only a portion of the imprint can be read from the front "Miniature & Portrait Painter Barret (sic) 148 Holborn Bars". Thus it is interesting that Barrett is spelled differently on the front and reverse of the portrait.

A kind visitor has pointed out the major work on British silhouette artists by Sue McKechnie which refers to Barrett as active c1838-1842. Although McKechnie refers to Barretts trade labels and to 148 Holborn Bars, she says she has seen little of his work and does not seem to have ever come across either of the trade labels shown here. She does mention one trade label for him from 122 Holborn Bars, which refers to daguerreotype portraits, but the 148 Holborn Bars label here does not refer to daguerreotypes. One wonders why he gave that line of work up?

Perhaps because daguerreotype photography spread rapidly across France and the United States but not in the United Kingdom, where Louis Daguerre controlled the practice with a patent. Richard Beard, who bought the British patent from Miles Berry in 1841, closely controlled his investment, selling licenses throughout the country and prosecuting infringers.

This picture taken around 1905 shows some of the very old houses in Holborn Bars which would have been there in 1840, but the numbers in the photo are not known.

An 1896 description says "Holborn, derived from Hole Bourne, has been an important thoroughfare for centuries. Criminals travelled along it from the Tower and Newgate on their last journey to Tyburn, and the Inns of Court on either side made it busy. It escaped the Great Fire, but modern improvements have greatly altered its character, least so, however, at the spot known as Holborn Bars, where are some picturesque old houses. The granite obelisk is one of those marking the site of the Bars enclosing the City Liberties, and here a toll had to be paid for carts entering the City. Through Holborn Bars entry is effected to Staple Inn, where Dr. Johnson lived and wrote "Rasselas". Holborn extends from the Viaduct to Holborn Bars; that part of the street which stretches from the Bars to Drury Lane is known as High Holborn."

The profile is undated, but judging by the apparent age of Insull Burnam, at say 35 to 45, and his clothing, it would seem that the profile was taken around 1845/1855.

Tracking the Barrett family has been more difficult, as there is no first name for him. Street directories for 1837-39 record that J Gillingswater, Slaughterer of Bears and Importer of Bear Grease, had a barber's shop at 148 Holborn Bars, London.

This is an opportunity for a little history lesson! Bears grease was used as a pomade for the hair and was also said to cure baldness, presumably based on bears being very hairy (ie furry). In the 19C bears were even farmed and there is reference to this practice at THE BEAR INDUSTRY. The reference is to the banning of bear farming in Maine, USA where it was estimated in 1877 there were, within the state of Maine, 1800 families involved in breeding and raising bears, with each milch bear yielding "10 to 12 pounds of excellent butter".

Some years later, in 1857-58 148 Holborn Bars was occupied by Charles Pyemont a photographer and in 1859-61 by William Levinne another photographer. By 1861 Charles Pyemont who then described himself as "artist in painting" was living at 4 Charlton St, St Pancras. However he was not successful at that, as by 1881 he was widowed and described himself as a general labourer.

It therefore appears Barrett was at 148 Holborn Bars at some stage between 1839 and 1857 which fits with the apparent age of Insull Burman in the profile. It may be possible to narrow this time by trying to determine when John Gillingwater left the site and also trying to find who was living there in the 1841 and 1851 census records. The trade label refers to 148 Holborn Bars being five doors from Grays Inn Lane (now Grays Inn Road), so it must have been close to the bottom of this map.

John Gillingwater (10 Nov 1799-?) a hair dresser can be found in the 1841 census aged 40 living in Willow Terrace, St Mary Islington, with his wife Mary 45 and daughter Mary (3 May 1820-?) aged 20 and born in St Andrew, Holborn. There is a marriage record of John Gillingwater and Ann Kennedy for 4 Mar 1819 in Newgate, London. It appears his wife's name was Mary Ann, so she is recorded as both Mary and Ann.

As an interesting observation it appears from The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London 1674 to 1834 that on 23 Oct 1828 this same John Gillingwater was a witness at the Old Bailey against a pickpocket named William Stanton who had stolen a handkerchief valued at four shillings from his pocket. That sounds a lot of money for a handkerchief and Stanton was sent to prison for six months for the theft.

William Stanton was lucky as the next case in the Old Bailey on 23 Oct 1828 was a pick-pocketing charge against Ann Smith who had stolen a tobacco-box valued at one penny and coins totalling three pounds. She was sentenced to transportation for seven years!

In the 1851 census John Gellingwater (sic) is living as a gentleman, still at 2 Willow Terrace with his wife Ann and daughter Mary, who is still unmarried. It appears John Gillingwater had retired by 1851 and thus left 148 Holborn Bars before 1851. He has not been found in the 1861 census, but in 1871 John Gillingwater then a widower and retired hair dresser lived at 5 Brompton Villas, Edmonton, Middlesex. John appears to have died OND 1871.

Despite the above research, to date it has not been possible to find who was living at 148 Holborn Bars in the 1841 or 1851 census records, which could have enabled finding out the first name of Mr Barrett. 1316

Unknown - portrait of Charles James Fox

2008-02-29T18:14:00.001-08:00

Although this miniature portrait is unsigned, it is inscribed on the reverse "Charles James Fox".

It is quite a coincidence that the portrait was acquired only a month or two after the acquisition of the adjacent miniature of William Pitt the Younger (1759-Feb 1806), as Pitt and Charles James Fox (1749-Sep 1806) were fierce political opponents for many years in the late 18C and early 19C. Perhaps worn out by his political combat, Fox only outlasted Pitt by seven months before he too died.

The miniature may be from life, but is more likely to have been copied from another portrait, although to date the source has not been located. However, the miniature shows Fox as so portly that he can only do up one button on his jacket, a characteristic of other portraits of him.

Although the artist is unknown, he was skilful and competent. The close up gives an indication of the delicacy, although it is a little faded and thus the dark eyebrows which are more obvious in other portraits of Fox are not as prominent in this instance.

The jacket worn by Fox appears as grey-green with dark highlights. But at the very edge, where it was covered by the frame, the jacket is blue and so it seems the artist used a fugitive blue pigment for the jacket which has faded to a grey-green over the last two hundred years.

A minority of miniature painters also painted the reverse of the ivory base to enhance the miniature. The reverse image here is an example of that technique and perhaps shows the original colour of his jacket.

Fox was only 57 when he died, but appears younger than that in the miniature. Judging from his apparent age and that a black ribbon of a pig-tail wig can be seen behind his collar, it would seem that the portrait depicts him at age 40, say around 1790.

It can be compared with a number of other contemporary portraits of him. 1311

There is at least one other miniature portrait of Fox which was painted by Thomas Day in 1787. It is shown here and is held as part of the National Portrait Gallery collection in London, see NPG 6292

Apart from these portraits, both Fox and Pitt were the subjects of many vicious political cartoons depicting political events of the period. The NPG holds many examples of these.

Fox was a Liberal and the founder of the modern Whig party. Fox was a strong advocate for the abolition of slavery. He was also well disposed to America and became a prominent and staunch opponent of George III, whom he regarded as an aspiring tyrant.

Fox demonstrated his support of the revolutionaries across the Atlantic by taking up the habit of dressing in the colours of George Washington's army. As mentioned above, the coat here is badly faded, but was originally dark blue, as can be seen at the extreme edges. Taken with the buff waistcoat, it does represent the colours of Washington's army.

See also Charles James Fox - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Unlike Pitt, Fox was a passionate advocate for peace with France. After the "Peace of Amiens" in 1802, Fox went to France and met Bonaparte with a view to paving the way for a future Anglo-French alliance.

Although, I have not seen a direct reference to it, it seems that the relationship between Pitt and Fox was a little like that between Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain.

Supposedly the two men thought highly of each other, but that is similar to Chamberlain's comments about Hitler. Perhaps as Hitler did with Chamberlain, Napoleon put up a front to convince Fox of his "peaceable intentions".

After war broke out again in 1805, Fox renewed his virulent attacks in Parliament against Pitt's policy and said, not without reason, that the aggression came initially from England, that France had done no more than exert her right of legitimate defence.

He also spoke up against the subsidies that Britain paid to the coalition, declaring that war was disastrous for the nation and served no one but the Bourbons. He never varied in his opinions and represented a large part of the British nation who were opposed to war with France.

When William Pitt died, Fox immediately started negotiations with Napoleon and believed he was about to secure a durable peace, but he died a few months later. With his death, hopes for peace were irrevocably dashed and Napoleon always considered Fox's death as one of the misfortunes of his career. 1311

Unknown - portrait of William Pitt the Younger

2007-12-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

This miniature portrait by an unknown artist is of the famous English Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806). He was the son of William Pitt the Elder (1708-1778), who was Prime Minister of Great Britain (1766-1768).

William Pitt the Younger became the youngest ever Prime Minister of Great Britain between (1783-1801) and again between (1804-1806).

This miniature was probably painted after his death, perhaps to be sold as commemorative memorabilia in the years after his death. The miniature is interesting in a number of respects, although it is of far less importance than the other miniature shown below.

The National Portrait Gallery in London contains 145 portraits of Pitt, many of them being cartoons, but there appear to be no miniatures of Pitt in the collection. The main oil portrait of William Pitt on display in Room 20 at the National Portrait Gallery is described as "School of Hoppner" and so is regarded as a copy. However, to date I have not been able to determine if there is an original by John Hoppner, and if so, where it is. The original may even be lost completely.

From looking at the NPG website, there is one watercolour of Pitt which may be from life, but every other item is a copy of one kind or another, whether an engraving, a sculpture, or a print. For a link to the NPG portraits see William Pitt

The miniature shown here, is now the second miniature of Pitt in this collection and miniatures of him are therefore presumed to be uncommon, if not rare.

Comparison of the first and second miniature can be made, although Pitt is some twenty years different in age between the two portraits. The first miniature as shown here, is engraved on the reverse "Rt Hon'ble William Pitt".

It is believed to have been painted from life by John Donaldson (1737-1801). It has a lock of hair at the rear, and was acquired early in 2006.

Although, no attempt has been made to do so, it is presumed that a DNA analysis could be conducted on the hair sample, to determine whether the miniature can be completely confirmed as a miniature of Pitt. There is more about the first miniature at View

Although there are minor differences, it appears the second miniature is based upon a large oil portrait of William Pitt painted by John Hoppner.

There are various engravings in existence which were copied from the oil and it seems this second miniature is copied from one of those engravings.

When an engraver copies a portrait, the engraved plate will show the sitter facing in the same direction as the direction as the original. However, a print taken from that engraved plate, will then be a mirror image and show the sitter facing in the opposite direction to the original portrait.

Thus to ensure that the sitter is facing in the same direction as the original, an intermediate stage may be necessary, where a second engraving is made copying from a print made from the first engraving, so that when an image is printed from the second engraved plate, the sitter will be facing the correct direction.

(This has some parallels with the process by which vinyl records used to be produced. That was a five stage process involving; the original wax recording matt, a mould, a master, a stamper, and then the pressing available for sale.)

In the 18C and 19C an engraver copying a previous engraving may have never seen the original to know which way the sitter should be facing.

Additionally, when paintings were made by copying an engraving with a reversed image, oil portraits could appear that also faced the wrong direction. In such circumstances, the colouring of the oil copy could also differ from colours in the original.

Two examples of these varieties are shown here, one with a blue jacket instead of brown and the other a brown jacket, but with a reversed image.

As can be seen when making a comparison, the background colouring of the second miniature now added to the collection is different to that of the Hoppner oil and there are other minor differences, for example in the detail of the hair. This implies an intermediate stage between the original oil and the miniature. 1291

Hancock, Robert - portrait of John Williams

2007-09-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

This unsigned miniature is a good example of how research can be undertaken, based upon a few brief comments on the rear of a miniature, and with the research process being enormously satisfying.

This sitter is named as John Williams and despite that being a relatively common name, with some effort it has been possible to backtrack to his family. It has also been possible to attribute an artist to the miniature.

The process is outlined at some length below as an example of the similar methods used to identify other artists and sitters in this collection. In this case it has been possible to go back nearly 200 years.

Although the miniature is not signed and the backing is missing, it has been attributed to Robert Hancock of Bristol who was active around 1820-1833.

As John Williams came from Bristol that is a major clue, but the attribution also being from by a comparison of the pose of the sitter, even though it is more full front, and the style of painting the heads in the pair of miniatures shown here. Both are signed R Hancock, one being inscribed on the rear "Painted by R Hancock - John Street Bristol - January 1825".

The frame for the John Williams miniature dates from around 1960 and hence the inscriptions on that portrait date from then, or even more recently. In such circumstances, there can often be slight errors in the verbal record of a family when it is transcribed or recorded at a later date. However, as shown with comments on the TV programmes "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "The Antiques Roadshow", there is often more than a grain of truth in a verbal family history.

There are two groups of inscriptions on the rear of the frame. One reads "John Williams, Lord Mayor, Melbourne, Australia 1881, uncle of Alice Shattuck Tonk." The second reads "Alice Shattuck Tonk, born in Bristol, England 1814. Mother of Clara Tonk Rich. For John". There are also several other words under the cellotape, which are hard to read, but include the word "brother". It is probable some of this information was transcribed from the rear of an earlier discarded frame, thus introducing risk of transcription errors.

Before bidding on this miniature, which came from an estate in Kansas City, Missouri, a preliminary search was made to determine whether a John Williams was Lord Mayor of Melbourne in 1881, or indeed if there had ever been a Lord Mayor named John Williams. The answer in both cases was no, and also the term Lord Mayor was not used until 1902, prior to that they were only Mayors. Additionally, as the facial hair on the sitter shown dates from around 1820, a date of 1881 does not fit.

Thus the Lord Mayor comment was discounted at this point and a blank drawn with that line of research. Nevertheless, it did seem an unlikely comment to record, unless there was some element of truth in it.

Without a firm date or location, a name like John Williams is almost impossible to trace. Thus, the search proper began with the other names, complicated by various issues, such as some records referring to Shattock and some to Shattuck.

Initially, this research was also unsuccessful, but then a marriage record was found for Clara Alice Tonk and Hampton Rich in Chicago, IL on 3 Sep 1902. This was the first peg in the ground. From this point it was possible to come forward to the 1910 census and find Hampton aged 31, and Clara A Rich aged 30, living in Ionia, Michigan with their daughter Clara aged 6, and where Hampton Rich was a merchandise buyer.

From this it was possible to calculate Clara's birth year of 1880. Then go to the 1900 census and find Clara before she married. There she was living with her widowed father Max Tonk aged 48, who was a piano stool manufacturer, born in Germany in Nov 1851 and who had arrived in the United States in 1853. Clara stated her birth date as Jan 1880, her birthplace as Illinois, and her mother's birthplace as England.

From here it was possible to go back to the 1880 census and find Max Tonk aged 28, his wife Alice aged 27 and their daughter Clara aged five months. Max gave his occupation as furniture making and they had one servant so he was moderately successful. At this point, without a marriage record for Max and Alice, it would have been difficult to find her maiden name.

However, the back of the miniature gave the next clue as it refers to Alice Shattuck Tonk. Given her age of 28 in the 1880 census, it indicated she was born around 1852 in England. This did not agree with the date of 1814 shown on the rear of the miniature, but did explain why earlier attempts to research Alice Shattuck using an 1814 birth date had been unsuccessful.

The next stage was to go to the 1870 census. Here the Shattuck family was obvious and living in Ward 16 Chicago IL. John Shattock, a clerk in a store was aged 60, his wife Emily 50 and there were six children, including Alice Shattuck then aged 16, and so born around 1854.

The Shattock family still lived in Chicago in the 1880 census, but Emily is now a widow, living with her are several of her sons and daughters.

With a bit more research, the family was next found in the 1861 English census, living at 73 Spencer Street, Everton, Liverpool. John Shattock was absent from home, but Emily described herself as "Cotton Brokers' Clerk's wife", her age as 41 (i.e. born in 1819) and her birthplace as Bristol, Somerset. Alice Maud Mary Shattock was aged 8, giving a birth year of 1853 and her birthplace was London.

The reason for the Shattock family moving to the United States is uncertain, although probable they were seeking a new life. From the various census records below, it is seen John Shattock, was a solicitor in 1841 and 1851, a cotton broker's clerk in 1861, and a clerk in store in 1870. Thus one gains the impression he gradually slid down the employment tree.

There is support for this view at The Jurist - Google Books Result where in the "Jurist" for 1855 there is a reference under the heading Insolvent Debtors, which records "the following prisoners are ordered to be brought up before a Judge of the County Court to be examined and dealt with according to the Statute...At the County Court of Lancashire, Lancaster on Jan 19 at 11.00am....John Shattock, Tranmere, near Liverpool, attorney-at-law....".

As mentioned below, John Shattock was living in London in 1851 as a solicitor, but in 1861 his family was in Liverpool and he was no longer a solicitor, hence it seems likely this prisoner was him. In 1861 he was not at his home and could well have been in prison at the time, although he has not yet been located in the 1861 census. In 1861 Emily described herself as the wife of a clerk, so John had lost his ability to practice law. That would explain why his job in 1861 as a clerk and suggests the family moved to the United States to avoid the stigma that could have otherwise attached to their children.

As Emily's father was quite prosperous, perhaps her father, who appears in the 1851 census, but not in the 1861 census, supported the family while John was in jail for a period, and then Emily's inheritance cleared their debts and paid for their passage to the United States.

At this point it could be seen that the information on the rear of the miniature was coming together, although the generations were a little jumbled. It was not Alice Shattuck Tonk, who was born in Bristol in 1814, but her mother Emily Williams Shattock who was born there in 1819. This is exactly the kind of mistake that arises in verbal family histories.

The family appears in the 1851 English census at 11 Remmington St, Finsbury Circus, London. Here John Shattock is a solicitor aged 40 and Emily aged 31 describes herself as solicitor's wife. From the various birthplaces of the children, it is obvious the family was almost continuously on the move, with the eldest, Emily aged 11 born at Bishop's Lydeard, Somerset, and others at Bristol in Somerset, at Kensington in Surrey, and at Islington in Middlesex and with later children born in London. This supports the view of a man moving around the country one step ahead of his creditors until he was caught.

Interestingly, with the family at the time of the 1851 census, there is a visitor named William Williams, aged 26, a merchant's clerk, born in Bedminster, Somerset.

This is getting closer to John Williams and the link is strengthened by finding a marriage record for John Shattock and Emily Williams for AMJ 1839 in Bedminster. Thus it seems highly likely the William Williams visiting in the 1851 census, was a younger brother of Emily, being born in 1825.

The 1841 census was the next place to search for the John Williams of the miniature, but with trepidation, as it had to be via a search for Emily's brother William Williams and his birth date of 1825, as Emily was married in 1841. Additionally, the 1841 census is less detailed than later census records.

Thus it was very daunting to look at the first page of 50 William Williams in the 1841 census, all born in Somerset around 1825, and think how long it would take to try and check just the first page!

Then, the second name leapt out, William Williams, born about 1824 in Bedminister, Somerset.

It may sound odd, but on looking at this record, there was almost a sense that the people being researched were guiding my hand. For there was William Williams, aged 17 a coachbuilder, living with his father John Williams aged 50, and his elder brother John Williams aged 18, both also coachbuilders, all at their home in Wellington St, Bedminster, Bristol.

Not content with this, also living in the house was Emily Shattock, aged 22 and her two children, Emily 15 mths and Ann two weeks. There could not be more conclusive proof it was the right Williams family. Emily must have been staying there while her baby was born. Her mother is absent and has perhaps died, but the two female servants aged 60 and 50, would have been able to look after her.

In 1841 her husband John Shattock is recorded as a solicitor, living at their home in Bishop's Lydeard, four miles from Taunton, some 50 miles from Bristol, with one servant. As there are a number of Shattock families in this small village in 1841, it seems it is near the ancestral home of John Shattock, who gave his place of birth in 1851 as Ford Norton, Somerset.

As Norton Fitzwarren is between Taunton and Bishop's Lydgeard, this is likely to be the Ford farm, Norton Fitzwarren mentioned at SOMERSET ARCHIVE AND RECORD SERVICE SOMERSET RECORD OFFICE ... where there is possible reference to this John Shattock, "release of reversion by Sam. Kebby Shattock of Ford Farm, Norton Fitzwarren, gent., to his mother Hannah Shattock of 3 cotts., gardens and an orchard in Norton Street, 1833; mortgage by John Shattock of Norton Fitzwarren, gent. to James Turner of Staplegrove of 4 cotts., gardens and orchard cont. 2 ac. called Three Mens Ground 1836 and further mortgage by Shattock and Turner to William Hewett of Norton Fitzwarren, brewer, 1839, assignment of property by Hewett to James Slape Shattock of Bristol, grocer, 1842". However, there is also a christening of John Shattock on 14 Oct 1810 in Bristol. For other local Shattocks, see also Bishops Lydeard Parish "Blessed Virgin Mary" Bishops Transcripts and Bishops Lydeard Parish "Blessed Virgin Mary" Bishops Transcripts

The residential area for the Williams' home in Bristol seems to be good, with the Williams having two servants and their neighbours also having servants and occupations such as Merchant, Accountant, Mason, of Independent Means, and another Coachbuilder. In the early 19C, top coachbuilders would have been highly regarded master craftsmen, similar to the famous furniture makers of the time and with clients from the more wealthy areas of society.

So who do I think the sitter is in the miniature. I think it is John Williams senior, who from the 1851 census was born in 1789 in Derham (probably Dyrham, nr Hinton, Gloucs). At the time of the miniature being say, 1820, he would have been aged about 30 and that fits with the apparent age of the sitter. I am not familiar with uniforms, but the uniform the sitter is wearing looks to be a Hussar type cavalry, than than infantry. However, John Williams, now a coachbuilder, may even have had a former occupation requiring him to wear livery as a coachman for a grand house, or had perhaps had some civic duty that required him to wear a dress uniform. Later descendants probably thought it was his portrait wearing the robes of the Lord Mayor of Melbourne.

In the course of this research, one feels quite some sympathy for his daughter, Emily Williams Shattock. She appears to have been an educated woman from a fairly prosperous family. When she married solicitor John Shattock, she would have been expecting a comfortable life with servants, a nice house and good prospects for her children. Instead, her husband was prosecuted for insolvency, she emigrated away from her family, and none of her children appear to have followed professional careers.

And what about the Lord Mayor of Melbourne?

Well, in 1866/67 the Mayor of Melbourne was a William Williams. I have not yet proved a link, but I have a strong feeling that the Mayor was actually Emily Williams Shattock's brother, the merchant's clerk, William Williams, who was visiting Emily at the time of the 1851 census. He would have been the son of the sitter in the miniature and also the uncle of Alice Shattuck Tonk, as recorded on the reverse of the miniature.

On 9 Nov of that year, 1851, the first news of the gold discoveries was published in the Melbourne Argus. Melbourne grew rapidly as a result and many merchants became very wealthy. William may have emigrated after the news broke. In 1866, he would have been aged 41 and possibly had become a successful merchant in Melbourne, where the population grew from 29,000 in 1851 to 123,000 in 1854. 1271

Robertson, Charles - portrait of a man in a blue coat

2007-07-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

This miniature was described only as a "memorial portrait pendant" when it was acquired. As the auction was in Philadelphia, prior to arrival it was thought the miniature was likely to be by Walter Robertson (1750-1802) who worked in Philadelphia PA between 1794 and 1796.

In speaking of Walter Robertson, Dale Johnson notes; "Features frequently found in Robertson's miniatures are round blue eyes, a solemn expression, powdered hair tied back in a queue against a light brown hatched background; also a high-collared blue waistcoat with brass buttons, a gold vest, and a soft white jabot".

However, on arrival it was possible to make a closer inspection. As a result it is now thought more likely to be painted by Charles Robertson (1760-1821), the brother of Walter Robertson, although Walter is still a possibility.

Charles was a member of a prominent family of Dublin jewellers and miniaturists. He worked in Dublin for most of his career, although he did spend some time in London.

The rear of the case shown here is almost identical with a case of 1785 that contains a miniature attributed to the Buck family of Cork, Ireland. This can be seen at
The Art of High Living: Miniature Goldwork by Elle Shushan from ...

In "Treasures to Hold", Paul McCaffrey comments on the style of Charles Robertson in the following terms; "Charles Robertson deployed a distinctive use of colour in his miniature portraits, using a particular slate grey-blue in the flesh tones" and "The background is painted in parallel lines of blue and grey. Subtle variations of colour and pale tones blend into each other and his outlines are slightly fuzzy. The blue-grey tones are also indicative of him".

Two close-ups here show these features, in particular the parallel grey and blue lines in the background, the blue in the facial detail, and the overall fuzzy outlines.

The sitter is unknown. 1250

Unknown - portrait of a lady wearing a bonnet

2007-07-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

Miniatures by unattributed artists or of unidentified sitters tend to be outside the scope of the collection, unless they are particularly interesting.

This one falls into that category as it is well painted, with clear striking facial features, and illustrates well the costume of the late 18C.

The lady has a high bonnet with a blue ribbon. At the bottom right the flowered pattern of her dress can be seen.

The miniature is thought to be British, although there is a possibility it could be American.

It is also quite large for a miniature of that date being 110 mm by 75 mm and it is hoped that it can be attributed to an artist in due course.

The sitter is unknown. 1258

Unknown - portrait of Rev Bryan Faussett

2007-04-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

As they did not look to be very special and were unidentified, this pair of miniatures were acquired as one lot and were expected to be resold separately, to help fund other acquisitions for the collection.

However, before doing so it was decided to see if the partial newspaper cutting shown below and glued on the reverse of the frame could be used to try and identify the sitter.

The cutting appeared as if it was likely to be part of an obituary. There are several key words that have been used to identify the sitter; "Faussett was curate of Nettlecombe"," two children, first a daughter born in", "born in 1840", "amicably together", and "Seaton Carew".

These words have enabled the identification of the sitter as most probably Rev Bryan Faussett (2 Jan 1812 - 30 Jul 1855). What is more noteworthy is that he was the plaintiff in a scandalous divorce case actioned on the grounds of adultery in the mid 19C. It is thought the miniature of the lady, painted around 1825, may depict a close relative of his. Correspondence with a very helpful researcher of Faussett family history has confirmed that this miniature of Bryan Faussett does bear a family resemblance to other family portraits.

This younger Rev Bryan Faussett was the grandson of a famous antiquarian of the 18C, another Rev Bryan Faussett (1720-1776) who had excavated many ancient burial mounds and amassed a large collection of ancient antiquities and over 5,000 ancient coins. He had so many duplicate coins that he had 150 pounds weight of bronze coins melted down and cast into a bell in 1766.

He had an unsurpassed private collection, but in 1853 the British Museum declined an offer to purchase the collection from his descendants, whereupon a Mr Joseph Mayer purchased it for the Liverpool Museum, where it remains. See Rev. Bryan Faussett and also for a photograph of the Kingston Brooch one of his finds see The Kingston Brooch

The surprisingly full Times newspaper account of the 1849 divorce proceedings of the younger Rev Bryan Faussett is very interesting and can be read at S244 but a summary is as follows. On 4 Oct 1837 Bryan Faussett, then a curate had married the fifth daughter of Sir John Trevelyan Bart of Nettelcombe. Her name was Helena Caroline Trevelyan (1815-1898) and they had two children, Maria Helena Faussett born 13 Jul 1838 and Godfrey Trevelyan Faussett (28 Feb 1840-1915).

The Times 1849 account of the Rev Bryan Faussett divorce proceedings, reveals that while at Seaton Carew, his wife, Helena Faussett commenced, or continued, a relationship with her cousin who was six years younger than her. He was Walter Blackett Trevelyan (1821-1894) and she had a child by him, Herbert Trevelyan, born 7 Aug 1847.

The divorce action was delayed until Rev Bryan Faussett could obtain funding for the costs from his father, Dr Godfrey Faussett (1780-?). The action involved two hearings in the Consistory Court commencing on 31 May 1849, followed by two readings of a bill in the House of Lords, as a special bill had to be passed by the House, even though it appears the action was largely undefended. The bill was necessary as between 1700 and 1857 the only way of achieving a divorce was by private Act of Parliament. As the law was changed only a few years later, it would appear that the Faussett bill was part of the impetus leading to the change in the divorce law.

Among the many Lords present for the hearing of the Bill were the Duke of Wellington and Lord Redesdale, a relative of the famous Mitford sisters. The citation for the resultant Act is [1849 (12 & 13 Vict) c. 33]. The passing of the Act meant that Bryan and Helena were divorced on 17 Jul 1849. Helena then married Walter Blackett Trevelyan a little later in 1849 and they had a further two children, Constance Helena Trevelyan born in 1859 and Willoughby Fenwick Trevelyan born in 1857.

Rev Bryan Faussett died a few years later in 1855 and was an elder brother of Robert Godfrey Faussett, see NPG P7(16) a close friend of Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, the author of "Alice in Wonderland".

After the divorce it seems Helena abandoned her two eldest children, as neither were living with her for the 1851 census, even though they were then aged 12 and 10. Maria was living with her grandfather Dr Godfrey Faussett. Also, for the 1861 census, Maria was living with an uncle. Godfrey born in 1840, has not been located in the 1851 census, but may have been at a boarding school. In the 1861 census, he appears to have been a soldier at Aldershot under the name G Fossett. He later changed his name to Godfrey Trevelyan Godfrey-Faussett, possibly to downplay the Trevelyan portion of his name. In the 1871 census he described himself as "Sub-Inspector of Factories - landowner" but was quite wealthy, living with his family and a number of servants.

His son, Commander (later Sir) Bryan Godfrey-Fossett (1864-1940) was an aide to King George V when he was Duke of York and accompanied him on a visit to New Zealand in 1901, see Photographs of Government Houses, New Zealand. (PA1-f-194) By chance for the 1901 census, the Royal party was on board HMS Ophir in the Great Bitter Lake, Suez Canal, Egypt and can be seen there in the census records. In 1907 Sir Bryan married Eugenie Fanny Eveline Dudley Ward, see lafayette.150m.com/dud5279.html and also Janus: The Papers of Sir Bryan Godfrey-Faussett For a letter written by the Prince of Wales to Captain Faussett during WWI see Somme > Personal Stories > The Prince of Wales : Letter written by ... Also a biography of Sir Bryan was written in 2003 by George Godfrey-Faussett called "Royal Servant - Family Friend".

A nephew of Sir Bryan, named Bryan Trevor Godfrey-Faussett (1896-1970) was born in India where his father Richard Godfrey-Faussett was with the Indian Police Force. He became a brigadier in WWII and an ADC to King George VI in 1946. As recently as 1995, a great-great-great-grandson of Rev Bryan Faussett, Christopher Godfrey-Faussett married Lady Diana Evelyn Bowes-Lyon, a great grandniece of the Queen Mother and cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. The couple accompanied Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the Royal Family at the funeral service of the Queen Mother in 2002. See Memorial sites > The Queen Mother > Funeral arrangements > Funeral ...

Thus an apparently uninteresting miniature portrait has revealed an interesting family, who did not seem to have suffered socially from a major divorce scandal in 1849. In fact one might say the converse occurred. 1024a, 1024b.

Hargreaves, Thomas - portrait of Esther Watson Tobin

2007-03-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

Although this miniature portrait is unsigned, it has been attributed to Thomas Hargreaves (1774-1846). It may be signed on the reverse, but the case is too difficult to open. The reasons for attributing it to Thomas Hargreaves are that he was working in Liverpool where the sitter worked and according to Daphne Foskett his wife's maiden name was Quaile. A sister of the sitter's husband, Ellen Tobin (also Elinore Tobin), married Basil Quayle and hence it seems likely Hargreaves would be asked to paint this miniature.

The miniature is set into a gold brooch with bracelet fittings on either side and so would have been worn as a bracelet. The sitter is identified on an attached tag as Esther Tobin, along with the dates, b 1779, m 1806, and d 1857. This has enabled her identification as Esther Watson (1779-1857) who married Thomas Tobin on 5 Jun 1806 at St Thomas, Liverpool. Esther's parents were Richard Watson and Jane Robinson. Thomas Tobin's father seems to have been Patrick Tobin (1723-1781) and his mother is recorded with various spellings from Helen Breckle to Eleanor Breakhill, with their marriage 7 Dec 1758 at Braddan, Isle of Man. (As a guess, she may have been Ellen Breakel, daughter of John Breakel and Jane Oard, and christened at St Nicholas, Liverpool on 29 Jun 1733.) Patrick and Ellen Tobin seem to have had around 12 children, with Thomas Tobin himself born on the Isle of Man on 18 Sep 1775 and died in 1862. Mary Tobin, who was one of Patrick's daughters on 28 Sep 1813 married Sir William Hillary, the founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute. See Sir William Hillary

Thomas and Esther Tobin had several children including; Thomas Tobin (b 22 Mar 1807) (later Sir Thomas Tobin), Rose Tobin (10 Feb 1818) (later Rose Sutton), James Aspinall Tobin (b 2 Jan 1819) (later Mayor of Liverpool), Ellen Hesther Tobin (b 5 Apr 1820), and Frances Maria Tobin (b 10 Feb 1826).

(The research of this miniature has been absorbing and has led to this essay which it is hoped visitors will find interesting. Sitters in several miniatures from within the collection are shown. They also have connections to the slave trade, which illustrate how the effects of the slave trade permeated the whole of society.)

The Liverpool Tobins, Smuggling, and the Slave Trade

The Tobin family, and particularly Esther's husband Thomas Tobin, are mentioned in several reference books including "The Slave Trade" by Hugh Thomas and "Commerce and Economic Change in West Africa" by Martin Lynn. There are also numerous Internet references to the Tobin family, with many of the hyperlinks included below.

In the middle 1600's Liverpool was a fishing hamlet, but some limited trade to North America had developed. The first recorded slave voyage from Liverpool was undertaken in 1700 by the "Liverpool Merchant", with the trade growing rapidly throughout the 18C. Some people believe it was the slave trade that led to the rapid growth of Liverpool as a port, with some suggesting the reason being that Liverpool was further away from the risk of ships being intercepted by France or Spain in time of war.

This is possibly somewhat of an ingenuous comment, as there were much more dangerous factors on voyages than the periodic risk of war with France or Spain. It is more often the case that commercial reasons that drive commercial decisions.

In 1689 on the outbreak of war with France, the British government imposed duties on many imported goods, especially wine and brandy from France, but also rum, tobacco, tea, silk, and other goods from the China trade. The imposition of Customs duty came to affect most trading routes to Britain, of which rum and sugar imported from the West Indies was only part. There was smuggling near London, but it tended to be limited by the lack of suitable ports for unloading the contraband cargoes from large vessels for onward distribution in smaller vessels and also a more active presence of Revenue Officers who could call on the army for assistance.

In seeking more secluded sites to operate, the smugglers set their eyes on the Scilly Isles and the Isle of Man. Here it was possible to unload overseas ships without paying duty, warehouse the goods until they were sold, and then furtively land the contraband at multiple coastal points in a fleet of small coasting vessels. Thus the prime reason for the 18C growth of the ports at Bristol and Liverpool is seen as smuggling via the Scilly Isles and the Isle of Man, with servicing of the slaving trading ships being a by-product of this. Without the influence of smuggling, there would have been little reason for slave trading ships to move away from the port of London.

Figures quoted below indicate that estimates of duty avoided through the Isle of Man alone could have been as high as GBP 700,000 per year by 1755. This at a time when the total duty collected on all similar products for the whole of England was less than GBP 4,000,000 per year. Thus smuggling was a far more profitable business than serving slave trade vessels. As Bristol and Liverpool were the closest large ports to the two smuggling centres, they became the associated ports that handled non-dutiable cargoes with ships nominally calling Bristol or Liverpool their home port.

This led to the development of Bristol as a major "slave trading" port, even though no slaves passed through the port. Initially, the smugglers in the Scilly Isles worked with impunity, but later in the 18C there was a clamp down on smuggling via the Scilly Isles. This was so successful, that it drastically reduced job opportunities and incomes on the Scilly Isles to such an extent the population faced starvation, see Maritime Archives & Library | Smuggling

As smuggling became increasingly risky via the Scilly Isles, the importance of Bristol declined and the smugglers relocated more of their business to the Isle of Man, thereby boosting the local Manx economy, and with their ships nominally based in Liverpool. The Isle of Man had the added advantages of very low legal duty rates and being centrally situated for the distribution of smuggled goods to England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Thus Liverpool replaced Bristol as the major "slave trading" port. See Book 3 chap 2 part 3 - History of Isle of Man, 1900

At a much later stage when customs prevention was more successful on the Isle of Man, some of the smugglers even moved on to the Faroe Islands to escape the revenue. (It is interesting to compare the 18C smuggling (i.e. tax avoidance/evasion) which had a major positive economic and employment impact on the local communities where smuggling became established, with 20C tax loop holes leading to the 20C flight of corporations to remote tax havens, where their local employees then boost the local economy purely through their employment as tax avoiders!!)

The Duke of Athol controlled the Isle of Man and collected trifling rates of duty on good shipped through Douglas until the British Government took over collection of Customs Duties in 1765. However by landing their homeward goods in Castletown at the southern tip of the Isle of Man, duty could still be minimised, if not avoided after this date and the island was a vast warehouse of smuggled goods until merchants like the Tobins later moved their business to Liverpool, partly because of improved customs controls, but also to avoid the cost of trans-shipping cargoes. The activities of the Tobins serve to illustrate the history of this.

It appears the Tobin family originally came from Dublin, Ireland, with Sir(?) Thomas Tobin settling in the Isle of Man around 1700, at the time of the first recorded slaving voyage. The family is descended from the St Albino family, with Tobin being derived from that name, see Early Tobin (St. Aubyn) Family History in Kilkenny Sir Thomas Tobin was probably already a slave trader when he arrived in the Isle of Man and moved there to take advantage of the opportunity for smuggling, which would have been risky if he had remained in Ireland.

The southern end of the Isle of Man, around Braddan and Castletown, on the trade routes and between Dublin and Liverpool, was precisely where the Tobin family established themselves. So far the earliest Isle of Man parish record reference found is the marriage of one of Sir Thomas Tobin's sons, John Tobin (1701-1739) to Mary Greenwood in 1726 in Douglas, presumably where Mary's family lived. John had given his place of birth as Dublin. John and Mary had a daughter Mary Tobin born 10 Jan 1728 in Braddan and there are many Isle of Man records after that date.

It is possible that on the Isle of Man, the Patrick Tobin family lived at a house called Oak Hill in Braddan, as pictured here. The house was later owned by Captain Edward Forbes. See Oakhill The reason for suggesting this house as being the home of Sir John Tobin, is that when Sir John Tobin moved to Liverpool he lived in a house called Oak Hill Park in Old Swan, and it seems entirely likely he would use the name of the old family home for the new one. Dorothy Wordsworth seems to have become friendly with one of Patrick Tobin's daughters while visiting the Isle of Man in 1828. see Dorothy Wordsworth, 'Journal of a Tour in the Isle of Man' 1828

The following extract from a letter by John Mackay written in 1722 indicates the smuggling situation; "(The Isle of Man) is not only a Sanctuary for men, but for goods; for nothing pays Custom here. I have seen several ships unloaded here with wine and brandy from France, Rum from the West Indies, and Callicoes, and other East India. Goods from Holland, which Were put into Warehouses, and afterwards run in small boats into Ireland, Scotland, and the Western Parts of England; here are no Custom House officers, and if England should send any spies, it would signify nothing; for none knows the particular places these small boats are designed to." see Text of Douglas 100 Years Ago - A W Moore, 1904

The amount of duty avoided in the Isle of Man was not small as the following quote from 1759 notes; "the loss to the Treasury continued to grow, some were quoting it as at least GBP 200,000 pa, in particular the illicit importation of tea was noted". Some estimates of the duty avoided were as high as GBP 700,000 per annum - see Smuggling in relation to the Isle of Man, 1755 A quote from this 1755 report gives an indication of the volumes; "True it is, no less than eight ships arrived in the Isle of Man in the compass of 14 days in July last from foreign parts with brandy, rum, geneva, tobacco, arrac, teas, silks, &c. At one town called Douglas, the streets of which were scarce passable for several weeks, on account of the hogsheads. All the warehouses in the town not being able to contain their cargoes, till room was made by running off the stock then in cellar." Even so, there was concern about the quality of the rum being smuggled; "No Leeward Island rum is now imported into the Isle of Man, but coarse stinking North American rum, drawn from molasses" !

It was not only goods from outside Europe that were smuggled, as the Isle of Man also acted as a transshipment point for goods from Sweden, Holland and other European countries. "The goods imported into the Isle of Man in the greatest quantities, are coarse teas from Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway; brandy, wine and tobacco from France, rum from the West Indies; and debentured tobacco from Great Britain. Beside these, are imported there in smaller quantities, China silk, arrack and other East India goods, coffee, geneva and juniper berries. The Liverpool merchants also import from Holland to the Isle of Man and lodge in stores which they have provided there, gunpowder, fire arms, toys, and East India goods for their African trade." See
Atholl Papers - AP_40B-16 - Reply from Dublin re smuggling from ...

For 1752-1754 the official import statistics for England show an average total value for total imports of all products of GBP 8.2m for the whole country and representing 97% of the value of total exports, whereas for 1772-1774 the average total value of all imports had risen to GBP 12.7m or 129% of the value of total exports. See State Revenues and Overseas Trade in Great Britain, 1700-1800 The apparent rise in imports by 1772-1774 being more due to reduced smuggling, than a physical growth in cargo.

For 1788-92, average annual customs duties collected in England for imports of tropical goods including sugar, rum, brandy, wine, tobacco, tea, and silk were GBP 4.3m. Nevertheless, smuggling via the Isle of Man continued at a very high level as the 1792 estimation of duty evasion via the Isle of Man was still GBP 300,000 per annum, equivalent to 7% of total imports of all these commodities into England.

The massive impact of such smuggled trade on employment and the economy of the Isle of Man is also obvious when compared with the official exports to Great Britain from the Isle of Man for 1790. Aside from some exports of fish, livestock, and linen, the main exports were; 1743 bushels potatoes, 1313 crocks butter, 201 boxes and baskets of eggs, 7 barrels pork, 1½ ditto, beef, 195 cow and ox hides in hair, 57 dozen calf-skins, 4½ cwt. leather, 1400 cow and ox horns, 26 cwt. cow and ox hail, 4 cwt. honey, 1335 cwt. kelp, 2 cwt. wax, 17 cwt. wool and woollen yarn, 159 cwt. linen yarn, 69 tons lead ore, and 258 dozen rabbit-skins. The total of all this appears to amount to only enough cargo for a single ship. See Woods,

This was at a time when the total annual value of exports, not just the duty, exported from Manchester was GBP 100,000 in 1759 and GBP 300,000 in 1779. As the smuggled goods were secretly on-distributed by small boats to various ports in Ireland, England, and Scotland, it can be seen that official Liverpool trade statistics would have been well understated and vast profits made by the Manx traders such as the Tobins.

That smuggling continued post 1765 is obvious from the many depositions taken by the 1792 Commission of Inquiry where it was reported the estimated amount of duty avoided had risen back to GBP 300,000. It is interesting to note in the report of this enquiry that one of the three Customs Collectors based in Castletown, only five miles from where the Tobins lived, was a Mr John Quayle who was also Clerk of the Rolls, see Examinations of Mr. Quayle In 1794 Elinore Tobin, a sister of both Sir John and Thomas Tobin married Basil Quayle (1765-1816) who was a son of Mr John Quayle. Mr Quayle testified in 1792 that the annual salary for the Collectors was twenty pounds which they divided amongst themselves equally. In addition he also acted as Comptroller for which he received a further thirty-one pounds. He also testified that the merchants would come to the Customs Office and file their own customs entries. Thus it seems there was a very "friendly" and casual atmosphere in the Customs Office, with merchants under declaring actual quantities and declaring only sufficient of their goods to ensure the continued employment of their tame Customs Collectors.

On 30 Sep 1763, the above John Quayle wrote in a letter to Basil Cochrane, then Governor of the Isle of Man "I spent the first ten days of this month in Ireland where I purchased for £900 Irish Balla Whetstone & the Whitestone which is 85 acres & joins Balla Curry along the river and joins the high road from Castletown side of the Great meadow to above KK Malew church, this is brother Radcliffes scheme and he is even fonder of it, as it opens a communication between the two roads, makes me a farm of above 260 acres within one boundary, and in a little time will let for £40 a year. But in the mean time this and the tyrthe purchase have made me the poorest man in the parish." See Atholl Papers - AP_X17-25 - Copy of letter from John Quayle to ...It is interesting to observe that his Customs Collectors salary would not have gone far towards this! By 1825 a George Quayle was a prominent Liverpool merchant and further signs of the probable collusion over customs duties in the 18C.

It is also highly probable there was collusion over customs duties well into the 19C, for on 9 Feb 1836, Sir John Tobin's son, Rev John Tobin married Emily Ann Arnaud. Elias Arnaud, thought to be Emily's father, was Collector of H M Customs for Liverpool from 1821 or earlier. Elias Arnaud is thought to have lived in Onchan, Douglas, Isle of Man from around 1800, but had been born in 1786 at Titchfield, near Portsmouth, Hampshire, where his father, Elias and grandfather (Elias ARNAUD born on 9 Sep 1705 in London, married Sarah Hoppes (1705-1778) on 11 Oct 1731, and died on 24 Sep 1772 in Gosport, Hants), appear to have been grocers and distillers between 1751-1800, the family having immigrated from Saintonge, France as Huguenot refugees in the late 17C, see Genealogy Quest - English Denization Records, 1693 and THE ARNOLD FAMILY ASSOCIATION OF THE SOUTH Volume V Summer 1975 ... and DISTINGUISHED HUGUENOT REFUGEES AND THEIR DESCENDANTS .

It is pertinent to observe that as the elder Elias Arnaud was a distiller at Gosport, it would be an excellent cover for anyone involved in smuggling and distributing liquor! The Arnold Family reference also refers to a cousin of another Elias Arnaud, named Andrew Arnaud, who in his will dated April 29, 1699 commented that it was made just before his ship "Warrington" sailed for Guinea and named Elias as the sole heir. Andrew Arnaud must therefore have been involved in the slave trade and presumably as a consequence also smuggling of rum from the West Indies. Further in 1785 Elias Arnaud was the Portsmouth Agent for the Pheonix Assurance Company.

In addition, it seems that another daughter of Elias Arnaud, Catherine Arnaud in 1845 married Captain Mark Wilks who was later in Command of the Manx Police.

In any event, Elias Arnaud of Liverpool was no doubt an old friend of Sir John Tobin and so his daughter-in-law, Emily Arnaud also came from a family of slavers and smugglers. In 1836 Arnaud leased a site at 13 Abercromby Square, Liverpool and there built a home that he lived in until his death in 1860 with some style, as in 1851 he and his wife Margaret had six servants. After the death of Elias, Margaret Arnaud moved to live with her brother John Marriott, a cotton broker, but the family was obviously still wealthy as in the 1861 census they had ten servants.

Thus Tobin family members were married to Customs officers on the Isle of Man and in Liverpool. It therefore seems there was likely to be continuing collusion over customs entries, with the most likely method of collusion being under declaring of quantities and values. The main piece in the Tobin family puzzle that seems a little hard to fit, is why did Sir John Tobin's son become a Minister of the Church? Perhaps because Sir John, being an entreponeur, was a man used to getting his own way and he directed his son to join the Church, just to enhance his own personal respectability after the abolition of slavery.

Shown here is a miniature from the collection representing the respectable side of the smuggling and slavery fence. It is of Henrietta Araminata Monck Browne, whose grandfather was Vice Admiral Sir Charles Paget of the Royal Navy and thus required to act against smuggling and slaving. Sir Charles was a younger brother of the Earl of Uxbridge of Waterloo fame. Also interestingly, the miniature of Henrietta was painted by her great-niece, Henrietta Agnes Schenley, a daughter of Captain Edward Schenley, who was cast as a major villain when he eloped in 1842 from the United States with Mary Croghan, an American heiress aged 15 and only a third of his age. After this in the 1840's Schenley was sent by the Foreign Office to Suranim, in South America, as a Slave Trade Commissioner to ensure that British ships were not participating in the slave trade. When Mary Croghan Schenley died around 1900, she was regarded as perhaps the wealthiest woman in the world. See also Oakland: People: Mary Croghan Schenley

As both slavers and smugglers, the Tobin family must have preferred to keep a low profile during the middle and latter part of the 18C. After the death of Patrick Tobin, the nominal head of the family was Sir John Tobin (23 Oct 1763 - 27 Feb 1851) a brother of Thomas Tobin. Sir John is recorded as a privateer and slave captain, see - pp160-184 (chap 8) Manx Worthies and he married Sarah Aspinall (30 Apr 1770 - 11 Sep 1853) on 17 Jan 1798. The Aspinalls were another slaving family. Sir John had one son, who became a clergyman and three daughters, one of whom married the Governor of the Isle of Man.

Thomas Tobin himself later admitted to ten slaving voyages, at a time when each voyage took 15 to 18 months. Thus he was involved for a long time and could himself have carried 3000 to 4000 slaves across the Atlantic. This was a lot of voyages for one man as few experienced captains went to Africa more than three or four times, although in his earlier voyages, presumably Thomas Tobin went as a crew member.

There were a number of Tobin sons and cousins and no doubt many of them were involved in the slave trade. In addition, they employed other captains to undertake slaving voyages on their behalf. The family fortune was thus founded on slave trading and smuggling, with the family being an influence in the rapid growth of Liverpool as a base for slave trading, as seen in the following statistics.

Between 1650 and 1675 it has been estimated that as a total for all nations, 15,000 slaves were shipped across the Atlantic each year, with the number rising to 24,000 a year between 1675 and 1700. By 1710 it is estimated that Britain alone was shipping over 10,000 slaves per year, with many of the independent traders working out of Bristol. In the 1720's there were as many as 150 British ships engaged in the slave trade, with London averaging 56 voyages a year, Bristol 34, and Liverpool 11. By the 1730's this mix had changed to Bristol 50 per year, London 40, and Liverpool 44 and the average number of slaves carried per year in British ships had increased to 17,000.

In 1749 there were 70 ships from Liverpool, 50 from Bristol, and only 30 from the rest of England including London. In the late 1750's it was Liverpool 65, Bristol 25, and London 10. Between 1798 and 1802, Liverpool ships alone carried 37,000 slaves per year, nearly double the number of 15,000 carried by ships of ALL countries, 125 years earlier.

Thus Liverpool had grown from nothing, to nearly two-thirds of the trade carried in British ships in the space of fifty years. In the 1780's at the peak, it is estimated that British ships were carrying 35,000 captives a year in very cramped conditions, as shown in this layout plan. Liverpool also benefited by being the port for the growing industrial north. Shown here is a miniature portrait from the collection of Samuel Richard Guy, a slave owner and farmer in the United States.

British slaving captains were paid GBP5 per month and their experienced crew GBP2, although the captains did receive bonuses, such as 3 or 4 slaves out of every 100 landed safely. There were high mortality rates for both slaves and crew, with crew losses rarely less than 20%. Actually a much higher rate than the death rate of their slave cargoes, which has been estimated at 9%. This is a surprising comparison and mainly due to the susceptibility of the European crew to malaria and yellow fever, but also because the crew were on board for three legs of the voyage, i.e. much longer than the slaves.

In the 1780's there were large French shipments of slaves to the sugar plantations in Santa Domingue. So much so, that by 1792, it is estimated that there were 450,000 slaves in that colony, compared to 40,000 whites and 50,000 mulattoes. This imbalance empowered the slaves and on 22 August 1792 there was a massive slave revolt on the island, with many French plantation families fled the country. The Tessieire family was one of these families and they fled to New York. The Santa Domingue slave revolt is the only completely successful slave revolution in history.

Anthony Tessieire of this family later married Eliza Caroline Morgan, the older lady depicted here in a miniature by John Henry Brown. Also shown is their daughter, Antoinette Tessieire who married John Ringgold Wilmer. He was probably related to the Ringgold family of Maryland, who were major slave traders in the United States. Thomas Ringgold and his colleagues had sold 100,000 slaves by the end of the 18C. They bought many from slave captains hailing from Liverpool and thus may well have purchased slaves from the Tobin family.

Values of slaves varied considerably. Depending upon supply and demand, in the 1760's an average purchase price in Africa was GBP 40 each and remained about this until prices fell after the Napoleonic Wars. Slaves might be sold for twice their cost on arrival in America. Thus it could be said that a slave was "worth" more than a crew member. The cargo was so valuable that slave ships carried surgeons who inspected the individuals offered for purchase and advised the captain which ones to reject. At later dates slaves were inoculated against smallpox, the importance of which is shown in this advertisement. The life expectancy of a slave on arrival varied by the destination, in Brazil being only eight years, so there was always a need for replacements. The ships used also had a limited life. The owners would not expect a ship to make more than six round voyages, nor last more than ten years. Between 1713 and 1775, 800 ships sailed from Nantes and only one made six voyages and lasted ten years.

No doubt as a whole, the Tobin family, (perhaps with the exception of the Rev John Tobin) was privately pro-slavery. Some Tobins were very publicly opposed to the abolition of the slave trade and a miniature portrait of James Tobin can be seen at PortCities Bristol He was a plantation owner in Nevis with 175 slaves and associated with the Bristol slave traders. He gave evidence to the House of Commons Select Committee where he said ‘I have no doubt but that the situation of the West Indian slaves is preferable to that of the labouring poor in Europe.’ This was a common argument used by supporters of the slave trade. It stated that the slaves were cared for by their owners and supplied with housing, food and clothing in return for their work. The poor in Britain had to pay for all their needs out of low wages. Tobin even made reference to the better weather in the Caribbean, as a plus for the slaves.

James Tobin and his partner, John Pinney (1740-1818) set up a company which acted as agent for other plantation owners in the Caribbean and handled their sugar crops. This included selling sugar on the owners’ behalf to sugar processors in Bristol. The company also arranged for supplies, such as machinery, building materials and food, to be sent to their clients on the sugar plantations. They lent money to plantation owners who might need money to cover bad harvests or pay debts. Pinney and Tobin would take over the plantations and their slaves if the debts were not repaid. Then the slaves might be resold at auction as shown here. It seems likely James Tobin was related to the Liverpool Tobins, but to date the family relationship has not been established.

Although there were many slave captains, the Tobins seem to have been amongst the few who survived multiple voyages as captains and then also became successful merchants. Many Liverpool merchants made large fortunes from the slave trade, but most of them had not actually been slave captains. No complete list of ships operated by the Tobin family has been found, but references to the the following names of sailing ships have been seen; "Gipsy", "Molly", "John Tobin", "Liverpool", "William Heathcote".

In addition there are references to Sir John Tobin building and owning the largest steamer built on the Mersey before 1851. This is was the paddle-wheeler "Liverpool" of 1140 tons, built in 1837 but sold by Sir John in 1838 and later transferred to P&O in 1840 when it was renamed "Great Liverpool". It then traded between Liverpool and Egypt until it was wrecked in 1846 near Cape Finisterre. See Encyclopaedia Peninsular

It took many years for the anti-slavery lobby within Britain to get the numbers to pass the anti-slavery legislation. William Wilberforce was a driving force at the forefront of the lobby. William Pitt the Younger, who was Prime Minister was also instrumental in finally passing the legislation. Pitt appears here in a miniature from within the collection.

When the slave trade was abolished from 1 Jan 1808, Sir John Tobin sought to become respectable. In 1819 he was Mayor of Liverpool and was knighted in 1820 by George IV, see Walrus - Liscard Hall History In 1835 he built a home called Liscard Hall, the grounds now being Central Park, Wallasey. Presumably to improve his own image, Sir John also built the adjacent St John's church for his only son, the Reverend John Tobin (19 Apr 1809-?) who was a clergyman. However, his duties were not onerous as there were few services, the pews in St.John's Church were sold and all seats not let were kept locked. (In 2005 approval was given to convert the church into apartments!)

Even being a Reverend, John Tobin lived very well on his share of the family fortune and was a very corpulent man. On one occasion he crossed the Mersey on a ferryboat, which was crowded with trippers from Lancashire. As they boarded the rickety gangplanks one of the trippers was heard to say, "Wait a minute and let that fat chap go first. If it bears him, it will be safe for us". See Walrus - Liscard Hall History Later, in the 1871 census, Rev John Tobin was living with his wife Emily Ann (1816-1881) and two children in Caversham, Oxfordshire with four servants and describing himself as "Clergyman of the Church of England, without care of souls".

Although he obviously craved respectability, Sir John Tobin's name was associated with a bribery at elections case in 1833, where the large number of close family connections giving rise to self-election of Liverpool Councillors were noted, see Liverpool Council 1833

Thomas Tobin, the husband of Esther, seems to have been the merchant brain of the Liverpool Tobin family, but been less inclined to seek publicity, although his name is prominent in the historical record. After 1 Jan 1808 when it became illegal to carry slaves, the Tobin family switched its ships to the Palm Oil trade between West Africa and Liverpool. Although there were large profits in this trade there were also risks, as shown in the following account of the loss of the ship "Liverpool" owned by the Tobin family, see Loss of the Ship Liverpool 1820

Even before the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, the tightening of customs duty after 1765 had an adverse effect on employment opportunities on the Isle of Man, causing a wave of emigration to the United States, although as noted above, smuggling continued particularly in the south of the Island. However, from the abolition of slavery in 1808 ships returning to Liverpool direct from Africa with palm oil were not carrying highly dutiable goods such as rum to the Island from the West Indies. Thus there was not the same financial "necessity" for these merchants to be involved in smuggling via the Isle of Man. Additionally, the collection regime had further improved on the Island, leading to even fewer ship calls there and a consequent downward spiral in demand for ship provisioning and warehousing on the Isle of Man. Reduced smuggling distribution in small vessels onward to Britain and Ireland also reduced employment opportunities on the Isle of Man.

Further, the change to a two way Liverpool-Africa trade, rather than the triangular trade across the Atlantic, required fewer ships to service the Africa trade. However, even at this stage one ship's captain spoke of losing 25 % of his crew by death every voyage. The combination of all these factors led to sharply reduced employment opportunities on the Island and a second surge in emigration to North America from the Isle of Man took place in the early 19C. See Genealogy Pages Isle of Man - Emigration

The palm oil imported from Africa via Liverpool was required for the Industrial Revolution, where it was used as an industrial lubricant for machinery and locomotives, as well as for soap and candles. After abolition, Thomas Tobin immediately became the largest importer in the more publicly visible palm oil trade, which tends to indicate he had the ships suddenly available from his being a major player in the less publicly visible slave trade in the years prior to 1807. British imports of palm oil rose from 100 tons in 1807, to 20,000 tons a year in the 1840's, with most imported through Liverpool.

The slave trade did continue and shown here is a miniature from the collection, of Commodore Matthew Perry, who early in his career was involved in United States efforts to stop the slave trade. By 1820, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, and the United States had all outlawed the international slave trade, but it persisted until the middle of the nineteenth century.

In 1807 Congress had passed the Slave Importation Act which declared further importation of slaves into the United States to be illegal. Despite this the trade continued. United States or British naval interceptions were often futile, with captains of loaded Spanish or Portuguese slavers sometimes throwing their live human cargo overboard to avoid capture.

In the United States, President Monroe ordered the navy "to seize all vessels navigated under our flag engaged in that trade." To that end, five navy vessels headed for Africa between January 1820 and August 1821, beginning with the frigate USS Cyane which had been captured as a prize from the Royal Navy in 1815. Second in command of the Cyane was Lieutenant Perry, then 24 and who would become commander of the African Squadron in 1843.

Perry's family had been associated with the founders of the American Colonization Society, a movement established in 1816 to resettle freed slaves in Africa. Perry requested duty on the Cyane, with the primary mission of escorting the first group of freed slaves from America to the new country of Liberia. The Cyane continued on to intercept slavers, on 10 April 1820 bagging nine vessels suspected of slaving. The Cyane's captain bitterly noted that, although the vessels were evidently owned by Americans, they were so completely covered by Spanish documentation that is was impossible to condemn them. He also estimated that "There are probably no less than three hundred vessels engaged in the slave trade." See Lane. U S Navy and Slave Trade

Another opponent of the slave trade was Ann Tuttle Jones Bullard, shown here in another miniature from the collection. Ann's husband was Rev Artemas Bullard. They lived in St Louis, Missouri and were both involved in the Underground Railroad assisting slaves to escape to Canada. Ann was closely related by marriage to Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Ann was a published author of several works of fiction before Harriet was a published and could well have been part of the inspiration for Uncle Tom's Cabin. Much later, Abraham Lincoln is said to have joked to Harriet in connection with the American Civil War. "So you're the little lady who wrote the book that started this great war".

From around 1800 Thomas Tobin had lived in Liverpool, possibly with a country home at Eastham House, Eastham which was later occupied by his son James Aspinall Tobin. The palm oil trade was very profitable and in 1834 Thomas Tobin and his business partner Charles Horsefall purchased a gunpowder mill in Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland which had been disused since the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Gunpowder became one of their major exports to Africa, with the mill employing 500 men and boys. For more about the gunpowder mill see Places to visit and Gunpowder Mills « Ballincollig Heritage His eldest son, Sir Thomas Tobin (22 Mar 1807-?) was Managing Director of the site from 1834-1888 and while there lived in Oriel House see Oriel House History - Oriel House Hotel & Spa, Ballincollig, Co. Cork The mill was not immune from accidents, as five men were killed in one explosion, see Ireland Newspaper Abstracts

Despite the 1808 abolition, the slave trade continued and forty years later, the Tobin family still had an indirect involvement in the trade. It was reported in 1840 "one of the main exporters of gunpowder from Liverpool was John Tobin, son of a prominent slave trader and married to the daughter of yet another slaver family, the Aspinalls". This was a reference to Sir John who at this time was 79 years old and had married Sarah Aspinall. See Britain, the slave trade and slavery, 1808-1843. Industry ... The reference is stating that his father Patrick Tobin, was also a prominent slave trader. The report also stated that 90% of the gunpowder, some 1,700,000 pounds total weight, shipped in 1839 from Liverpool to Africa was for use "to a great extent in internal wars which are fomented for the purpose by the slave traders." Much of this was Tobin gunpowder.

The "purpose" of the internal wars, being for one African tribe to attack another African tribe and take prisoners, which they then sold to land-based slave traders, who in turn on sold them to the ship captains.

Interestingly, around 10% of slaves were adulterers, thieves, or other criminals within African tribes, who were found guilty by their native courts and then sentenced to be sold as slaves.

Thus, one can see quite a degree of similarity with British citizens still being found guilty, at similar dates, and of similar crimes which were punished by transportation to a penal colony such as Tasmania for life. Shown here is another miniature in the collection. It is of Mary Patricia Reze Booth (1775-1868), the mother of Charles O'Hara Booth who was Commandant of the Port Arthur penal settlement in Tasmania, Australia from 1833 to 1844.

Some African kings became very wealthy from selling slaves. For example, as early as 1750, King Tegesibu of Dahomey made GBP 250,000 a year from selling slaves, which was far greater than the income of any English duke.

In the mid 19C muskets from Birmingham were being sold to Africa and ships were still being built in Britain, which by their layout, showed they were specifically designed for the slave trade. No doubt the Tobins were shipping guns, shackles and chains, and Manchester cloth, along with gunpowder to Africa at this time, all of which were used to pay for slaves. Then returning with palm oil, "teeth" i.e. ivory tusks, and timber. Thus there was still a heavy British connection to the slave trade and this was behind the Hutt Committee inquiry.

In 1832 Thomas and Esther Tobin were living in Bold Street, but then between 1841 to 1861 Thomas and Esther lived at 80 Rodney Street, Liverpool and shown here is a present day picture of their home. In 1841 there were six servants. In 1851 Thomas described himself as "Shipowner and Merchant - Palm Oil and Gunpowder" and Esther Tobin described herself as "Merchant's Wife". This was probably their city address, with another Tobin son, James Aspinall Tobin (1819-1891) living as a magistrate and merchant at a country home, Eastham House, Eastham, Cheshire where, at the 1881 census, there were eighteen in the household, including seven servants. This sandstone property built in 1691, is thought to have been bought either by Sir John or by Thomas Tobin in 1801.

Thomas Tobin's elder son who managed the gunpowder mills became a knight, perhaps inheriting from Sir John Tobin, on the death of his son Rev John Tobin, see Sir Thomas Tobin and he was married to Lady Catherine Tobin, the Irish author, artist and traveller who wrote "Land of Inheritance" as pictured here.

By the later 19C the family described itself as involved in merchant banking, cotton, and shipping; instead of slavery, smuggling and gunpowder!

James Aspinall Tobin became Mayor of Liverpool in 1854 - see Sketch of James Aspinall Tobin, palm oil family and Photo of James Aspinall Tobin. Palm oil trading family Further family respectability came with James's son, Sir Alfred Aspinall Tobin (1855-1939) being appointed a judge. There are four portraits of him in the National Portrait Gallery. In 1901, he still lived with his widowed mother, the wife of James, Olivia Maria Aspinall Tobin at Eastham House, however in 2007, Eastham House is an old people's home.

Thomas Tobin's role as a slave trader did not really become a matter of public record until 1848 when he appeared before the Hutt Committee. Thomas admitted having been a slave captain himself for 10 voyages in the 1790's and testified before the committee. As this was 40 years after the abolition of slavery in Britain, it seems likely his answers were a little tongue in cheek. Apart from anything else, his wife was still alive and he would have wanted to protect his family honour by understating his activities. In answer to a question as to whether any Negro went voluntarily on board, Tobin replied "there was no objection on the part of the females and the boys; the stout able men might appear not to wish to go; but if they were not taken by the captain of the ship, they knew they would not be at liberty because (for a distance of 100 0r 200 miles around) they would....still be slaves. Besides they could not know of the advantages.......until they had been sometime on board, and then they became reconciled." Tobin also said he "had known the young ones get hold of you by the knees and beg you to take them to your country" and "Whether it was my ship or any other ship the whole of the officers and crew were employed altogether in endeavouring to keep the slaves in a healthy state and in good spirits". Further he said if the slaves whom he was transporting "had been in a nursery in any private family, they could not have been treated any more (kindly)".

However, there may be doubt about the truth of Tobin's testimony. For example he said he only needed ten to fifteen thousand yams to feed the slaves on a voyage whereas Barbot had said in 1700 that 100,000 yams were necessary to feed a ship carrying 500 slaves. Also an early description of a slave voyage was that "once off the coast, the ship became half bedlam and half brothel" and in 1694 a Captain Phillips wrote "some commanders have cut off the arms or legs of the most wilful, to terrify the rest". Tobin also claimed that the mortality rate on his ships was only 3%, whereas the norm for British ships was closer to 9%. Nevertheless, more care was taken with slaves in the later 18C and 19C.

Both Sir John Tobin and Sir Thomas Tobin appear to have been avid antiquarian collectors and items collected by them are now in found in a number of museums.

The most recent reference found to the family of Thomas and Esther, is to Frances Maria Tobin (1827-1901) their daughter. She had lived with her father in the 1851 and 1861 census. It seems she never married and as recently as 1901 was living as a wealthy spinster in Torquay, Devon. By this time slavery was long gone and presumably Frances did not tell her neighbours her father had been a slave trader a hundred years previously.

The previous owner purchased this miniature of Esther Tobin at an auction in Torquay only recently, but given the bracelet fitting, it seems highly likely it had been worn on her wrist by Frances Tobin as a memento of her mother. Then remained in the Torquay area when Frances died, shortly after the 1901 census. 1201

Unknown - portrait of Queen Victoria

2007-02-25T14:48:00.000-08:00

A portrait of Queen Victoria painted in enamel on copper. The artist is unknown. A kind visitor to the website has advised that they believe the source of the portrait is a photograph taken around 1880 by W & D Downey, who were the Royal photographers in the late 19C.

So far the exact date of the original portrait used as the source for this miniature has not been identified. The pose is similar to, but not identical with, a portrait taken in 1886 and shown here, which was used on the cover of some sheet music published in 1886 to celebrate her 1887 Jubilee. However, a close up comparison shows she is younger than in the 1886 portrait.The Queen also looks somewhat younger than the 1887 and 1897 Jubilee portraits.

In the miniature she appears to be wearing the George IV Diadem Crown. In 1870, when she was 52 years old, the Queen had asked for a small state crown to be made as the previous state one was too heavy. This was the Queen Victoria Small Crown and she then wore it for all state occasions from the date of the state opening of Parliament on 9 Feb 1871.

Thus after 1870, it seems Queen Victoria did not normally wear the George IV Diadem Crown for formal portraits, although she is wearing it here.

Queen Elizabeth now wears the George IV Diadem crown, although the design is not identical to that worn by Queen Victoria, as it was apparently reset in 1902 for Queen Alexandria. 1208

Unknown - portrait of a lady

2006-05-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is unsigned. It seems to be British, but could possibly be American. If it is American, the most likely artist seems to be Sarah Goodridge (1788-1853), see plate 21 in Strickler. The sitter is unknown. 905b

Unknown - portrait of Thomas Gage

2006-05-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is set into the top of a horn snuff box. Unfortunately the glass is cracked. The previous owner believed it was a portrait of General Thomas Gage (1721-1787), who was Governer of Massachusetts and commander of the British Forces in America, but this has not been confirmed.

For more about Thomas Gage see Thomas Gage

Unknown - portrait of Admiral Vincent

2006-05-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

This wax miniature portrait was modelled in the 19C and depicts Admiral Vincent. 1118a

Unknown - portrait of Admiral Lord Nelson

2006-05-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

This wax miniature portrait was made in the 19C and depicts Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. 1118b