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Lot Essay
George Booth, 2nd Earl of Warrington was an important patron of the leading Huguenot silversmiths of his day, and had a well-documented and vast collection of silver at Dunham Massey, Cheshire, the seat of the Booth family.
On his succession in 1693, the 2nd Earl inherited his father's prodigious debts along with his title. A strategic marriage to Mary Oldbury, the daughter of a rich London merchant, brought him a dowry of 40,000 in 1702. After nearly twenty years of extensive improvements to the parkland at Dunham Massey, the 2nd Earl devoted himself to his silver collection, part of which was sold by their heirs at Christie's in two sales, on 20 April, 1921, and 25 February, 1931.
The present canvas, depicting the arms of Booth impaling others dates to the early 18th century and almost certainly hung at Dunham Massey. A similar canvas currently hangs in the Chapel at Dunham Massey and is illustrated in J. Lomax and J. Rothwell, Country House Silver at Dunham Massey, p. 38, fig, 17.
On his succession in 1693, the 2nd Earl inherited his father's prodigious debts along with his title. A strategic marriage to Mary Oldbury, the daughter of a rich London merchant, brought him a dowry of 40,000 in 1702. After nearly twenty years of extensive improvements to the parkland at Dunham Massey, the 2nd Earl devoted himself to his silver collection, part of which was sold by their heirs at Christie's in two sales, on 20 April, 1921, and 25 February, 1931.
The present canvas, depicting the arms of Booth impaling others dates to the early 18th century and almost certainly hung at Dunham Massey. A similar canvas currently hangs in the Chapel at Dunham Massey and is illustrated in J. Lomax and J. Rothwell, Country House Silver at Dunham Massey, p. 38, fig, 17.