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Lot Essay
THE PROVENANCE
This pair of chairs formed part of a larger suite comprising at least ten armchairs, a pair of settees and a pair of sofas from Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire. Six of these chairs were sold from the collection at Lanhydrock, in Cornwall at Christie's in 1953. The connection between Wimpole and Lanhydrock is a fascinating one. Lanhydrock, Cornwall, was the great 17th century house of the Robartes family. Charles Bodville, 2nd Earl of Radnor (1660-1723) owned both Lanhydrock and Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire. By 1710 his extravagance had forced the sale of Wimpole to the Duke of Newcastle. Pope described Radnor as '... mad good-nature, bounty misapplied. In lavish Curio blazed away and died'. From the Duke of Newcastle, Wimpole Hall quickly passed to his son-in-law, Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford (d.1741), with whom it entered a literary golden age. Oxford himself was an extravagant collector, with his manuscripts forming the nucleus of the British Museum, and Wimpole was sold yet again, although probably fully furnished.
From 1740 until 1894 Wimpole belonged to the Earls of Hardwicke. An inventory from 1835 entitled 'An inventory of Furniture Fixtures and effects the Property of the late Earl of Hardwicke deceased of Wimpole Hall, Cambridge, taken January 1835, Banting and Son, 22 Pall Mall lists in the 'Long Gallery':
2 large square sofas with squabs 6 back cushions & 4 round bolsters & crimson striped throwover cases
2 large walnut tree carved sofas with stuffed Backs seats and Elbows covered with Crimson silk damask & finished brass nails
10 large carved Elbow chairs stuffed backs & seats covered and finished to Match sofas.
which are likely to be this suite. In 1931, Lord Clifden expressed his belief that the set was 'recovered in 1842 when Queen Victoria stayed with the fourth Lord Hardwicke' - its rose-medallioned petit point needlework is visible in the old Country Life photographs.
Wimpole changed hands again in 1894 through bankruptcy, for the third time in its history. The principal creditor of the 5th Earl of Hardwicke was the Robartes bank, whose major shareholder was Lord Robartes, owner of Lanhydrock and direct descendant of the Earl of Radnor who had been forced to sell Wimpole in 1710. Lord Robartes bought Wimpole and thus its ownership was reunited with that of Lanhydrock, having been divided since 1710. These chairs remained at Wimpole when it was reacquired by the Robartes family in 1894 as the suite appears in the Country Life photographs of 1927 and 1931. Much of the original furniture from Wimpole was removed to Lanhydrock during the early 20th century which was almost certainly the history of the suite. Six of the chairs were sold in 1953 from Lanhydrock. Another pair from the set was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 12-13 October 1995, lot 192, while a further set of six was sold anonymously (Mrs L Urquhart of 10 Palace Gardens Kensington W8), Christie's, London, 17 July 1930, lot 123, and purchased F. Partridge. Another pair forms part of a distinguished private collection in New York.
A pair of early Georgian side chairs with a similar history was sold from the collection of the esteemed collector Colonel Norman Colville M.C., Christie's, London, 14 June 2001, lot 60.
THE ST. MARTIN'S LANE SYNDICATE
The Wimpole suite relates to a group of mid-eighteenth century chairs made by a group of cabinet-makers who have become known as the St. Martin's Lane Syndicate. The significant members of this group were royal cabinet-makers William Hallett, William Vile and John Cobb who in addition to working in the neighbouring premises shared further common interests. Both Hallett and Vile originated from Somerset, and indeed Vile had worked for Hallett, who later gave Vile financial backing when starting his own career. Maintaining their links with their home county they are thought to have supplied a suite of furniture for John, 2nd Earl Poulett at Hinton House, Somerset, a pair of chairs from which was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 16 October 1998, lot 333.
A suite supplied to the Earl of Lichfield for Ditchley, Oxfordshire, and illustrated in situ in C. Latham, In English Homes, London, 1909, vol. III, p. 322, compares in its richly carved foliate legs and strong stature. William Hallett is known to have supplied the 2nd Earl of Lichfied 'tables, stands and screen' (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, 1986, p. 389) in 1742 and so it is possible by association that this suite of seat furniture, very much in Hallett's oeuvre, may have been supplied by the St. Martin's Lane maker. Bearing this in mind these commissions which have probable links with the St. Martin's Lane syndicate or indeed Hallett, it is not unreasonable to suggest that he may have exerted influence on the manufacture of this pair of chairs.
This pair of chairs formed part of a larger suite comprising at least ten armchairs, a pair of settees and a pair of sofas from Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire. Six of these chairs were sold from the collection at Lanhydrock, in Cornwall at Christie's in 1953. The connection between Wimpole and Lanhydrock is a fascinating one. Lanhydrock, Cornwall, was the great 17th century house of the Robartes family. Charles Bodville, 2nd Earl of Radnor (1660-1723) owned both Lanhydrock and Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire. By 1710 his extravagance had forced the sale of Wimpole to the Duke of Newcastle. Pope described Radnor as '... mad good-nature, bounty misapplied. In lavish Curio blazed away and died'. From the Duke of Newcastle, Wimpole Hall quickly passed to his son-in-law, Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford (d.1741), with whom it entered a literary golden age. Oxford himself was an extravagant collector, with his manuscripts forming the nucleus of the British Museum, and Wimpole was sold yet again, although probably fully furnished.
From 1740 until 1894 Wimpole belonged to the Earls of Hardwicke. An inventory from 1835 entitled 'An inventory of Furniture Fixtures and effects the Property of the late Earl of Hardwicke deceased of Wimpole Hall, Cambridge, taken January 1835, Banting and Son, 22 Pall Mall lists in the 'Long Gallery':
2 large square sofas with squabs 6 back cushions & 4 round bolsters & crimson striped throwover cases
2 large walnut tree carved sofas with stuffed Backs seats and Elbows covered with Crimson silk damask & finished brass nails
10 large carved Elbow chairs stuffed backs & seats covered and finished to Match sofas.
which are likely to be this suite. In 1931, Lord Clifden expressed his belief that the set was 'recovered in 1842 when Queen Victoria stayed with the fourth Lord Hardwicke' - its rose-medallioned petit point needlework is visible in the old Country Life photographs.
Wimpole changed hands again in 1894 through bankruptcy, for the third time in its history. The principal creditor of the 5th Earl of Hardwicke was the Robartes bank, whose major shareholder was Lord Robartes, owner of Lanhydrock and direct descendant of the Earl of Radnor who had been forced to sell Wimpole in 1710. Lord Robartes bought Wimpole and thus its ownership was reunited with that of Lanhydrock, having been divided since 1710. These chairs remained at Wimpole when it was reacquired by the Robartes family in 1894 as the suite appears in the Country Life photographs of 1927 and 1931. Much of the original furniture from Wimpole was removed to Lanhydrock during the early 20th century which was almost certainly the history of the suite. Six of the chairs were sold in 1953 from Lanhydrock. Another pair from the set was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 12-13 October 1995, lot 192, while a further set of six was sold anonymously (Mrs L Urquhart of 10 Palace Gardens Kensington W8), Christie's, London, 17 July 1930, lot 123, and purchased F. Partridge. Another pair forms part of a distinguished private collection in New York.
A pair of early Georgian side chairs with a similar history was sold from the collection of the esteemed collector Colonel Norman Colville M.C., Christie's, London, 14 June 2001, lot 60.
THE ST. MARTIN'S LANE SYNDICATE
The Wimpole suite relates to a group of mid-eighteenth century chairs made by a group of cabinet-makers who have become known as the St. Martin's Lane Syndicate. The significant members of this group were royal cabinet-makers William Hallett, William Vile and John Cobb who in addition to working in the neighbouring premises shared further common interests. Both Hallett and Vile originated from Somerset, and indeed Vile had worked for Hallett, who later gave Vile financial backing when starting his own career. Maintaining their links with their home county they are thought to have supplied a suite of furniture for John, 2nd Earl Poulett at Hinton House, Somerset, a pair of chairs from which was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 16 October 1998, lot 333.
A suite supplied to the Earl of Lichfield for Ditchley, Oxfordshire, and illustrated in situ in C. Latham, In English Homes, London, 1909, vol. III, p. 322, compares in its richly carved foliate legs and strong stature. William Hallett is known to have supplied the 2nd Earl of Lichfied 'tables, stands and screen' (G. Beard and C. Gilbert, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, 1986, p. 389) in 1742 and so it is possible by association that this suite of seat furniture, very much in Hallett's oeuvre, may have been supplied by the St. Martin's Lane maker. Bearing this in mind these commissions which have probable links with the St. Martin's Lane syndicate or indeed Hallett, it is not unreasonable to suggest that he may have exerted influence on the manufacture of this pair of chairs.