THE OAKLEY HOUSE FURNITURE The following six lots (106, 107, 108, 109, 110 and 111) were formerly in the collection of Lord and Lady Ampthill at Oakley House, Bedfordshire (S. Houfe, 'Furniture for a Hunting Box', Country Life, 14 March 1991, pp. 54-56). The house built between 1748 and 1750 for John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford (d. 1771) became 'a favoured retreat' and 'hunting box' of his grandson, Francis Russell, 5th Duke (d. 1802), which would explain its extensive and extravagant renovation in his lifetime. The 5th Duke, part of the 'Carlton House set' surrounding the Prince of Wales (later George IV) (d. 1830), commissioned the Prince's fashionable architect-designer, Henry Holland (d. 1806), who also worked at neighbouring Southill and Colworth, to radically alter Woburn Abbey, the Duke's principal country seat, and between 1789 and 1792, Oakley House. During this parallel refurbishment, and to escape the endless building work at Woburn Abbey, the Duke took up residence at Oakley House, its décor completed first in 1792. The principal rooms on the ground floor of Oakley House including the Drawing Room, Dining Room, Library, Main Staircase and bedrooms were remodeled in Holland's most dignified French style, in muted colours with walls divided into large panels with guilloche painted borders to take decorative paper or silks. Much of the gilded and lightly painted furniture, of which there was a significant amount at Oakley House, recalled the Louis XVI period, and it was part of a comprehensive decorative Holland scheme. In addition, Chinoiserie style was also prevalent. Cabinetmakers supplying furniture and decorative art to Oakley House included Mayhew & Ince, Seddon Sons & Shackleton, Crace & Son and John Kerr. After 1800, Oakley House, by now a pleasure pavilion, was let on an occasional basis, initially to the 5th Duke's brother, Lord John Russell (later 6th Duke) (d. 1839), and from 1906-1914 to the 11th Duke's agent, Rowland Edmund Prothero (later 1st Baron Ernle) (d. 1937). In 1919, Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke (d. 1940) sold the estate, including Oakley House, and many of its furnishings, to his cousin, Oliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill (d. 1935). Interestingly two of Lord Ampthill's children, The Hon. Phyllis Russell (d. 1998) and The Hon. Leopold Russell, (d. 1988) made a model of the house and its contents which is preserved in the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford. Following Lord Ampthill's death, Oakley was sold and many of the contents were dispersed through local dealers, such as Frederick Jones, Bedford, where the following six lots were acquired. Professor Sir Albert Richardson, P.R.A. was a friend of Lord and Lady Ampthill and had known these pieces when in situ at the house. These pieces of furniture seem to have been redecorated at the same point, probably in the 19th century, with the hanging shelves being subsequently given their present decoration when they were restored in 1935. Analysis has shown common pigments between various pieces suggesting a wider scheme of redecoration at Oakley, perhaps carried out by a leading London firm, such as that founded by John Crace, which went on to become the preeminent 19th century firm of decorators, a theory certainly bourne out by the quality of the decoration.

A GEORGE III PARCEL-GILT WHITE-PAINTED DAYBED

CIRCA 1790, ATTRIBUTED TO MAYHEW AND INCE, REDECORATED

Details

A GEORGE III PARCEL-GILT WHITE-PAINTED DAYBED
CIRCA 1790, ATTRIBUTED TO MAYHEW AND INCE, REDECORATED
The channelled frame with raised scrolling end on rosette-headed turned and fluted tapering legs, covered in woolwork with foliate lozenges embroidered 'M A' and '1934'
40½ in. (105 cm.) high; 72½ in. (185 cm.) wide; 32 in. (82 cm.) deep

Provenance

Almost certainly commissioned by Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford (1765-1802) for Oakley House, Oakley, Bedfordshire, as part of the furnishings acquired following the remodelling of the House by Henry Holland (1745-1806) between 1789 and 1792 and by descent at Oakley until sold with the house by
Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford (1858-1949) in 1919 to his cousin,
Oliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill (1869-1935) following whose death the house was sold and the contents dispersed.
F. Jones, Tavistock Street, Bedford, where acquired on 19 February 1936, as a 'White & gilt daybed' (£12.10s.).

Literature

Possibly one of two 'Ottomans' recorded in the 'Sitting Room', or alternatively one in the 'Dining Room' in 'Inventory of sundry personal effects etc. at Woburn Abbey etc. the property of His Grace
Francis the 7th Duke of Bedford K.G. deceased Taken 1861 by William
Aspinwall 70 Grosvenor Street W.'
S. Houfe, 'Furniture for a Hunting Box', Country Life, 14 March 1991, p. 54, figs. 2 & 7.
A.E. Richardson, diary entry, 29 February 1936.

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Lot Essay

Despite the survival of extensive bills for Oakley House at the Bedfordshire County Record Office, it is problematic to link individual craftsmen to specific furniture because of their generic wording. Interestingly, in 1794, the London cabinet-making partnership, Mayhew & Ince, supplied 'a single-headed Couch bed' for £8 18s to the 5th Duke of Bedford for Oakley, this however is a relatively distinct description and almost certainly refers to this daybed (Ed. G. Beard, C. Gilbert, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, Leeds, 1986, p. 597). The Mayhew & Ince commission at Oakley amounted to a total of £442 16s 11d and at Woburn in excess of £1,750. Furthermore, the firm supplied 'two white japanned double-headed couch beds' in 1792 for Woburn. The present daybed was possibly made to complement pre-existing furniture such as the parcel gilt and pink-painted hanging shelves (lot 108), which display similar carved paterae (S. Houfe, 'Furniture for a Hunting Box', Country Life, 14 March 1991, p. 56).
In the 1861 inventory for the house there are several examples of 'Ottoman' with the same width as the present daybed. In the 'Sitting Room' there were '2 Oblong Ottoman 6 ft. long with loose squabs side and back Cushions Cov'd in tick 2 Bolsters 2 pillows in tick. Loose Covers of Amber Calico to do.', and in the 'Dining Room', 'A 6 foot side Ottoman stuffed back & seats in Canvas loose squab Covered in Amber & white Tabouret & loose covers of chintz'.
The monogram to the embroidered covering suggests that it was executed by Margaret Russell, Lady Ampthill (d. 1957) who was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary, and was a supporter of the Royal School of needlework. This daybed is shown in its previous silk upholstery in a photograph of the drawing room at Oakley House taken in the early years of the 20th century. Analysis of the decoration has shown that this daybed was originally parcel-gilt and green-painted, interestingly this and the sofa, also attributed to Mayhew and Ince (lot l07) are the only two pieces amongst the Oakley Park furniture to have been applied with a preparation layer of gesso prior to the original decoration.

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