Lot Essay
This chair (and possibly the following pair of tables) was produced on the Ingestre Hall Estate, the childhood home of Theresa Marchioness of Londonderry and seat of the Earls of Shrewsbury.
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Theresa Susey Helen, Marchioness of Londonderry
(1856-1919)
Lady Theresa Chetwynd Talbot was the daughter of Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury (d. 1877), a prominent
Conservative politician and Premier Earl of England. She married Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of
Londonderry (1852-1915) in 1875, when he was styled Viscount Castlereagh.
In 1884 Castlereagh inherited the Londonderry Marquessate, and two years later was appointed the Viceroy of Ireland. During their time at Dublin Castle they gained significant popularity and on their departure the crowds showed them far greater warmth than they had on their arrival three years earlier. Their time in the Irish capital gave Lady Londonderry her first real opportunity to play political hostess, a role she relished, and one to which her personality was ideally suited.
Following their return to England, Lord and Lady Londonderry reawakened Londonderry House, restoring it to its former position as the capital’s chief Tory salon; a position which it hadn’t occupied since the time of Frances Anne, Marchioness of Londonderry (the 6th Marquess’s grandmother). Both Wynyard Park and Londonderry House had extensive work carried out under Lady Londonderry’s
direction; most notably it was she who applied the classical ornamentation to the gallery at Londonderry House (creating the ballroom in the form it would remain until the demise of the house in 1965); she also remodelled the chapel at Wynyard from 1903 (see lots 566-568). Lady Londonderry filled the rooms, both at Wynyard Park and Londonderry House, with seat furniture and palms and undoubtedly added to the already magnificent collections in each. Lord and Lady Londonderry were close friends of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later H.M. King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra), who they entertained at their various country homes as many
as eight times between 1890 and 1903. The latter visit being to Wynyard Park, where the King held what is said to be the first Privy Council meeting to be held in a subject’s country house since the Civil War, and where he appointed the 6th Marquess Lord President of the Council. Theresa, Lady Londonderry’s time as the second of the three Marchionesses to be great Tory hostesses came to an abrupt end in 1915, with the death of the Lord Londonderry, which was followed by her own death only four years later.
‘She reveled in personal splendour, she frankly and unmitigatedly enjoyed standing at the head of her stairs when some big party was in progress, with the ‘family fender’ , as she called that nice diamond crown gleaming on her most comely head, and hugging the fact that this was her house, and that she was marchioness from top to toe and was playing the part to perfection…’
(E. F. Benson, quoted in H. Montgomery Hyde, The Londonderrys, London, 1979, p. 68).
AN ENGLISH ESTATE-MADE OAK THRONE CHAIR
DATED 1913, MADE ON THE INGESTRE ESTATE, STAFFORDSHIRE
Details
AN ENGLISH ESTATE-MADE OAK THRONE CHAIR
DATED 1913, MADE ON THE INGESTRE ESTATE, STAFFORDSHIRE
Extensively carved, the back centred by a primitive winged mask flanked by oak-leaves above a herm-centred panel dated 1693, with contemporary oak panel to the reverse inscribed 'INGESTRE OAK/ OLD DE ROSE AG...1913 (?)' nd with brass plaque inscribed 'This chair was made at Ingstre/ by Mr. Durose/ and given by Threresa Susey Helen wife of/ Charles Stewart 6th Marquis of Londonderry/ to Wynyard Chapel in 1914', possibly incorporating some earlier elements
60 in. (53 cm.) high; 33 in. (84 cm.) wide; 29 in. (74 cm.) deep
DATED 1913, MADE ON THE INGESTRE ESTATE, STAFFORDSHIRE
Extensively carved, the back centred by a primitive winged mask flanked by oak-leaves above a herm-centred panel dated 1693, with contemporary oak panel to the reverse inscribed 'INGESTRE OAK/ OLD DE ROSE AG...1913 (?)' nd with brass plaque inscribed 'This chair was made at Ingstre/ by Mr. Durose/ and given by Threresa Susey Helen wife of/ Charles Stewart 6th Marquis of Londonderry/ to Wynyard Chapel in 1914', possibly incorporating some earlier elements
60 in. (53 cm.) high; 33 in. (84 cm.) wide; 29 in. (74 cm.) deep
Provenance
The chapel, Wynyard Park, County Durham where placed by Theresa Susey Helen, Marchioness of Londonderry (1856-1919) and by descent.
Literature
Wynyard Park inventory, 1956, p. 97, chapel.
Wynyard Park inventory, 1965, vol. i, p. 61, chapel.
Wynyard Park inventory, 1965, vol. i, p. 61, chapel.
Brought to you by
Katharine Cooke
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