Works from the private collection of the 3rd Earl of Liverpool, Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, (1784-1851), once housed at the family seats of Pitchford Hall and Buxted Park to go under the hammer at Chorley’s. The sale comprises a quintessential English collection of family portraits with impeccable provenance, alongside Georgian furniture, porcelain, silver and enamel boxes. Royal gifts to the family among the works.
Chorley’s auctioneers is excited to announce that it will offer works from the private collection of the 3rd Earl of Liverpool, Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, (1784-1851), that were once housed at the family seats of Pitchford Hall, Shropshire and Buxted Park, East Sussex. This extraordinary collection gives a snapshot of the relationships and a line of descent through a noble family (as well as several interconnected 18th and 19th Century families and ancestors). The sale comprises a quintessential English collection of family portraits with impeccable provenance, alongside Georgian furniture, porcelain, silver and enamel boxes. It will be offered in a special auction titled: A Political Inheritance, Contents of a Cotswold Country House on April 23, 2024.
Left: Portrait of Robert Banks Jenkinson (1770-1828), Prime Minister of the UK between 1812 & 1827. Circle of Sir Thomas Lawrence.
Estimate £6,000-£10,000
Centre: Portrait of 3rd Earl of Liverpool, Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, (1784-1851) by a follower of Franz Xavier Winterhalter, Presented to his daughter by Queen Victoria in 1852, a year after his death, as a memento
Estimate £600-£800
Right: Julia Annabelle, Lady Shuckburgh, (1756-1797), by George Romney (1734-1802)
Estimate £20,000-£30,000
The 3rd Earl of Liverpool, Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson was the younger son of Charles Jenkinson, the 1st Earl of Liverpool. The 1st Earl held various political posts for a period of forty years, was a confidante of George II and was one of the architects of the Stamp Act that led to the Boston Tea Party and ultimately American independence. The 1st Earl’s son from his first marriage, Robert Banks Jenkinson (1770-1828) became one of the longest-serving prime ministers of the United Kingdom between 1812 and 1827. He presided over the final years of the Napoleonic wars and Napoleon’s ultimate defeat. Robert Banks Jenkinson’s portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) hangs in the Waterloo Room at Windsor Castle and a version of the portrait is offered in this sale (as Circle of Sir Thomas Lawrence). It portrays him in a black coat, bearing the Ribbon and Star of the Order of the Garter, in front of a dramatic crimson curtain. In oil on canvas, it carries an estimate of £6,000-£10,000.
On Robert Banks Jenkinson’s death in 1828 Charles Cecil Jenkinson succeeded him as the 3rd Earl of Liverpool. By this time he had already inherited Pitchford Hall from a cousin (in 1807) and married Julia Evelyn Medley Shuckburgh-Evelyn (1790-1814), whose array of middle names are a tribute to the families of Medley and Evelyn, from whom she inherited the Buxted and Felbridge estates on the Surrey/Sussex border. The sale therefore includes portraits of the ancient families of Evelyn, Medley and Shuckburgh, as well as the Jenkinsons and are a rare record of an extended 18th Century family. The portraits have remained in the family until this day and this, therefore, is the first time they have appeared on the open market.
Commenting on the collection, Thomas Jenner-Fust, Director at Chorley’s, said: “It is unusual to find such an extensive group of related portraits. These paintings have remained in the same family since they were commissioned and are therefore truly fresh to the market.”
The highlights include several portraits by George Romney (1734-1802), perhaps the most fashionable portraitist of his day. One depicts Sir George Augustus William Shuckburgh-Evelyn, 6th Bt. (1751-1804), whose abiding interest was in in astronomy. As a result of his work in this area, one of the craters of the moon is named after him. The portrait portrays him seated in a dark blue coat with a white cravat, holding a thermometer and with an armillary sphere in view. In oil on canvas, it carries an estimate of £6,000-£8,000. His wife Julia Annabelle, Lady Shuckburgh, (1756-1797), was also painted by Romney just after her marriage. The portrait, capturing her in a white dress and large hat, is also offered in this sale at £20,000-£30,000. A group portrait of the 3rd Earl’s three daughters - Lady Catherine (1811-1877), Lady Selina (1812-1883) and Lady Louisa (1814- 1887), is also in the sale. They are captured in white gowns playing with a dog by the British artist George Henry Harlow (1787-1819) and carry an estimate of £8,000-£12,000.
Royal gifts to the family will go under the hammer, such as a portrait of the 3rd Earl given to his eldest daughter, Lady Catherine Julia Harcourt née Jenkinson (1811-1877) by Queen Victoria a year after his death. The Earl had been friends with Victoria as a young princess and later served as Lord Steward of the royal Household. The Queen had visited Pitchford Hall and Buxted Park on several occasions and the gift of the portrait would have been a comfort to the Earls’ daughter, who she also knew well. The portrait of the 3rd Earl in a black coat with white cravat is by a follower of Franz Xavier Winterhalter. In oil on canvas, it carries an estimate of £600-£800.
Another of the 3rd Earl’s daughters was Selina Charlotte Jenkinson (1812-1883) who firstly married William Charles Fitzwilliam, Viscount Milton (1839-1877), by whom she had a daughter, Hon. Mary Selina Charlotte Fitzwilliam. Her second marriage was to George Savile Foljambe (1800-1869) and through their children the Earldom of Liverpool was revived. Her daughter married William Henry Berkeley Portman, 2nd Viscount Portman (1829-1919), a British Liberal Member of Parliament. From this part of the family is a pair of candlesticks by England's most renowned 19th century silversmith, Paul Storr (1770-1844). Famed for creating spectacular pieces for the royal family and the aristocracy, his silver is found in the grandest of stately homes around the world. The candlesticks, each on three lion's paw feet and highly decorated with acanthus foliage and berried ivy are inscribed ‘The gift of his Majesty King William IV to the Hon. Nigel Kennedy 1836’ with a royal coat of arms. They carry an estimate of £7,000-£10,000.
While important portraits dominate the sale, there are some interesting pieces in the furniture section of the collection, such as a late George III specimen wood octagonal breakfast table, with a radiating design on baluster stem and moulded downcurved legs, which carries an estimate of £1,000-£1,500 and an early Victorian Irish mahogany partners desk, estimate £2,000-£3,000
Elsewhere is a French ormolu-mounted Sèvres porcelain garniture, or mantel clock from the third quarter 19th century, in Louis XVI style. Highly decorative with inset panels of figures at a gaming table in a wooded landscape, it is mounted on an urn shaped base and two pot-pourri vases and covers. It carries an estimate of £1,000-£1,500. A large Chinese blue and white ceramic circular fish bowl from the late 18th century is painted inside with numerous pavilions in a mountainous landscape and decorated on the outside with flowering branches. It has an estimate of £1,000-£1,500.
The noble line of this family extends beyond the 3rd Earl of Liverpool (the Jenkinson side of the family), to the Shuckburgh, Medley and Evelyn families. Through marriage and descent there are many portraits of all branches of the family. A historical summary is below for your info.
The Evelyn family of Felbridge, on the boundary of Surrey and West Sussex, is an ancient one with its links to that area going back to the 1580s. Edward Evelyn (1681-1751) is perhaps where our story begins though the sale also includes a portrait of his wife’s father the 2nd Duke of Ormonde (1655-1745). Through inheritance and purchase Edward established a large estate in the Felbridge area and in 1748 he commissioned a map of the estate. He only lived a few more years and on his death his son James Evelyn (1718-1793) succeeded him. James was evidently fond of his parents as he commissioned Sir John Soane to create a memorial to them. This was completed by 1785 and once stood in Felbridge, it can be seen in the distance behind James in his portrait, painted by George Romney.
James married firstly Annabella Medley (1718-1758), the elder daughter of Thomas Medley of Buxted Park, by whom he had a daughter Julia Annabelle. He later married Jane Cust (1725-1791), tragically their one daughter died in 1791 aged just 24 when her gown caught fire. This meant that on his death the daughter of his first marriage inherited his entire estate, she was already married to Sir George Augustus Wiliam Shuckburgh, 6th Bt. and in order to inherit they took on the name Evelyn, becoming Shuckburgh-Evelyn.
The Shuckburgh family are another ancient family, having been seated at Shuckburgh Hall since the 11th Century. Sir George inherited the Baronetcy from his uncle in 1773. His abiding interest was in in astronomy, he published his astronomical observations and had a telescope installed at Shuckburgh. As a result of his work one of the craters of the moon is named after him. Like many in his position he served in parliament as an MP (for Warwickshire.)
George and Julia had one daughter, Julia Evelyn Medley Shuckburgh-Evelyn (1790-1814) and it was her marriage to Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, 3rd Earl of Liverpool (1784-1851) which brought together her fortune (through her mother she had inherited the Medley estates including Buxted Park) with his own which included Pitchford Hall in Shropshire, inherited from a cousin in 1807.
At this point the couple were in possession of portraits of the Evelyn Family, the Medley Family and the Shuckburgh family. It is a feature of 18th Century portrait commissions that families would often patronise a particular artist and in the case of the present group the Evelyn and Shuckburgh family were patrons of George Romney with five works by the artist included in the auction. Romney was one of the most fashionable portrait painters of his day and it is rare to find a group of his work that has never previously been on the open market. The highlight is perhaps his half length portrait of Julia Annabelle Shuckburgh Evelyn (1756-1797) painted in 1788 shortly after her marriage. The picture shows her half length wearing an impressive hat and asks £20,000-30,000. Romney also painted her husband Sir George and there is a nod to his scientific interests in that he is shown holding a thermometer and with an armillary sphere in the background, he is set to fetch £6,000-£8,000.
The relationships between the portrait painters of the time are often quite close and it is interesting that the portraits of Sir Georges uncle (the 5th Baronet) and his wife were painted by Francis Cotes (1726-1770). Francis Cotes owned a large house in Cavendish Square and when Romney returned from his Italian tour in 1775 he moved into that house. Francis Cotes trained with George Knapton (1698-1788) whose work is represented in portraits of the two daughters of Thomas Medley, each estimated at £4,000-£6,000.
After the 3rd Earl of Liverpool married in 1810 he was in possession of a considerable fortune with estates in Pitchford, Felbridge and Buxted. His daughters were born in quick succession in 1811, 1812 and 1814 after which his wife died, he never remarried. A portrait of the three girls by George Henry Harlow is offered in the sale at £8,000-£12,000, it is perhaps understandably a sentimental work with the three shown wearing white gowns and playing with a dog.
Although he had a distinguished political career it was naturally overshadowed by that of his older brother Robert Banks Jenkinson the 2nd Earl who was Prime Minister from 1812-1827. One of the longest serving Prime Ministers he presided over the final campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars, and on the ultimate defeat of France in he was appointed to the Order of the Garter. His portrait is offered in the sale depicting him full length and wearing the Ribbon and Star of the Order of the Garter, estimate £6,000-£10,000. The prime version of this portrait is in the Royal Collection and hangs in the Waterloo Chamber, Windsor Castle.
It is known that Princess (later Queen) Victoria and her mother, The Duchess of Kent, stayed on occasion with Jenkinson at Buxted and at Pitchford. The only portrait of Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson in the sale is interesting in that it was presented to his daughter Lady Catherine Julia Vernon-Harcourt by Queen Victoria in 1852, the year after his death. Lady Catherine was well known to Queen Victoria and one can surmise that this gift was made as a memento of happy times. The picture is estimated at £600-£800.
Another of the 3rd Earls daughters was Selina Charlotte Jenkinson (1812-1883) who married firstly William Charles Fitzwilliam, Viscount Milton by whom she had a daughter Hon. Mary Selina Charlotte Fitzwilliam. Her second marriage was to George Savile Foljambe (1800-1869) and through their children the Earldom of Liverpool was revived. Her daughter married William Henry Berkeley Portman, 2nd Viscount Portman a British Liberal Member of Parliament.
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