DOI Heft:
No. 350 (May 1922)
DOI Artikel:Whitley, William Thomas: The Cassiobury collection
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21395#0270
THE CASSIOBURY COLLECTION
WILLIAM AND MARY WAL-
NUT CHEST OF DRAWERS
WITH INLAID PANELS OF
FLORAL MARQUETERIE
THE CASSIOBURY COLLECTION.
pASSIOBURY, near Watford, one of
the most important of the great
country houses in the vicinity of London,
has been the home of the Capells for nearly
three hundred years, since the daughter and
heiress of Sir Charles Morrison became the
bride of the first Lord Capell, with the
Cassiobury estate as her dowry. The early
history of the Capells at Cassiobury was
tragic enough. In 1649 Lord Capell was
executed for supporting Charles the First
against Parliament, and in 1683 his son
committed suicide in the Tower to which
he had been sent on a charge of high
treason. 00000
By this son, who had been created Earl
of Essex by Charles the Second, the first
extension was made of Cassiobury, which
in its original form was built by the
Morrisons in the reign of Henry the
Eighth. It was to a great extent re-modelled
at the close of the eighteenth century by
James Wyatt, R.A., at the instance of the
fifth Earl of Essex who in his youth, as Lord
Malden, was a boon companion of George
the fourth when Prince of Wales, and is
said to have^been the rival of his Royal
Highness in the affections of the beautiful
Perdita Robinson. But the Earl, rake though
he may have been, was always a lover of
pictures and painters, and while he reigned
at Cassiobury it had an artistic connection
of the kind that Petworth was then enjoying
under Lord Egremont. It was the Earl of
Essex who rescued Girtin from the City
Bridewell to which he had been committed
by his master, Edward Dayes, and gave him
work at his Hertfordshire seat where many
artists were from time to time entertained
and employed. Among them were Turner,
who made several drawings of Cassiobury
and its surroundings, Hearne, Edridge,
Pugin, Callcott, Wilkie, C. R. Leslie,
Collins and William Hunt. 000
Since the death of the fifth Lord Essex
in 1839 three successors to the title have
lived at Cassiobury, but its long connection
ONE OF A PAIR OF QUEEN
ANNE CHAIRS WITH BACKS
AND SEATS COVERED IN
NEEDLEWORK EMBROI-
DERY ON WHITE ARRAS CLOTH
253
WILLIAM AND MARY WAL-
NUT CHEST OF DRAWERS
WITH INLAID PANELS OF
FLORAL MARQUETERIE
THE CASSIOBURY COLLECTION.
pASSIOBURY, near Watford, one of
the most important of the great
country houses in the vicinity of London,
has been the home of the Capells for nearly
three hundred years, since the daughter and
heiress of Sir Charles Morrison became the
bride of the first Lord Capell, with the
Cassiobury estate as her dowry. The early
history of the Capells at Cassiobury was
tragic enough. In 1649 Lord Capell was
executed for supporting Charles the First
against Parliament, and in 1683 his son
committed suicide in the Tower to which
he had been sent on a charge of high
treason. 00000
By this son, who had been created Earl
of Essex by Charles the Second, the first
extension was made of Cassiobury, which
in its original form was built by the
Morrisons in the reign of Henry the
Eighth. It was to a great extent re-modelled
at the close of the eighteenth century by
James Wyatt, R.A., at the instance of the
fifth Earl of Essex who in his youth, as Lord
Malden, was a boon companion of George
the fourth when Prince of Wales, and is
said to have^been the rival of his Royal
Highness in the affections of the beautiful
Perdita Robinson. But the Earl, rake though
he may have been, was always a lover of
pictures and painters, and while he reigned
at Cassiobury it had an artistic connection
of the kind that Petworth was then enjoying
under Lord Egremont. It was the Earl of
Essex who rescued Girtin from the City
Bridewell to which he had been committed
by his master, Edward Dayes, and gave him
work at his Hertfordshire seat where many
artists were from time to time entertained
and employed. Among them were Turner,
who made several drawings of Cassiobury
and its surroundings, Hearne, Edridge,
Pugin, Callcott, Wilkie, C. R. Leslie,
Collins and William Hunt. 000
Since the death of the fifth Lord Essex
in 1839 three successors to the title have
lived at Cassiobury, but its long connection
ONE OF A PAIR OF QUEEN
ANNE CHAIRS WITH BACKS
AND SEATS COVERED IN
NEEDLEWORK EMBROI-
DERY ON WHITE ARRAS CLOTH
253