Joshua Reynolds: Experiments in Paint

Regular visitors to the salon will know that I have long nursed a love of the work of Joshua Reynolds, so it was with no small measure of excitement that I took myself along to the Wallace Collection to view Joshua Reynolds: Experiments in Paint. A trip to the Wallace Collection is always a treat but this was a particularly special occasion as it combined one of my favourite galleries with my artistic hero!

Self portrait, 1776

The exhibition is the culmination of a four year research project headed by Wallace Collection director, Christoph Vogtherr, and brings together twenty works by Reynolds to demonstrate Reynolds's skill, innovation and experimental approach to painting in terms of both technique and composition. This free exhibition runs until 7th June 2015 and is, I think, a must-see!

By utilising techniques including infrared imagine and x-ray, the curators of the exhibition have been able to peer behind the pigment to see how these iconic works of art were developed and, telling, how Reynolds refined and finessed his work throughout the process. Famed portraits reveal tantalising glimpses of other paintings beneath, which Reynolds has painted over, or that what have become celebrated works of art once looked cry different, sometimes down to something as small as the position of the subject's arm!

Kitty Fisher and Parrot, 1763/4

By taking the visitor on a journey through Reynolds's processes, we are able to see the deterioration of pigment and better understand the sometimes subtle differences it can make to a painting that was once vibrant, as well as learn something of the conservation techniques employed to halt any further deterioration. Paintings including the portrait of Nelly O'Brien can be viewed in breathtaking close-up, the brushstrokes placed there by Reynolds visible today, a truly amazing experience for a fan like me!

Miss Jane Bowles, 1775

Reynolds is sometimes dismissed as a rather fussy, fancy painter but by bringing his technical innovations to the fore, this exhibition lends a new depth to our understanding of his work. Among all the grand canvasses, what really stood out for me was the canvas on which he had collected an archive of paint, each one accompanied by his own notes regarding how a particular colour was mixed. This small, apparently insignificant item is at the heart of his artistic achievement and shows his deep understanding of the importance of innovation; one must keep moving forward, trying new things and noting what worked and, of course, what didn't. Nowhere is this clearer than in the fate of William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensbury, whose grand portrait has lost much of the pigment in its face, leaving him a deathly pale phantom among ruddy-cheeked ladies.

If you are able to get along to the exhibition before it closes, I heartily recommend that you do so, it is a revelation and a lovely oasis of the 18th century in the heart of the city.

Find out more at http://www.wallacecollection.org/collections/exhibition/114

To see more by Reynolds, please click here! 

A Digest of Sir Joshua Reynolds

Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA (Plympton, Devon, England, 16th July 1723 – London, England, 23rd February 1792)

Self Portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1776

Today marks the anniversary of the death of Sir Joshua Reynolds who is, as regular visitors know, my absolute favourite artist. Reynolds and his works have featured here at the Guide a number of times. It is my pleasure to present to you a digest of those posts; I hope you will find something to interest you!


"One of the most memorable men of his Time": Sir Joshua Reynolds
The life of Reynolds.

A closer look at The Age of Innocence
An investigation of a painting of a unknown child.

A closer look at The Ladies Waldegrave
A painting of three ladies, each looking for a husband!

A closer look at A Child’s Portrait in Different Views: Angel’s Heads

A most unusual portrait of a child.

Posts illustrated by works by Reynolds

"I have seen as much of life as the world can show": The Death of Dr Johnson

Samuel Johnson (Lichfield, Staffordshire, England, 18th September 1709 - London, England, 13th December 1784)

Samuel Johnson by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1772

When Gareth Southwell and I launched the Gallimaufry earlier this year, for our first subject we selected the estimable Dr Samuel Johnson and the story of his dictionary. Today marks the anniversary of the death of this great man of letters, and it seemed only right that we should mark this occasion.

As he entered his seventy fifth year, Samuel Johnson was not in the best of health. He had spent many months battling ill health and was in low spirits, having lost close friends to death during the preceding years.

Frail and growing weaker, Johnson suffered from bronchitis and circulatory problems and, on 17th June 1783, he suffered a debilitating stroke. As he took to his bed in the care of his doctors, Johnson concluded that he was entering the final months of his life and prepared for death.

Johnson wrote to confidantes of his beliefs and London began to chatter of the poor condition of the great man, wondering whether he was correct in his suspicion that he was not long for this world. Although the stroke temporarily robbed him of his ability to speak, Johnson wrote of the black dog that plagued him from dawn to dusk, this spectre of doom banished only when Johnson was in company. When his ability to speak returned the melancholy did not life and Johnson continued to set his affairs in order.

As Johnson recuperated from the stroke, his always serious gout flared up mercilessly and he underwent painful surgery to ease the condition. Visited by friends, he took to his bed in December 1783 and remained there until the following spring. As the weather grew brighter though, so too did Johnson and in May 1784, he emerged from his home and joined Boswell on a trip to Oxford.

However, Johnson found the excursion exhausting and when he returned to London and Boswell went on to Scotland, he felt the absence of his friend keenly and lamented once more the return of the black dog. Once more Johnson took to his bed and once more his mood grew dark but this time, he would not recover and despite the care of his doctor, Thomas Warren, he declared again that he would soon be dead.

This time Johnson was right. He received visitors to his bedside and said his goodbyes to them one last time  before, on 13th December, he slipped into unconsciousness. Johnson did not linger then and passed away at seven o'clock that evening; fittingly he was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey, though his name lived on through the centuries, an icon of Georgian England.

The Scandalous Elopement of Gentleman Johnny

General John Burgoyne (aka Gentleman Johnny; Sutton, Bedfordshire, England, 24th February 1722 - London, England, 4th August 1792)

John Burgoyne by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1766

On the anniversary of his death, it is time to learn of a scandalous episode in the life of General John Burgoyne, known to us ladies as Gentleman Johnny. Burgoyne knew his soul mate when he saw her and intended to do something about it, regardless of what her illustrious father might think!

Burgoyne was something of a chap about town in the company of his close friend, Lord James Strange, who happened to have a rather comely sister named Lady Charlotte Stanley. Lady Charlotte was the daughter of Edward Stanley, Lord Derby, and her influential and powerful father had somewhat set ideas of who his daughter should marry, with Gentleman Johnny nowhere in his plans.

Not to be dissuaded, Burgoyne approached Lord Derby and sought his permission to marry Charlotte. Needless to say, the permission was not forthcoming and Derby left the young man in no doubt that he would never consent to such a match. When news of the refusal reached Charlotte she was devastated and she and her beau decided to take matters into their own hands. In spring 1751 the couple eloped and married, no care given to what Lord Derby would or would not agree too. Furious at such scandalous behaviour, Derby cut off his daughter without another penny and Burgoyne sold his commission in the 1st Royal Dragoons and the couple used the money he raised to finance their first few years of married life.

Just six months after their scandalous wedding, the Burgoynes went to the continent where they travelled extensively. In 1754 their only child, Charlotte Elizabeth, was born and the small family returned to England and, they hoped, a warmer welcome from Lord Derby. Happily, the newly-minted grandfather had softened somewhat in the absence of his daughter and was happy to welcome them back into his family. In fact, Burgoyne and his father-in-law eventually became devoted friends and Burgoyne benefited greatly from his illustrious family connections.

The younger Charlotte died at the age of just ten and her mother passed away in 1776, to be buried alongside her child in Westminster Abbey. Years later they would be joined by Gentleman Johnny, his eventful life finally at an end.

A Child’s Portrait in Different Views: Angel’s Heads

Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA (Plympton, Devon, England, 16th July 1723 – London, England, 23rd February 1792)

Regular visitors here will know that I hold something of a soft spot for Joshua Reynolds, the legendary portrait artist of the long 18th century. We have seen him here at the Guide on more than one occasion and it is a pleasure to feature him again,with a closer look at A Child’s Portrait in Different Views: Angel’s Heads, painted between 1786–7.

The unusual painting depicts five studies of the head of Lady Frances Isabella Keir Gordon, five year old daughter of Frances Ingram and her husband, Lord William Gordon. The work was begun in summer 1786 and that fifth study was added to the painting in March of the following year. The canvas was displayed at the Royal Academy and Reynolds took as his inspiration a drawing of cherubs' heads by Carlo Maratta.

The portrait is clearly very different to those works with which Reynolds has become better associated, a far from formal or traditional work. Instead, he has painted the same child five times and each of the heads shows a different expression, from wonder to concern to happiness. In only one part of the canvas does she look directly out of the painting, her attention briefly caught and held by the world beyond the frame.

It is a painting commissioned by parents who clearly adored their child and wanted to remember her in those early years as she grew into a woman. In fact, this picture would far outlast the little girl and when she died in 1831, her bereaved mother passed the work to the National Gallery.

The cherubic style and the unusual execution of the work is is not, in all honesty, one to which I am particularly attached. However, it is a work that I have never forgotten in the years since I first saw it and for that reason I present it to you today - after all, one can never have too much Reynolds!

Joshua Reynolds and The Ladies Waldegrave

Although I am a fan of quill and paper there are times when even I have to leave the 18th century behind and fire up my computer. So I don't feel too out of time, I always keep a little slice of Georgian art to hand on the desktop and my current piece is The Ladies Waldegrave, an iconic 1780 painting from my favourite, Sir Joshua Reynolds.

The image is simple enough, showing three beautifully presented young ladies pursuing their peaceful, sedate hobbies in a richly appointed setting. There is hardly anything remarkable about the painting with its idealised subjects. Twenty year old Charlotte Maria holds a skein of silk whilst nineteen year old Elizabeth Laura winds the thread carefully and to their right, eighteen year old Anna Horatia is engaged in the exacting pastime of lacemaking.

The painting is, in fact, an elaborate shop window fashioned to showcase the appealing trio to possible suitors. It was commissioned by Maria, Duchess of Gloucester and the mother of the girls. She knew that few things could compare to the exposure and compliments this stunning work would garner even though it was actually intended to hang in Strawberry Hill, home of their great uncle, Horace Walpole.

The siblings are dressed entirely in virginal white, engaged in sedate pursuits and, in the capable hands of Reynolds, presented as ruddy-cheeked, elegant beauties. Any one of those young ladies might make an ideal wife for a man of breeding and in fact, that's precisely what happened. Thanks, one imagines, in no small part to this remarkable painting, Charlotte married a Duke, Elizabeth bagged an Earl and Anna won an Admiral. One can only imagine that Lady Maria felt it was very much a case of mission accomplished.

"Death's a debt": The Death of Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan

Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (Dublin, Ireland, 30th October 1751 – London, England, 7th July 1816)

Richard Brinsley Sheridan by Sir Joshua Reynolds

It is no secret that one of my Georgian idols is Richard Brinsley Sheridan, a theatrical legend of the long 18th century. Last year I told the story of Sheridan's eventful life and we made a second stop on Drury Lane to witness the fire that consumed the theatre where Sheridan had reigned. Today is the anniversary of Sheridan's death and it seemed only right to mark this sad occasion, Sheridan's final days spent in penury and unhappiness.

Whether as a playwright, politician or theatre impresario, Sheridan lived his life to the full. He never did things by halves and gambled or spent money whether he had it or not but, eventually, this spending was destined to catch up on him.

On 24th February 1809, fire took hold of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and razed the entire building to the ground. With the theatre insured for vastly less than it was worth, the blaze proved financially catastrophic for Sheridan and things got worse three years later when he lost his parliamentary seat, more than thirty years after he began his career at Westminster. Though his creditors were closing in, when Congress offered him £20,000 to thank him for his political efforts to avert the War of Independence whilst in office, Sheridan proudly turned down the money and sank even deeper into debt.

At home things were far from settled as Sheridan's adored second wife, Esther Jane Ogle, grew ill with cancer and Sheridan's own health failed. As Esther grew weaker, Sheridan took to his bed and died in poverty, a shadow of the man he had once been. Sheridan received a hugely impressive funeral ceremony and was buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey; among his mourners were some of the most illustrious names in London.

Sir Joshua Reynolds and The Age of Innocence

I have been spending a lot of time of late perusing artworks of the long 18th century, soaking up inspiration for my work in progress and losing myself in the beautiful imagery and skill of the era. Today I wanted to focus on a fancy picture by my favourite artist, Sir Joshua Reynolds. It is a deceptively simple portrait of an unknown child, and a work that I find most appealing.

The Age of Innocence by Sir Joshua Reynolds

The painting is known as The Age of Innocence today, though this is not the title Reynolds gave it. Instead, this name was taken from an engraving that was made of the original work in 1794. So little is known about the work that it remains a wonderful mystery; it is believed that Reynolds make the study at some time between 1785 and 1788 and in 1785, The Morning Herald made mention of an exhibition at the Royal Academy which would feature a painting of an infant girl by Joshua Reynolds; this work was entitled A Little Girl and it is likely that these two are one and the same.

A Strawberry Girl by Sir Joshua Reynolds

The artwork that we see in the Tate today has been painted over an earlier work entitled A Strawberry Girl and was an instant and much copied, engraved and purchased hit. The identity of the little girl in the painting is unknown but it has been suggested that she might be Theophila Gwatkin, the artist's young niece who died in 1844 at the age of 62. Other identities have also been suggested but these require the painting to have been completed significantly earlier than is believed to be the case.

Miss Theophila Gwatkin as Simplicity by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1785

There is an appealing simplicity about the image that, contrasted to our study yesterday, shows a female subject at the very start of her life. She has yet to experience the tribulations of like that left Queen Charlotte so rueful in her own portrait. Instead she is settled barefoot in a framing landscape, simply dressed and with no accessories or adornments beyond a simple bow in her hair. For this little girl life has barely begun; we can only share this childhood moment and wonder at what became of her.

The Scandalous Birth and Eventful Life of Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester

Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester (Mayfair, Middlesex, England, 29th May 1773 - Blackheath, Kent, England, 29th November 1844)

Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1774

Today we meet Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester, a most noble lady who had her own ideas about what she wanted from life. The life of this great granddaughter to George II and niece to George III was a long one, which started in scandal.

Sophia was the only surviving daughter born of a secret marriage between William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and brother of George III, and his wife, Maria Walpole. It was not until Maria fell pregnant with the little girl that the illicit union became known and the rift between William and his brother, George, was immediate and long-lasting, though happily not permanent. Feeling betrayed and angry at the deception, the king enforced a ruling that the Duke and his family should not be admitted to the royal household should they attempt to enter.

With the pomp and ceremony of a royal christening therefore denied, the couple arranged a private baptism for their daughter with some family and friends in attendance. Thereafter the family retired to the continent, where they remained for a good many years and where Sophia's beloved brother, William , was eventually born. 

Princess Sophia of Gloucester by John Haslem, 1846

Eventually though the Duke and Duchess and their children returned to England, where the king and his brother were reconciled. As she grew out of childhood, Sophia matured into a young lady of culture, intelligence and charm and she was well-liked by those who knew her. The young princess was very briefly considered as a possible match for the Duke of Clarence but Sophia had no intention of marrying and firmly rejected such proposals.

At the age 40 Sophia was named Ranger of Greenwich Park and became hugely popular with the people of the area. Her philanthropic interests magnified as she grew older and she died well-loved and respected by all who knew her.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

Pen and Sword
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Book Depository (free worldwide shipping)

The Scandalous Affairs of Elizabeth Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire

Elizabeth Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (née Elizabeth Christiana Hervey, also Lady Elizabeth Foster; Horringer, Suffolk, England, 13th May 1759 - Rome, Italy, 30th March 1824)
 

Lady Elizabeth Foster by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1787

Not so long after sharing the final hours of the iconic Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, we find ourselves returning to Chatsworth to meet her friend and the woman who followed her as Duchess, Elizabeth Cavendish. Her relationship with the Devonshires was a far from orthodox one, as we will see!

Lady Elizabeth, known to her friends as Bess, was born to Frederick Hervey, later to be 4th Earl of Bristol, and his wife, Elizabeth Davers and was the fourth of their seven children. The family took up residence in Ireland and despite their illustrious family tree, were far from wealthy throughout her childhood. A bright and beautiful young lady, at the age of just 17 she married politician John Thomas Foster. The couple had three children, two of whom lived to adulthood but their marriage was not a happy one.

Just five years after they were wed, the couple seperated. Gossips whispered that Elizabeth had been enjoying the odd dalliance elsewhere and this was given weight when Bess fled Ireland and left her children in the custody of the Earl; she would not see them again for many years. Our Bess was not to be laid low for long though and in spring 1782 she met the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire whilst attending a social engagement in Bath. Unsatisfied and just a little lonely, Georgiana adored Bess from that first meeting and the two women became firm friends, with Bess swiftly moving into the family home, where she remained for a quarter of a century save for occasional and unhappy continental sojourns!

Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, with Lady Elizabeth Foster by Jean-Urbain Guérin, 1791

The three lived together and Bess enjoyed a long affair with William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire and Georgiana's husband. Together the couple had two children, a boy and a girl, though their true parentage was concealed from the children for many years. Indeed, the first child Bess had with Cavendish was born in a miserable Sicilian brothel and initially left in Europe to avoid embarrassment and scandal to either parent.

Eventually though, the two  children joined the household to play alongside William and Georgiana's own offspring, utterly unaware that Bess and Cavendish were their true parents until after Cavendish's death in 1811. When she became aware of the affair between her husband and best friend Georgiana accepted it, happy to have her friend close by regardless of what this might mean for her own marriage.
Rumour has it that Bess was a busy girl and indulged in a affairs with all manner of illustrious gents and she hoped for a proposal from her long term lover, Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond, but it is for her relationship with William that she is remembered. Indeed, it was this affair that eventually resulted in matrimony, many years after it had begun.

 In 1809, three years after Georgiana died, Bess married Cavendish to succeed her friend as Duchess of Devonshire. She herself was widowed just two years later and eventually left England behind and went to Rome, where she lived happily as a patron of the arts. On the anniversary of Georgiana's death, Bess herself passed away and was returned to England to be interred in the Cavendish vault beside her husband and the woman who had been her most faithful friend.

James Gillray: Fashionable Contrasts

It is no secret that one of my favourite figures of the Georgian era is, of course, the famed caricaturist, James Gillray. Gillray captured the essence of the long 18th century, portraying its most famed figures in sometimes the most unflattering light. 

Fashionable Contrasts by James Gillray, 1792

One of his most famous works is Fashionable Contrasts and since today marks the birthday of the owner of the most delicate feminine feet pictured in the work, I thought I would take a look at this famed print.

James Gillray

When Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia married Frederick, Duke of York and Albany on 29th September 1791, she entered into a love affair with the British press who were charmed by her supposed daintiness. By all accounts a very slightly built lady, she was possessed of two things that seemed to drive people to distraction and just what were those two things?

Her tiny feet.

Supposedly measuring less than six inches in length and usually clad in exquisite footwear, the feet became famed. Copies of her tiny shoes were sold as royal souvenirs and fashionable ladies wore their own shoes ever smaller in an attempt to emulate her. To Gillray, this clamour over the Duchess was too good an opportunity to miss.

Frederica Charlotte of Prussia by Joseph Friedrich August Darbes

Fashionable Contrasts;—or—The Duchess's little Shoe yeilding to the Magnitude of the Duke's Foot, was published by Hannah Humphrey on 24th January 1792. It depicts the tiny feet of the Duchess of York in jewelled slippers, caught in an obviously compromising position with the large and ungainly feet of her husband, the Duke. A simple yet instantly recognisable image, the print was enormously popular and has since become one of Gillray's best known and loved prints. 

Frederick, Duke of York by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1788

This simple yet withering attack was an instant hit and the adoration of the feet of the Duchess suddenly became just a little less vocal, until it had faded completely. In fact, the marriage of the Duke and Duchess was not to last and Frederica and her celebrated feet retired to a life of eccentricity in Surrey, where she spent the rest of her days.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

Pen and Sword
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Book Depository (free worldwide shipping)

Death of an Icon: Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (née Spencer; Althorp, Northamptonshire, England, 7th June 1757 – London, England, 30th March 1806) 

Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1780-81

Recently I had the honour of spending a glorious day at Chatsworth, the beautiful Palace of the Peaks. Like so many others, I have long been fascinated by Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and have always intended to produce a post of two telling the tale of her remarkable life. Today marks the anniversary of the last day of Georgiana's life and as a special request for a regular visitor, my article today is an account of the death of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.

Since 1774, Georgiana had been the wife of William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire. Noted for her exquisite taste and beauty, the Duchess also had a keen and intelligent political mind and was a devoted and loving mother as well as a gambler who had amassed a mountain of debt by the time of her death. The Duke and Duchess did not have a happy marriage and the couple lived in a ménage à trois with her friend, Lady Elizabeth Foster, who would one day become the second wife of the Duke of Devonshire.

Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1775-1776

Georgiana had always suffered from fragile health and in early 1806, it appeared from the hue of her skin that the 48 year old Duchess had contracted jaundice. This in itself was not a cause for great concern but as March wore on, Georgiana's condition began to worsen. As her doctors proclaimed that she would no doubt make a full recovery they failed to recognise that the true cause of her illness was an undiagnosed abscess on her liver. Confined to bed in Devonshire House, Georgiana was tended by members of her family and every day visitors called at the house to enquire after the sickly woman. When it became apparent that Georgiana's condition was declining rapidly, the physicians began a programme of aggressive and painful treatment, none of which did anything to address the liver ailment that was killing her.

Devonshire House from The Queen's London (1896)

As word spread throughout London that the Duchess of Devonshire was dying, Georgiana began to suffer from seizures and spent the final days of her life in a state of insensibility. She passed away at half past three in the morning on 30th March, surrounded by her grief-stricken family. Despite their differences, the Duke was utterly inconsolable at the loss of his wife and her death plunged society into deep sorrow. Just as the people of the capital had enquired daily as to her health, now innumerable residents of the city crowded into Piccadilly to mourn before the gates of Devonshire House for the woman who had been so famed throughout the land. 

The Duchess of Devonshire was laid to rest at All Saints Parish Church, now Derby Cathedral; her memory lives on vibrantly today, a true icon of Georgian England.

Chatsworth House by yours truly!

The Post-Mortem Travels of Laurence Sterne

Laurence Sterne (Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland, 24th November 1713 - London, England, 18th March 1768)

Laurence Sterne by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1760

Today I tell the tale of what befell the great Laurence Sterne after his death. Rightly celebrated in life, the writer almost met a grisly fate at the hands of Cambridge anatomists hungry for subjects.

Laurence Sterne fell ill whilst visiting London in early 1768 and never recovered his health. He was only 54 when he died at his lodgings at 41 Old Bond Street and was buried at St George's, Hanover Square. He left behind a wife, Elizabeth, and Lydia, their 21 year old daughter.

This was not to be the end of Sterne though and a rumour began to circulate that the writer's body had been spirited away from its grave and sold to anatomists at Cambridge University. However, far from meeting the ghoulish fate expected to befall such unfortunates, one of the anatomists recognised Sterne and decided that he could not possibly be dissected for the purposes of scientific advancement. Undercover of night the author's body was returned to St George's and buried in an unmarked plot, leaving his original grave empty.

In 1969, more than two centuries after Sterne's death, the churchyard was redeveloped. Over 10,000 skulls were unearthed, some of which showed evidence of examination and damage that suggested they had been used by anatomists. Among these skulls was one that appeared to match exactly the size and shape of a bust made of Sterne by Nollekens. The sculptor was renowned for the meticulous nature of his measurements and work and it was accepted that this was likely the skull of Laurence Sterne. 

The skull was reburied in the churchyard of St Michael's Church, Coxwold, thanks to the efforts of the Laurence Sterne Trust. After years away Sterne had finally returned to St Michael's, the church where he was perpetual curate. Even better he now rests just five minutes away from Shandy Hall, the house where he had spent nearly ten happy years.

The Political Career of William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington

William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington (William Wildman Shute Barrington; London, England, 5th January 1717 - Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, England, 1st February 1793)

William Wildman Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington by W.A. Rainger, after Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1864 (1762)

Our guest today is not here to celebrate a birthday,  commemorate a death or even remember an anniversary but is, instead, the result of a conversation I have been having with regular visitor to the salon.  He has an interest in the political career of Viscount Barrington and for that reason, I was happy to feature the Viscount today.

Born to John Barrington, 1st Viscount Barrington, and his wife Anne, William Barrington enjoyed the best of everything in childhood. His education was truly privileged and he was schooled in Geneva, inheriting the title of Viscount Barrington in the Peerage of Ireland at the age of 17. Newly ennobled, the young man undertook a tour of the continent, learning something of the world before returning to England to settle into society life.

Barrington married Mary Lovell in 1740  and this same year he succeeded his father as Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed and later for Plymouth, making a splash in the Commons.  Six years after taking his seat he was appointed one of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, swiftly rising through the ranks to become a Privy Counsellor and then Secretary at War under Newcastle's cabinet, a position he held throughout the Seven Years War. 

Barrington's career was in full flight and his next office was that of Chancellor of the Exchequer and Treasurer of the Navy. However, his true political interests were elsewhere and when he returned to the position of Secretary at War in 1765, he remained in this office for 13 years.

The Barringtons had no surviving children and Mary died in 1764. When Barrington himself died in 1793, less than ten years after his retirement, his nephew succeeded him to the title.

"Thraliana is itself an odd Thing!": The Life of Hesther Thrale

Hester Lynch Thrale (nee Hester Lynch Salusbury; Caernarvonshire, Wales, 27th January 1741 – London, England, 2nd May 1821)

Hester Thrale with her daughter Queeney by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1777-78 

It is a joy to welcome one of my favourite Georgian ladies to the salon today. For many years thought of as Dr Johnson's Mrs Thrale, the reputation of Hester Thrale (aka Hester Lynch Piozzi) has been reevaluated of late as her writings and diaries have been devoured by subsequent generations!

Hesther was born into privilege as the only daughter of diarist John Salusbury and his wife, Hester. She spent her early childhood in the surroundings of Bodvel Hall, Caernarvonshire, and was a fiercely inquisitive and bright child who immersed herself in writing and literature from an early age.

However, for all of their illustrious pedigree, life was not free of concerns for the Salusburys and the free spending of John's mother and brother meant that they were constantly juggling one financial misfortune or another. As John sank into despondency and the family moved to London, he became increasingly volatile until, in a last effort to save the solvency of his name, he departed for Nova Scotia.

Hester married for the first time on 11th October 1763 when she became the wife of the wealthy Member of Parliament and brewery magnate, Henry Thrale. Although the couple had a dozen children, four of whom survived into adulthood, the marriage was often strained but Thrale's distant behaviour and occasional infidelities. Court gossips whispered that Hester had married beneath her and Thrale seemed ill-suited to court life. However, the couple certainly respected one another and although they might not have shared a storybook romance or blazing passion, they certainly had a deep and abiding affection for one another.

Hesther Thrale, 1785-1786

Buoyed by her own pedigree and her husband's financial capital, Hester's life became a social whirlwind and she moved in the highest circles, befriending titans of the literary set and enjoying a particularly close friendship with Samuel Johnson, who would later praise her in verse. She counted Fanny Burney among her friends, though this particular relationship would one day be tested by Hester's second marriage.

On 4th April 1781 Hester became a widow and an enormously wealthy one at that, inheriting a vast sum of money and the couple's home of Streatham Park. Here she held literary salons attended by luminaries of the cultural world and Johnson had his own quarters there whilst working in the library. She first met musician Gabriel Mario Piozzi at a party in 1777 and was immediately taken by his talent; in the years that followed he often visited Hester to perform for her and by 1782, the widow admitted in her own journals that she was in love with Piozzi, tormented by the knowledge that their social standing was vastly different and that any apparently scandalous behaviour on her part would no doubt percolate down to her children.

In fact, Hester attempted to end her burgeoning romance with Piozzi in 1783 yet Hester was so unhappy at his departure that her own daughters had him recalled and on his return, Hester and Johnson exchanged letters in which Johnson's jealousy came to the fore, resulting in an estrangement between the close friends. Finally Piozzi and Hester were married on 25th July 1784 and the couple took up residence at Brynbella, a country house on the edge of Hester's Bach y Graig estate in Wales. She spent the time here in reflection, considering whether it would be possible to lay claim to the lands her father had owned in Canada and eventually resolving her feud with Johnson, just prior to his death. In fact, she went on to publish Anecdotes of the late Samuel Johnson in 1786 and her collected letters in 1788.

Hester Lynch Piozzi by Mariano Bovi, 1800

Hester's historical writings recognised the achievements of women throughout history and she became a noted diarist in the final years of her life. She died in Bristol after a fall and was buried beside Piozzi at Corpus Christi Church, Tremeirchion.

Commodore Sir William James, Foiler of Pirates

Commodore Sir William James, 1st Baronet, FRS (Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales, c.1721 – Eltham, London, England, 16th December 1783)

Commodore Sir William James by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1784

I hope you've got your sealegs on because today we make the acquaintance of a man who rose from humble beginnings to the heights of naval success. A true tale of rags to riches, William James travelled the oceans to make his name in business and seafaring circles!

The man who would become a Baronet was born into poverty, the son of a miller in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. With no appetite to follow his father into his trade he ran away to sea before he entered his teenage years and his dedication saw him rise swiftly through the ranks. By the age of 17 the young man was in charge of his own vessel in the West Indies. Captured by the Spanish, he was left to drift at sea until he made landfall in Cuba, only to be captured again.

Undaunted by these experiences, James joined the East India Company in 1747 and by 1751 he was Commander of the the Bombay Marine Forces, chiefly concerning himself with the pirates who plagued the company's dealings. His particular target was Toolaji Angria, a pirate leader  of some renown who operated out of the fortress of Severndroog, a stronghold that had been undefeated for decades. James was not concerned by previous failed efforts to bring down the pirates, confident that his own knowledge of the sea as well as the might of his ship, The Protector, would secure him the victory.

In fact James was proven right; his expert navigational skills around the Indian coastline led to a successful attack on the fortress in 1755 and the fortress fell. He also supported Colonel Robert Clive on occasion and was instrumental in securing British dominance over French forces in India.

In 1759 James returned to England and took up a role as chairman of the East India Company, settling with his wife, Anne Goddard, in Soho. He served as MP for West Looe in Cornwall and into 1774 moved to Eltham, his many successes crowned with a a baronetcy in 1778. 

James died at the age of 62 after suffering a massive stroke at his daughter's wedding. Today he is commemorated by Richard Jupp's Severndroog Castle, the building commissioned by the grief-stricken Lady Anne James.