A B RI EF ACCOUNT OF THE

A N TI U ITI E S ’ FAM I LY PICT U RES Q ,

AND OTH ER

NOTAB LE A RTICL ES

% BBEY E T FLA LEY A , C0 . G LO U C S E R .

R F AM ILY U SE A ND P VAT I NF AT COM PI LED FO R I E OR M I ON ONLY .

W . 1 1 2 . A . C B . . , 9

BRISTOL

E . . H MMON S . W C , 2, ST STEPHEN STREET .

t h se w In the preparation of e notes , the riter is much indebted to his nephew,

B . . Es . . . and . M . now Sir Francis H C , John D Pode , q , H artin Gibbs , Esq The death of the late Lord Aldenharn has deprived the family of his unrivalled know- ledge o i all the subjects discussed in this paper . These Notes must be read in

Flaxle Cartular 1 88 M emoirs o the connection with the y y, published in 7 , and the f

B ve F amil Lon m ans . oe y y ( g , both by the present writer

jf lagleg Elbbeg pictures.

HE E o f fo r T S pictures consist two distinct groups, which may the present purpose be roughly classified as follows

L P s ( ) ortraits and mi cellaneous pictures painted for, or acquired by, the

o f Bo ev e erlo d e owners Flaxley Abbey, during the y p , b fore or soon

, . 1 6 . after the purchase of the Abbey property, circ 54

I L P fo r ( ) ortraits and other pictures painted , or acquired by, the owners

o f 1 the Abbey during the Crawley period, subsequent to 7 26 .

As regards the first and more important group of pictures, the following — facts and dates are important to bear in mind . The family o f Andrew Bo ev ey

1 62 elder— o ssessed who died in 5 , during the same year as Abraham Clarke the p large property in Chelsea and the purchase o f Flaxley Abbey was effected by

;

’ Bo ev e s William and James , two of Andrew y sons , during the Commonwealth

r 1 6 . period , ci c . 54 Joanna , their sister, widow of Abraham Clarke the elder, l f became , by fami y arrangement , sole owner and mistress of Flaxley Abbey a ter

t W m Bo ev e e 1 66 1 . he death of her brother, illia y the eld r, in She was the first

o f x E resident occupier and possessor in her own right the Fla ley Abbey state ,

s I t be d after its sale by the Kingston . seems to highly probable that the ol est

Bo ev ey portraits and other pictures bearing dates before the purchase of Flaxley

Abbey , were painted by the fashionable artists of the day , temp . James I . and 7 8

I . f e Charles , and were trans erred to Flaxley Abb y when Joanna Clarke took up

f o f o f her residence there a ter she became mistress the Abbey in the time Charles II . W The Abbey and all its possessions were granted to Sir illiam Kingston , Constable o f i lls f W o R o f . Br av e f o f the Castle St and Chie arden the oyal Forest Dean , by

H V o f 1 6 . King enry III , at the time the Dissolution in 53 The Abbey Church was

then destroyed, and the buildings of the Monastery were adapted for the purposes

o f a private residence . The Kingston period lasted from the Dissolution o f the

1 6 o f . Monastery in 53 to the time the Commonwealth circ 1 654 . This period is chie% y notable fo r the extensive destruction and transformation o f the Flaxley

. Monastery which then took place The principal buildings , including the Abbey

Church and Cemetery of St . Mary of Dean , were then utterly destroyed, leaving

' ll r tio n the f sm a o . only a p of original Cistercian abric undisturbed This portion ,

i ’ Offi which is now used as the K tchen and Servants ces of the Abbey, exhibits a ‘

o f i good specimen typical Cistercian arch tecture, and is of great public interest . i The ruined buildings were, as usual n such cases, treated as a common stone

quarry , and the materials were either buried in the ground, or were utilised in P the construction of the existing premises . ortions of the original Abbey fabric

f have been ound in all directions near the present buildings, and many carved

- f t stones , pillar bases , and other interesting ragmen s of the ancient Monastery,

o f are still preserved . The dimensions and probable character the original Abbey

Church can best be estimated by comparison with other Cistercian Abbeys o f the

i same class , and those who have seen the remarkable ruins of Strata Flor da in

W o f is ales , where the outline the Cistercian Church still visible , can form a good idea of the size and general character of the Flaxley Abbey Church as it existed

m ean -lo o kin at the time o f t he Dissolution . The Kingstons erected a small and g

’ f N F or est o Dean . 1 8 o Chapel, as shown in icholl s f , p 9, near the site the present f P o f . o Flaxley arish Church, but the ancient shrine and Cemetery St Mary Dean,

9

o n with all its old ass ciations from the time of Stephe , perished at the Dissolution,

and the foundations , which are buried in the soil of the present garden premises ,

alone remain to attest the completeness of the destruction that then took place .

a B o ev e s e It is a striking fact th t the Dutch y , who wer ruined and driven

o f i n o f E z fo r o ut of Holland by the Duke Alva, the time Queen li abeth, their f adherence to the reformed aith , should have prospered greatly in their adopted

z B country, and, becoming naturali ed ritish subjects, should have succeeded, as

“ - e al land own rs and loc magnates, the Kingstons , who destroyed the Flaxley Abbey

B Church and drove out the Monks . oth Monks and Kingstons have long passed

Bo eve s away and are forgotten , but the y are still remembered, through the

. Bo ev e f o f generosity of Mrs Catherine y , as the ounders and supporters the first

laxle Parislr F y Church, which, though legally only a privat e donative, and outside di B h G H f the juris ction of the is ops of loucester and ere o rd, supplied, in some

c e measure , the place of the ancient Abbey Chur h, and was substitut d for the f n 1 26 . o Kingsto Chapel after 7 For a good illustration this Church, photographed

- f R . rom an old water colour painting, the writer is indebted to his nephew, Thomas

- r Bo . Bo ev e f C awley ev ey Mrs . y has the urther claim to remembrance as one o f the original pioneers and founders o f the great scheme of Sunday Schools in

G f R t R i loucestershire, long be ore ober aikes converted into a method cal system

. B what she, Col Maynard Colchester, and others , under the inspiration of ishop

- - Westb ur o n Sev ern . Ken , had practised, both at Flaxley, y , and other places

B e . o v e o Mrs y was also , in conjunction with thers, one of the original founders of — the Three Choir Festiv als an admirable cha ritable scheme which is still in

i . o ex stence These facts are worth remembrance , as an interesting illustrati n of G c lou estershire history, and an answer to those who assert that the resumption of Monastic property was a crime which has always entailed a curse on subsequent )

. No has di e o f possessors ghost ever sturbed the p ace FlaxleyAbbey, though the I O

n En lish fr umerous grants made to Flaxley Abbey by many g Sovereigns , om the

o f R I H . m V . time ichard , were resu ed by King enry III and whatever we may t o f r di hink his arbit ary procee ngs at the time , it may be admitted that some reparation has since been made fo r the public loss which was entailed by the

o f grievous events the Dissolutio n .

f P The present beauti ul arish Church of Flaxley, designed by Mr . Gilbert

m unificent W G E s o f T nt esfield Scott , was the gift of illiam ibbs , q , y , Somerset ,

' whose family have inherited the love o f Flaxley which is shared by all who have

been co nnected with that most interesting place .

The following is a list o f the principal Flaxley portraits and miscellaneous pictures which can be identified with tolerable certainty as belonging to the first

di Bo ev e . o f o f or y group The mensions each picture , as given in the oldest list

- f . Crawle Bo ev e Flaxley pictures prepared in or be ore the time of the first Sir T y y ,

f f are recorded . These measurements a ford valuable help in identi ying the pictures

oeve M emoir s 1 8 8 di referred to . The Pedigree Tables furnished in the B y ( 9 ) in cate

with sufficient clearness the relationship o f each person to the family concerned .

The present position o f each picture at the date o f these notes is recorded .

BOEVEY . I . THE PORTRAITS AT FLAXLEY ABBEY

t 1 1 6 . . WB E . 1 1 6 in . O VEY ae . 1 0 i . JOANNA, daughter of ANDRE , , painted in (5 ft 5 by 3 ft n )

set . 1 1 1 6 ABRAHAM CLARKE the younger , in fancy dress , , painted in 34 , described in the old ”

. 6 . as . . . 1 1 . Flaxley List Mr Clarke , and attributed to Vandyck (5 ft in by 3 ft in )

1 66 1 68 . Succeeded his mother at Flaxley Abbey in 4 ; buried at Flaxley, 3 r These pictu es are a pair, and hang side by side in the Abbey Drawing Room

They appear to be painted by the same Artist .

w f JOANNA ife of Abraham Clarke the elder, wearing Dutch hat and white lace ru f, mother of

fir 1 66 . No . 2, the st mistress of Flaxley Abbey ; buried at Flaxley, 4

. 1 62 ; 2 ABRAHAM CLARKE the elder , d 5 , father of No

- a . ar e half size x Portr its Nos 3 and 4 portraits , not included in the old Fla ley ’ List . They hang in the Abbot s Room .

fir Bo ev e . WILLIAM , (the younger) son of James y Succeeded his st cousin ,

1 68 . . Abraham Clarke , in 3 Staircase

w Bo ev e CATHERINE , daughter of JOHN RICHES , and ife of William y of

. 1 26 . Flaxley Abbey (No 5) buried at Flaxley, 7 The reputed perverse

o . widow of Sir Roger de C verley Two portraits , Staircase and Hall

Bo ev e CORNELIA, daughter of James y and wife of Francis VANACKER of —— ’ . . . 1 6 d . 1 02 . Erith , Co Kent (b 53 7 ) Abbot s Room — . 1 60 . 1 6 . (8) THOMAS HOLLIER Barber Surgeon . (b . 9 d 90) Ditto

O S . S 8 . (9) LUCY, daughter of THOMA KN WLE , wife of No . (d Ditto .

8 - Copies of the Flaxley portraits Nos . and 9 are in the posses

sion of Mr . Charles Scott Crawley .

MARY , daughter of DAVID BON—NELL, and Wife of Thos . Crawley the elder , . . 1 6 d . 1 21 of London (b 45 7 ) Ditto .

o f O AY LE WAY n SU , daughter J and An e Hastings , second wife of SANNA H—N 1 6 . 1 Jo hn White . (b . 47 d 73 2)

a o Their only daughter , Susanna White , m rried J hn Lloyd , of

London (d . father of Dr . John Lloyd, Rector of Stowe . (See B e e M o v emoirs . 6 y , p 2 3) 1 2

1 2 U . l ( ) S SANNA , daughter of Thos Hol ier , and wife of John Lloyd , of Gloucester . — . 1 6 d . 1 26 n (b 57 7 ) Dini g Room .

o A small size replica of this p rtrait , painted on COPPER, is n t now in the possession of the writer of these O es . The lady is ” popularly known in the family as the Copper Grandmother . The origin of this singular designation may possibly be connected ”S w . l i ith the mall portrait referred to It is wel _ pa nted , and may have been the original picture from which the canvas portrait was

copied . This portrait is pronounced by experts to be the work of i John Riley State Pa nter to James II . and his Queen .

- Bo ev e Besides these twelve portraits of well known members and connections of the y family, s r there are about seven or eight additional portraits of more or les a tistic merit , which are unidentified , but which belong almost certainly to the Bo ev ey period . The absence of all information regarding these portraits is a great family loss , which it is now very difficult to make good . The writer of his Boeve M emoirs Lon m ans 1 8 8 these notes has collected in y ( g , 9 ) all the information which he could Bo ev e find relating to the y family and their numerous connections . Some of these unidentified f portraits may possibly be discovered hereafter by the light a forded in this volume .

Bo ev e Of the artistic merit or public importance of the y portraits , the writer is not competent of to express any opinion , but their great family interest there is no question . The portraits of

1 . Mrs . Joanna Clarke (No . and No of Abraham Clarke the younger (No . of William Bo ev ey

. n Bo ev e . the younger (No . and of Mrs Cathari e y (No 6) exhibit the successive owners of Flaxley larke-Boev e 1 61 n Abbey during the C y period from 6 to 1 726 . The remaini g portraits exhibit members Bo ev e s i of the principal families with which the y were connected either by blood or ntermarriage , % . viz , Clarke , Vanacker , Hollier , Knowles , Lloyd , Bonnell, and Riches All of these , except Hollier,

Knowles and Lloyd , are of Dutch or Walloon origin , and the pedigrees of all of them are reco r ded in t i Boeve M emo rs . the y They are all intimately connected with Flaxley Abbey, and their chief interest and importance for the owners depends on that connection . The Flaxley portraits have always been

‘ - . . Cr wle B a o ev e 1 1 2 . regarded as heirlooms , and are so treated in the will of the late Sir T H y y , 9

as The portrait of Abraham Clarke the younger (No . 2) h been attributed by family tradition to Vandyck mainly on the strength of the old list of pictures already referred to . This

1 6 . . . 1 0 portrait , painted in 34 , and the dimensions of which are given (5 ft 5 in by 3 ft has long been supposed to be the portrait of James Bo ev ey (j oint purchaser of the Abbey with his brother t l 1 622 se . 1 1 . Wi liam) , born in , and painted but it has been recently pointed out by Mr (now Sir) Cr awle -Bo ev e Bo ev e in 1 622 1 2 1 6 Francis H . y y , that James y , born , would have been aged in 34 , ’ 1 62 1 1 1 6 while Abraham Clarke , his sister s son , born in 3 , was aged in 34 , when the portrait was not painted . The dimensions of the portrait show that the picture referred to was the portrait , of ’ Bo ev e e : James y , as supposed , but of his nephew , Abraham Clark , his mother s successor and heir

The dimensions and general style clearly show that it is a companion portrait of that of his mother ,

1 61 6 . 1 1 . Joanna, dated Both portraits were painted when the subjects were children , aged years It is a question for professional critics to determine whether this pair of Bo ev ey portraits was painted

n ai by the same hand or not . If the same artist painted both , we may co clude with tolerable cert nty

was not 1 620 - that Vandyck the painter , for he did not come to England till , and was not likely, there

1 4

w . A 1 0 was f of the last o ner , Mrs Lucy nne Evans , in 9 4 , it sold , with all her e fects , and passed into the possession of H . Martin Gibbs , Esq . , of Barrow Court , Somerset . The portrait of Mrs . Pope was

- . l . . r a e Bo ev purchased on the same occasion , and was given by Mr Gibbs to the late Sir T H C w y ey in 1 91 1 .

2 ( ) Portrait of Bishop Frampton , the Nonjuring Bishop of Gloucester , who was a friend of

. Bo ev e Mrs y , and is said to have received shelter and protection at Flaxley Abbey on the occasion i ’ of his deprivation , temp . William III . Another portrait of th s Bishop hangs in the Bishop s Palace at Gloucester .

’

1 no x . Both of these portraits (No s . and 2) w hang in the Abbot s Room at Fla ley Abbey A

M em oir . 6 . . 2 Boeve s steel engraving of No is shown in the y , p 7

MISCELLANEOUS PICTURES AT FLAXLEY ABBEY

ZET 1 6 6 . 1 6 1 0 BAJA , signed Rembrandt, 3 , pronounced by Expert , Dec th , 9 4 , ”

. 8 . . 2 . as probably a school picture (2 ft . § in by 3 ft in )

i 1 6 Willar t z . 6 . 2 n . i . SEA PIECE , by (S ( ft by 4 t ( 45)

. Danckeres . 1 6 VIEW OF PLYMOUTH . (6 ft . 3 in by 4 ft . ) Signed by H . ( 73 )

Companion Picture of No . 2 Corridor .

- King Charles II . engaged him to paint views of all the Sea ports in his esteemed the neatest and best painter

in his way of that time .

- ; ft . . . THE DUKE OF ROCHESTER AS A QUACK DENTIST . (6 ft by 4 2 in ) Staircase

- - - - . . three uar ter . CHARLES XII OF SWEDEN Life size , q length The only por

i . . trait o him is said to be at Hampton Court . (F . H . C B ) Dining Room .

B COPY OF PORTRAIT OF RU ENS BY HIMSELF . The original is in the Rubens

Room at Windsor Castle . (A . W . C . B . )

6 — THE BB . . 1 1 0 d . 1 6 CO LER, by David Teniers (b 94)

DITTO . Companion Picture Ditto .

I I w r M me . . . u INTER OR OF A DUTCH K TCHEN , ith carcase of dead pig Signed F 1 668 l Front Hal .

I s r t t r G b ech Hondeko e e . ; 1 61 . STUDY OF B RDS, by y (b 3) Front Hall — . 1 d . 6 . 1 . A STUDY OF DEAD GAME , by F Snyders (b . 579 ( ft in

by 4 ft . 5 in . ) Dining Room .

B G st no . SOPHONI S A . Copy or Replica of Original by S . a a at Hampton Court

(F . H . C . On Panel Bow Parlour

. r i . ST. CATHERINE Copy of the original picture by Cor eg o at Hampton Court

(F . H . C . B . )

R Z . 1 . . RESUR ECTION OF LA ARUS . (4 ft by ft 4 in )

C 1 1 1 FOUR DUT H DOMESTIC PIECES . (2 ft . 9 in . by ft % in )

i i . 8 n . . 8 n . GAME PIECE (5 ft . by 3 ft ) 1 6

1 . i . 6 . ( ) n ft . in. 7 JOSEPH AND MARY (4 ft by 3 g ) Staircase .

1 8 ( ) . . 6 in . 2 . 1 0 . SEA PIECE AND FRUIT (3 ft by ft in ) Lumber Room . / 1 I C - - ( ) , . . . 2 in. 2 ft . . i i 9 B RD PIE E by J Bogdani (signed) (5 ft by 7 in ) D n ng Room .

20 HU C ( ) . . 8 . . 1 0 . l FOUR NTING PIE ES (4 ft in by 3 ft in ) Passage and Bil iard Room .

21 C C ( . . 2 . 8 . Amb f ) LANDS APE MOONLIGHT PIE E (3 ft by ft in ) e Room .

22 T B - . . 2 . 8 . ( ) DRESSING A LE (3 ft by ft in ) Corridor .

2 . . 2 . . 2 ( 3) LEWIS XIV , KING OF FRANCE ( ft 43 in by ft ) Ditto .

o f This supposed portrait Lewis XIV . is pronounced by e Mons . Courboin , of the Biblioth que Nationale at Paris , to be more

. i probably a portrait of Louis II de Bourbon , Pr nce de Cond% .

’

OLD . . . 1 2 2 . 1 0 . r ( 4) MAN S HEAD ( ft 3% in by ft 5 in ) Co ridor .

I C . 2 . . 2 . ( 5) P E E OF STILL LIFE (4 ft by 3 ft ; in ) Billiard Room .

1 6 LD . . 1 . 2 O C . . ( ) OOPER (2 ft 3 in by 2 ft 5 in ) Amber Room .

w ’ Other Flaxley Pictures well kno n to most of those in the writer s generation , but unmentioned

ar e in the oldest List , as follows

’ SALOME WITH JOHN THE BAPTIST S HEAD Staircase .

’ DANIEL IN THE LI ONs DEN . On Panel . Rubens . School Picture .

“ now at are laxle t Besides these Pictures , Flaxley Abbey, there many other F y Pic ures which have passed into t he possession of different members of the family . Some of these belonged to the

’ w in 1 8 2 1 1 1 riter s mother , and passed on her death 9 to his sister Ella , on whose death in 9 they w a who now ere divided mongst her brothers , possess and greatly value them both on account of

e n . th ir artistic merit and family associatio s The small portrait of Susanna Lloyd on copper, already

- u . and referred to , and a small water colo r portrait of the Rev Thomas Savage , Rector of Standish ,

r l -Bo ev e e l C aw e . father of Anne Savage , the first Lady y y, w re left to the writer Other sma l pictures Bow a in oils , which used to hang in the Parlour at Flaxley Abbey, passed to his brothers , Rich rd n and Anto y . Two other small Flaxley pictures in oil on copper were acquired by the writer some

f th r . . who her a e years ago from Mrs Emma Newland , inherited them from , Rev Henry Crawley ,

his . of Stowe , by Whom they were probably acquired from predecessor , the Rev Charles Crawley, r l - w C aw e Bo ev e . brother of the first Sir T . y y Since these notes were ritten , the last owner of Flaxley

Cr a le -Bo ev e his sev ent -fo urt h is Abbey, Sir Thomas Hyde w y y , has passed away in y year, and

- now Crawle Bo ev e . succeeded by his eldest son , Sir Francis Hyde y y This sad event , which took

- o n 1 t h 1 1 2 . The place s March , 9 , marks another stage in the domestic history of Flaxley Abbey

Times of 1 8th March contains a brief obituary notice .

The majority of the pictures named in this collection were either painted for or acquired by

1 6 . the Bo ev eys before or soon after the purchase of Flaxley Abbey circ . 54 Which of these pictures ,

1 26 n . if any, were added to the collection during the Crawley period subsequent to 7 , is not k own

as Viewed a whole , the collection is one of considerable interest , and worthy of careful examination

A LATER PORTRAITS T FLAXLEY ABBEY .

C s - Most of the following portraits appear to have been painted during the rawley period , ubse ‘t ’ 1 26 . a Boev e nd Boev e quent to 7 , the year in which Mrs C herine y died , a Thomas Crawley, alias y , ‘ ‘ ' l Boev e co nditio n o f liis m inherited by the Will of Wil iam y , on fa ily name being retained .

6 . in . ft i 1 . z . . n ( ) William and Nathaniel LLOYD ( ft by 4 6 . ) Identified from

the old list of Flaxley pictures already referred to . Painter unknown Drawing Room:

2 . . ( ) JOHN LLOYD , D D Rector of Stowe Nine Churches , Northamptonshire , but 1 —— painted in his early days before he became Rector (b . 71 3 4 d . 1 8 A ’ 7 9) bbot s Room .

D. D. of . H (3) Wife of Rev JO N LLOYD , , but which his three wives is not fir as . w co usm . 1 . known His st Wife Susanna Crawley, his first , d 75 2

was . 1 . His His second wife Anna James , d 755 third Wife was Mary Daye ,

1 . i d . 794 A m niature of Susanna Crawley is in the Slade collection , and the Flaxley portrait is likely to be of her Ditto. — Glo c. . . . u 1 6 d . (4) Rev THOS SAVAGE , of Standish , (b 99 Said to be by

Hogarth . Ditto .

T M . . (5) ELEANOR, daughter of HO AS BARROW , wife of No 4 (d Ditto .

- 6 . ; . ( ) ANNE , daughter of Rev THOS SAVAGE , and Wife of first Sir T Crawley — . i Bo ev ey (b 1 745 d . Pa nted as a child by her own desire after

s . he was grown up . Painter unknown Ditto . — . 1 2 d . . 6 n Glouc. (7) GEORGE SAVAGE (b 74 brother of No , and Colo el Militia

N . 6 . ELEA OR , sister of Nos and 7 , wife of John Wogan , Esq Dining Room

. 8 . JOHN WOGAN , Esq , husband of No . , said to be a descendant of Thos

D . Wogan , the regicide itto — M R . E . . 1 6 d . C . H D apt , afterwards SIR T O AS HY E PAGE , (b 74

in 1 8 1 . . painted by James Northcote 7 , before Capt Page was knighted ’ ’

n M ls an 1 th entur P inter . 268 Gwy n s emoria of 8 C y a , p Abbot s Room

M ALBI NI A . ARY , daughter of Capt JOHN WOODWARD , second Wife of

. . R . E . n 1 1 2 Sir Thos H Page , A other portrait of this lady belongs ( 9 ) to

M o nins . see . 20 . John Henry , Esq , of Ringwould House , near Dover ( p ) Ditto 1 8

I 9

I 1 . ALBI N A . 0 MARY , daughter of No , wife of the Second Sir T Crawley — 1 . . Boev ey (b . 784 d Copied by W Walker from a miniature

painted by H . J . Harding . Ditto . — C . . . . . 1 2 apt ROBERT PAGE , eldest son of Sir T H Page (No (b 79

d . Copied by William Walker from some portrait untraced . A

photograph on China was left to the writer by the late Miss Blanche Page , ’

1 . daughter of No . 3 Abbot s Room

1 . . U ( 1 4 and 5) Portraits of Mr and Mrs DEVERE X , who were claimed as ancestors

by Capt . Robt . Page (No . He is said to have given them to his - - - - . Cr awle Bo ev e . brother in law, the second Sir T y y The reputed con

nectio n of PAGE with Devereux through Elizabeth Morewood of Arley, is we very remote , and until can obtain further proof of this connection , and e - some knowledge of the sourc from which they were acquired , these por traits can hardly be regarded as possessing much interest for the present

owners Ditto .

l - . Cr aw e Bo ev e l Reputed Portrait of SUSANNA , daughter of T y y , of Flax ey — 6 . 1 8 d . 1 1 6 Abbey (b 74 She married ( ) in 7 Edmund Bastard ,

. 2 1 . . . P R E . Esq , of West Alvington , Devon , and ( ) in 777 , Capt T H age , 1 (No . 0) Drawing Room

- — CRAWLEY BOEVEY . . 1 d . Sir THOMAS , Bart (b 743 Portrait by

copied from a miniature by Keenan , in the possession of the first is o h . Lord Aldenham, given him by Uncle , Charles Crawley of Littlem re — ‘ . B . . 1 . I 0 . d An oval portrait in locket of T C , father of No 7 (b 7 9 : - - 1 1 M painter unknown , belongs ( 9 2) to iss Margaret Crawley, of Hemp ’ ; sted . Abbot s Room

- — B VEY 1 6 . M CRAWLEY OE t . 1 . d Sir THO AS , Bar , son of No 7 (b 7 9 ’ painter unknown . Abbot s Room

- 8 1 — CRAWLEY BOEVEY t NO . 1 8 . 1 2 Sir MARTIN HYDE , Bar , son of (b

Mrs . louc. . d . G Painted by Moseley, as Captain in the Yeomanry Ditto

- — 8 d . W EY B E 1 . 1 . RA Y D C L O VE t NO . Sir THOS HY E , Bar , son of 9 (b 37

. L. . . Portrait by Mons Daviel (a French Artist) London , Ditto

Z . . DAUBENY ELI ABETH , daughter of Rev George W , wife of Sir Martin H .

- — Cr awle Bo ev e . 1 8 1 d . . 1 88 y y (b 4 Painted by W Walker, 3 ; a

T J a poor portrait and indifferent likeness . he D ub enys of Somersetshire a have a remarkable f mily history, showing a direct lineal descent from the

Norman family of de Albini . A miniature of Archdeacon Charles — Daub en . . . 1 d . b . . . Dau en y , LL D (b 745 father of Rev Geo W y , is 1 1 2 Daub en in the possession ( 9 ) of Edith , Widow of the late John y , Vicar Winkfield of Ditto . The portraits above mentioned , both originals and copies from miniatures , are of various

1 26 . degrees of merit , and have all been acquired during the Crawley period , subsequent to 7

1 . No . This picture of two boys in fancy costume has long been supposed to be the portrait

V . is V Of of William and Nathaniel SA AGE But as nothing known of any William SA AGE , brother N athaniel , and as the portrait is identified by the old Flaxley list , with dimensions 6 ft . 2 in . by — . 6 in . kno i 4 ft , as the portrait of William and Nathaniel LLOYD , both of whom are well wn v de —8— e B oeve M emoirs . I w y , pp 47 may safely infer that the boys are LLOYDS and not SAVAGES .

The painter is unknown .

No s . 4 and 5 . The Rev . Thos . Savage and his wife . These portraits are attributed by family ar is tradition to William Hog th , whose connection as a painter with the Crawley family noticed in

B eve M em irs . in o o . D. D. the y He is known to have pa ted a portrait of the Rev John Lloyd , (No .

. This portrait , now the property of H Martin Gibbs , Esq . , formerly belonged to Mrs . Emma Newland ,

. I t s daughter of the late Rev Henry Crawley, Rector of Stowe , Northamptonshire . history, related

. e M e i s . . Bo ve by the late Lord Aldenham (H H G ) is recorded in the y mo r . The Hogarth tradition

a s . connected with these Sav g e portrait is well worth verifying , both on public and private grounds

. . 1 The Savages of Tetbury, Gloucestershire (Harl Soc , Vol . XXL , p . 44 ) are connected with the Rock

t he . . . e e Savages of Cheshire , and late Mr G E Cockayn , has informed the writer that a compl te

- . T r Glo u Be ewe . ces pedigree is on record he pedigree of the ancient family of or Barrow, of Awre , Co ' full i B M L n oeve e i s . ir is . % % m rsh e o r 28 . t e , recorded in Harleian Society, Vol , and more y the y , p 6

M P . 1 8 Charles Barrow , . for Gloucester , was created a Baronet in 7 4 , during the Premiership of Lord

was S North . The patent of the Baronetcy limited by pecial remainder to his nearest kinsman by

’ Cr awle -Bo ev e laxle marriage , Thomas y y , of F y Abbey, but the whole of Sir Charles Barrow s landed estate at Minsterworth and elsewhere was left by his will to his natural daughter , whose descendants

i barr en still possess it . This alienation of all the Barrow property has rendered the t tle a somewhat honour .

areall 6 8 . Nos . , 7 , and 9 These four portraits of members of the Savage family well painted , and merit careful examination to discover , if possible , by whom they were painted . The portrait

NO . . of George Savage ( 7) has been attributed to Hogarth , and is considered to be admirably painted

B . h s . 1 0 . . . K a . No Sir T H Page , This portrait long been attributed by family tradition “ - to various distinguished painters , Sir Joshua Reynolds , Sir Thos . Lawrence , and others . The por ’ a in M emorials o an 1 8th Centur P ainter tr it is , however , mentioned Gwynn s f y as having been painted

C 1 Of by JAMES NORTH OTE in 1 78 . This work appears to fer satisfactory proof of the real history of

is . the portrait which may, it believed , be safely accepted as the work of that painter

Albini . . R . E . . 1 1 . a No Mary Woodward , Lady Page , second wife of Sir T H Page , This

'

fine portrait has been attributed , like the last , to several painters , but there is , at present , no evidence was in 1 8 f nor any concurrence of opinion on the subject . lady married 7 3 , which may a ford _ The an approximate clue to the probable time when the portrait was painted . The Woodwards are related MONI S M o nins . N through Catherine , Wife of Capt John Woodward , with the ancient family of , of

Ringwould , near Dover , Kent . (See p .

1 . . No . 6 Reputed portrait of Susanna Crawley, of Flaxley Abbey This graceful portrait % of a lady with shepherdess hat , and holding a basket of owers , is said to have been acquired from

U OTHER FAMILY PORTRAITS AND MINIAT RES IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS .

No account of the pictures connected with Flaxley Abbey and its possessors would be com - plete without some brief notice of the numerous miniatures and family portraits which are in the possession of relatives and others .

two . Bo ev e Besides the Flaxley portraits of Mrs y , already referred to, another portrait of

, of was Ko u hnet her belonging to the Earl Caledon , shown to the writer by Lady Jane Van g , at Titt e han r n a , H ; was g House erts This portrait , of which the writer first informed by Lord Aldenham, is Tit t enhan ar said to have come to g through the Blount family, members of which ar e named as ’ M rs o - . B ev e s 1 26 . well carv ed legatees in y will, dated 7 It is enclosed in a frame , said to have been Mrs . B o ev e ; the Work of y herself Besides the miniature by Cross , already referred to as the property

. . . Bo ev e of Mr H Martin Gibbs , several other miniatures of Mrs y are known to be in existence . A

. . . . second miniature belongs to Mr Martin Gibbs , another to Mr J D Pode , of Slade , Devon, and a

- Ma o r Gen . . R . E . fourth to the successors of the late j E Renouard James , , a lineal connection of

Mrs Bo . ev e . y through the family of Renouard The Cross miniature is very valuable , both on

. r artistic and family grounds The artists of these miniatures , except the fi st , are unknown .

In the same connection , it is worth notice that other valuable miniatures and family relics

. . 1 . passed into the possession of H Martin Gibbs , Esq , on the occasion of the Evans sale in 904 Bo ev e These included miniatures of Sir Bernard de Gomme , William y , George Savage (query) and t wo or tr ait S ' of t others p the late Sir Charles Barrow , Bar , of Highgrove , Minsterworth , Gloucester

Bo ev e and many seals , rings and other relics of the y and Barrow families . The Barrow portraits was are of special interest to the Flaxley Abbey family, as the Baronetcy derived from him . The

. H as portrait of the Rev John Lloyd , by ogarth , already referred to , belongs , stated , to Mr . H . k Martin Gibbs . As an undoubted Hogarth portrait , the history of which is nown , it is of great c value both on publi and private grounds , and is worthy of a place in the National Portrait Gallery .

A copy of the Hogarth portrait of John Lloyd is in the possession of Mr . Charles Scott Crawley .

l - The portrait of the Rev . Char es Crawley, afterwards Rector of Stowe Nine Churches , North

- am t o nshire 1 80 . . p , painted by Northcote in 7 , belongs to Mr Charles Scott Crawley The dining is R v . h room of the Rectory at Stowe , with sketch portraits of e Charles Crawley and daughters ,

1 8 H . Mary and Susan , by N . C . Hughes , painted for Mrs . G . H . Gibbs in 49, is at Aldenham ouse

Several copies of this picture were made for different members of the family .

. was A portrait of John , father of Dr John Lloyd , mentioned to the writer by the late Lord

ho . as Rev . . w Aldenham belonging to the Robert T Crawley of North Ockenden , is since deceased

is . The present owner of this portrait his second son , Charles Henry Crawley 22

23

Trelo as A portrait of Susanna, daughter of John White , of g , and wife of the said John Lloyd , S 2 0 is in the possession of Mr . Charles Scott Crawley. An illustration of this portrait is hown at p . 5 of the Bo evey M emoirs The portrait has been attributed by experts to Kneller or Dahl .

Cr awle -Bo ev e W A portrait of Matilda Blanche , daughter of the second Sir T. y y , and wife of . T ntesfield f . illiam Gibbs , Esq of y , painted by Edward Cli ford in water colours (No belongs

. . u . to her son , Mr H Martin Gibbs , of Barrow Co rt , where the portrait now hangs Many excellent prints of this portrait are in the possession of the families concerned . 24

THE ALDENHAM COLLECTION BELONGING TO LORD ALDENHAM .

The Aldenham collection of family miniatures formed by the late Lord Aldenham includes the following

1 a Cr awle -Bo ev e a . Keenan ( ) Sir Thom s y y , B rt ,

h . 2 . Antonio Tom asic ( ) The Rev Charles Crawley, of Stowe . ( after Ross )

(3) Caroline (Crawley), wife of George Henry Gibbs . (Ross ,

. 1 66 (4) Edmund Bastard , of West Alvington , S Devon (d (Smart , 7 , signed J . S . )

(5) Susanna (Crawley); Wife of Edmund Bastard . (James Northcote , c .

6 . . ( ) John Lloyd , of London father of Dr John Lloyd , of Stowe

Am Richardson 1 8 (7) Catherine (Crawley), wife of the Rev . Duke Yonge . (F. S . ) ( y , 97 , after

ames N orthcote . f , c

Sir Willia Ross ‘ 8 . m ( ) Charles Crawley, of Littlemore ( , This Collection includes many others which have no connection with the

Flaxley Abbey family .

U T C BARROW CO R OLLECTION .

T r he Barrow Cou t collection of family miniatures and portraits formed by Mr . H . Martin

Gibbs , of Barrow Court , Somerset , includes the following amongst others which are at present unidentified . The descriptions and numbers appended are taken from the printed catalogue of 1 0 . s . the Evans sale in 9 4 , prepared by Messrs Bruton Knowle , of Gloucester

6 . BOEVEY A t 20 se . 1 0 . En liSh ( ) MRS CATHERINE (Bovey), of Flaxley bbey , 35 , 7 5 An old g

miniature in oils .

A 1 : : . Si ned with ( 99) A MINIATURE PORTR IT OF A LADY , temp Queen Anne , by L Crosse g

monogr am in gold. In large oval gold locket set with rose diamonds .

b eli y ed u . Bo ev e Mrs . This is e to be the original miniat re of Mrs y , left by Pope

in . Boeve M emoirs . to Sir Charles Barrow, of Highgrove , as related pp of the y l - It is of great value , and was specia ly bequeathed as an heirloom .

20 M R . V 1 6 2 . ( 5) PORTRAIT OF BO EY, of Flaxley, 9 , an old English miniature in oils This is the

W Bo ev e e Boev e . portrait of illiam y (Bovey), of Flaxl y Abbey, husband of Catherine y

0 SI R 1 6 0 an . (2 7) PORTRAIT OF BERNARD DE GOMME , 9 , old English miniature in oils A brief account

- i f i who . in B o ev e of th s distinguished o f cer , was the step grandfather of Mrs Cather e y , is given in Boevey M emoirs

SI R C . M . P . . (209) PORTRAIT OF HARLES BARROW, BART , , a pastel in small oval gilt frame This - Cr awle Boev e . now was . . . portrait , at Flaxley, given by Mr Gibbs to the late Sir T H y y ’ r i was . A second portrait in M . Gibbs possess on acquired by him from Mr Jackson shortly after the Evans sale in 1 904

MRS. . (21 1 ) PORTRAIT OF MARY POPE, an oval miniature in oils

- t 81 . T R . ae . (221 ) PORTRAIT IN OI LS OF M S MARY POPE , , in gilt frame his portrait was given by

- l Bo ev e l . ir . . Cr aw e Mr . Gibbs to the late S T H y y , and it now hangs at Flax ey Abbey

(208) PORTRAIT OF AN OFFICER IN POWDERED WIG, crimson uniform and cocked hat . An old

. English miniature in oval gilt locket . This is supposed to be a portrait of Col George

Savage in the uniform of the South Gloucestershire Militia . 26

27

- t . l Besides the por raits above mentioned , Mr Gibbs acquired at the same sale as a ready men

. t io ned, several rings , seals , and other relics of the Barrow family

was i Bo x Amongst the more important of these relics a plain oval torto seshell SNUFF , mounted with gold , and the lid inlaid with a miniature portrait of Charles James Fox with powdered l hair, in grey coat and white cravat , crimson curtain background , al eged in the printed catalogue f as to be after the portrait by Sir j oshua Reynolds . This Snu f Box w presented to Sir Charles Barrow

by Mrs . Elizabeth Armstead , when she and Charles James Fox were staying at Highgrove , near

1 wide manuscri t note n 1 8 i box 1 1 . Gloucester , probably between 7 5 and 795 , p . Catalogue No . 9 The — 1 1 d . portrait is thought by Dr . Williamson to have been painted by William Grimaldi (b . 7s

1 th 1 0 Amongst the articles sold on s December, 9 4 , and purchased by Mr . Gibbs , were a small collection of autograph letters addressed to Sir Charles Barrow by Burke and Fox and others ; a

Bible and Book of Common Prayer belonging to Mrs . Pope a portrait in oils of a divine in gilt

- t he or tr ait . . ar . frame said to be p of Dean Tucker , of Gloucester (Cat No and other minor ticles

2 nd Sir Charles Barrow was described in the p atent of his Baronetcy, dated 2 January, “ e 28th 1 8 as A 24 Geo . III . , record d in the Heralds College , January, 7 4, man eminent for family

inheritance , estate , and integrity of manners , who generously and freely gave and furnished to us an aid and supply large enough to maintain and support 30 men in our foot companies in “ l ” Ireland for 3 years and especially for the security of the province of U ster .

These facts are of family interest , and seem to be worthy of record in these notes .

B esides the articles above mentioned , the Barrow Court collection also includes the following

H E . R . . 1 . ( ) Two Miniatures of SIR THOS YDE PAGE , , by Samuel Cotes One painted 1 773

the other is undated .

(2) Two Miniatures of LADY PAGE . Painters unknown .

‘ no M Albi ia W These are doubt the portraits of ary n oodward , second wife

. . th 1 8 . of Sir T H Page , married 9 August , 7 3

R . . N . 1 . 1 8th , 1 86 . 8th ( 1 1 80 . John Page son of Nos and b November , 7 , d June , 4 Painter

unknown . Miniature .

, . C S (4) SUSAN (Susanna) daughter of Rev harles Crawley, of towe , and Mary (Gibbs), his wife was 28th 1 0 1 i 88 1 . She born April, 79 , and died at Rugby, Min ature by Sir Wm . Ross .

Sir r a l -B r - C w e o ev e d . c (5) Thomas y y , 3 Bart Water olour portrait by J . W . Child (d .

6 Albinia Cr awle -Bo ev e - ( ) Mary , Lady y y , wife of No . 5 . Water colour by same artist . 28

- - i i r a l o v e . 6 . Alb n a C w ey B e y , daughter of Nos 5 and , as a girl, in water colour by same artist

’ - . 6 The water colour portraits , Nos 5 , and 7 , belonged to the writer s father ,

- Cr awle Bo ev e . 1 86 the late Sir Martin H . y y After his death in 2 they passed to

Cr awle -Bo ev e who his widow, Dame Elizabeth y y , left them to the late Miss Blanche

r . . Page , f om whom they passed to Mr Gibbs

6 Wif t o f - . W . T t 8 M . e n s ( ) atilda Blanche , daughter of Nos 5 and above illiam Gibbs , Esq , of y e

fi l TOmasich . e d. Miniature by Antonio

U T A THE PAGE MINIAT RES AND POR R ITS .

Clanna The PAGE collection of family portraits at Cottage , Lydney, Glos . , belonging to Albinia Mr s . , . . Miss Hyde Page and Stone daughters of the late Rev T Douglas Page , include the following :

PORTRAITS .

. R . E . . L t r r SIR THOS HYDE PAGE , , by Jacques P ou he b o u g .

. , . The Same Half length said to be by Laurence , but more probably by James Northcote .

M Albi i n a . S . 1 6 ( . . 1 1 . LADY PAGE ary Woodward) Head and houlders ( ft in high by ft . 2} in ) %

. 1 2 . 1 0 The Same An oval portrait in crayon on pastel ( in high by in . wide . )

C . o f . 1 . APT ROBERT PAGE , son No Labelled on back , By Sir George Paton .

Oval portrait in crayon marked Man unknown .

PAGE MINIATURES .

i r - M Albin a 2nd . C awle Bo ev e . . 1 8 . ary Page , wife of Sir T y y , painted by H J Harding, 23

Fit zharris ks Elizabeth , daughter of William Bowles , of House , Ber , first Wife of Capt . Robert

. . ar Page Said by Dr Williamson to be painted by Miss Ch lotte Jones, miniature painter

ri . R A . 1 801 - 1 82 to P ncess Charlotte of Wales She exhibited in the from to 3 , and died

in 1 847 .

t — h . 1 o d . Reputed portrait of George Page , 4 Dragoon Guards (b 7g i i And three others unidentified , one be ng by Thomas Preston , who exh bited

between 1 764 and 1 773 .

f i ia . o Alb n . 1 C . Capt . Woodward , father Mary , Lady Page , signed S , 774 (Samuel Cotes) As

1 6 C . Capt . Woodward died in 7 4 , this miniature is probably a opy of some portrait

ALBI NIA . . . MARY WOODWARD , Lady Page , with initials at back in pearls M A P and

a picture above of a woman playing with two children , and scrolls containing letters in

s n . pearls . Thi miniature and setti g is a beautiful work of art

JOHN BOWLES . By Sir William John Newton , painted circ . John Bowles , of 1 was Abingdon , whose Will is dated 754 , grandfather of Elizabeth Bowles , first wife of

Capt . Robt . Page , but the miniature apparently relates to some later John Bowles , who 30

31

i . has not been identified . The date of the m niature assigned by Dr Williamson renders

it doubtful whether it was a portrait from life or merely a copy of some portrait untraced . m n - We have no infor atio regarding the Bowles family, except what is recorded in the note

f . f book o the late Rev . T . Douglas Page This information is not su ficient to enable me to

identify this portrait with any certainty .

- i (7) The Miniature of a lady descr b ed as Eliza Page . This is believed by the owner to be the

portrait of Elizabeth Bowles , wife of Capt . Robert Page , grandmother of Mrs . Stone and ” Albinia . Miss Hyde Page They had , indeed , an aunt named Eliza Ann , but the miniature

though wrongly described , is believed to be that of their grandmother Elizabeth , and not

of their Aunt Eliza Ann .

Man . (8) unknown, by Thomas Preston

unknown 68;}Men THE CRAWLEY MINIATURES .

f These are very numerous and have proved di ficult to trace , having frequently changed hands as deaths occurred , and being now widely scattered amongst numerous relatives and connections

. of the Flaxley Abbey family The best account of some of them , relatin to the Crawleys of Stowe g , , ’ Gibbs M em oirs will be found in the , compiled by the late Lord Aldenham (H . H . and privately

1 8 0 . printed in 9 From this account the following details are mainly extracted, and though the list involves a certain amount of unavoidable repetition , owing to different method followed by

, the present writer it may be convenient to follow the order which has been adopted by H . H . G . in this work . — . L . B . . . 1 6 d . REV CHARLES CRAW EY , of Stowe , son of T C , of Flaxley Abbey (b 75 t ae . . buried at Stowe , 93 Four miniatures of him are said to have been painted by Sir

. To m asich is William Ross A copy of one of them, by , in the Aldenham Collection , and

is - t another copy in the collection a Slade of Mr . J . D . Pode . The original miniatures belong (1 91 2)

1 . 8 o t W S . . ( ) To Mr Charles Scott Crawley , of 9, Upper Richm nd Road , Pu ney, 2 ( ) To Miss Margaret Crawley , of Hempsted , near Gloucester ;

Ne cr o ft Sum m rs al . w e d e (3) To Mrs Newland , of , , Chichester ;

so n . (4) To Robert Francis , eldest of the late Rev Robert T . Crawley , of North Essex

all of whom are direct descendants of the Rev . Charles Crawley .

- Other small water colour portraits of the Rev . Charles Crawley, and of MARY ,

daughter of George Abraham GIBBS , his wife , belonged to Eleonora (Crawley) ,

. f wife of Henry Norris , Esq , of Swalcli fe Park , Banbury, who gave them to her

Aunt Charlotte , wife of Rev, William Crawley, Vicar of Flaxley . These portraits

o hn and passed on her death to her daughters , who gave them to their nephews , J /

Alured . 1 1 2 , sons of the late William Savage Crawley (d residing ( 9 ) at

W. S . 53 , Eglantine Road , Wandsworth , — 1 . 1 88 d . CHARLES CRAWLEY , of Littlemore , son of No . (b 7 partner in the house of

Antony Gibbs 8: Sons .

is A miniature by R oss in the Aldenham collection , and another by Ross

who o belongs to Charles Scott Crawley, grandson , als possesses miniatures of Eliza

his . Katherine , grandmother, and her father, Abraham GRIMES , of Coton Both his - of these are by Ross . Mr . Crawley also possesses a portrait in oils of grand

o f . father , the work an untaught South American artist — d . B 1 . 1 (3) GEORGE A RAHAM CRAWLEY, of Highgate , son of No . (b 795

A miniature by Ross belongs to his grandson , James Henry, son of the late

Rev . Robert T . Crawley, Rector of North Ockenden . Another miniature of G . A . C . b l e o n s o Mrs . . . g t Pringle , widow of the late George Baden Crawley, second son of No 3 32

34

PUSLI NCH A T THE (DEVON) COLLECTION OF YONGE ND CRAWLEY PORTRAI S .

Mr . Pode has been kind enough to furnish to the writer a list of the principal Yonge portraits ’ Gw nn s M emorials painted by James Northcote , mentioned in y of that Painter , and now preserved

. Puslinch . by John Yonge , Esq , the present representative of the Yonge family at , Devon This

to collection is of great interest the Flaxley Abbey family, owing to the close connection of the

. M families of Yonge and Crawley during several generations A portrait of Charlotte ary Yonge ,

- the well known authoress , was painted in 1 883 by J . H . Lorimer for the late Mrs . William Gibbs , T nt esfield . is T nt esfield of y , her intimate friend and relation This portrait now at y , in the possession

. . . M . P . n of her grandson , Col G A Gibbs , Several other portraits of this distinguished lady are show ’ M Li e o Charlotte M ar Yon e - in iss Christabel Coleridge s f f y g (Macmillan , One in water colour

was 1 8 . . by George Richmond , painted When she , belongs to Mr Pode Those mentioned are all the family miniatures and portraits that the writer has hitherto been lb t able to trace beyond the limits of Flaxley Abbey . The list is doubtless incomplete , ( u may be / useful for reference to any members of the family who are interested in the subject . It may be n oted , in conclusion , that a valuable collection of etchings and engravings , by some of the great masters , existed for many years at Flaxley Abbey . This collection was probably formed by the

' o e e s r le - o ev e his B v . w B y , and added to by the late Sir T C a y y , first baronet , and predecessors at

. T Flaxley Abbey his collection included works by Rembrandt , Albert Durer , Hollar , Hogarth , ’ e was 1 8 and other distinguish d Artists . It sold at Christie s in 77 , and is said to have realised a large sum . The dispersal of this collectio n has deprived the family of some valuable art treasures which are closely connected with the family history . A printed catalogue of this collection is in

- 1 1 r le Bo ev e . o 2 . C aw . the p ssession ( 9 ) of Sir Francis H y y , Bart The Rev Charles Crawley , Vicar

— -— W xl so ns fir . Fla e . of Hartpury, and illiam his brother , Vicar of y of the st Sir T C B were both art ’ ” lovers and collectors of prints . A copy in black and white of Teniers picture The Cobbler , at 1 r 1 1 2 Flaxley Abbey (p . 5 , No . 7 above) , etched by Charles Crawley , of Hartpu y , is in the possession ( 9 ) of J . D . Pode , Esq . , of Slade , Devon .

FLAXLEY ABBEY RELICS OTHER THAN PICTURES .

as The writer has taken the opportunity to include in these notes , of general interest to the

r -B o ev e i family of C awley y and the r numerous connections , a brief notice of some of the various l relics connected with Flax ey Abbey , which are all of intrinsic importance , either on public or private

. grounds , and deserve , on that account , to be carefully preserved S 1 . ( ) The original , Monastic remains of the Cistercian Abbey peak for themselves They are

Cartular o Flaxle Abbe fully described in the y f y y , edited by the writer at the instance of the late

Bristol and Glouceste Sir William Guise , Bart of Elmore , and the late Sir John Maclean , for the r

ociet 1 88 . Ar ch. S y , in 7 , and need no further notice in this place But one discovery made by the

’ - . Cr awle Bo ev e n writer s nephew, Mr . (now Sir) Francis H y y , deserves to be oticed in this connection . has A remarkable plaque of The Crucifixion , carved in alabaster , and of very early design , long laid

t . l in the Abbey unno iced and undescribed by anyone It was , in the recol ection of the writer , at ’ one time covered with brown paint , and placed in a niche in the Abbot s Room . It was afterwards removed from that position , and was put away out of sight on the top of the bookshelves in that

has . room . This plaque recently been cleaned , and the defacing paint removed It has been exhibited in London to experts , both at the Burlington Fine Arts Club , and also at the Society of Antiquaries

. ffi as in Burlington House The description of this plaque , as printed in the o cial catalogue , is follows

21 . The Crucifixion .

is acco m - The large cross with the crucified Saviour fills the middle of the composition , and

anied i p by little f gures of Angels who hold chalices beneath the hands and feet , and Longinus S l two with the pear . On either side on esser crosses are the thieves , with an angel carrying i o ff the soul of the penitent thief and a demon the soul of h s fellow . At the foot of the cross

a . on the left are our L dy St Dorothy , another female Saint , and St . John . On the right are

the Centurion on horseback and two soldiers .

1 . 1 . 223 in . by 5 in 5th Century work Made by Nottingham School of Craftsmen .

The original history of this plaque is not known to anyone at Flaxley, but it has been supposed that it may be a genuine relic of the original Flaxley Abbey Church , either a portion of an altar

e . piec , or one of its ornaments It seems highly improbable that any of the earlier owners of Flaxley Bo ev e s Abbey, either Kingstons or y , would have purchased or acquired such a remarkable relic ’ it s without any apparent object and the place of discovery, in the Abbot s Room , suggests that it was r . , put away the e , and afterwards entirely forgotten If this plaque be as supposed , a relic of it the original Abbey Church , is unquestionably of great interest and value , both on public and private grounds .

The Park at Flaxley Abbey , though small in extent , is highly picturesque and interesting on many grounds . It commands , on one side , a remarkable view of the Severn valley, from whence S on a clear day , both the Cathedral of Gloucester , and the distant pires of Cheltenham , can be 35 36

. discerned On the Forest side it exhibits a most attractive specimen of a typical Cistercian site , with the Abbey in the foreground , and the beautiful valley of Flaxley with the Forest beyond .

The deer in Dean Forest were , from very early times , regarded as royal game , and protected by most

. has stringent Forest laws The Abbey Park been occupied , it is said , both before and since the

l is Dissolution , by a smal herd of fallow deer , which are descended , it said , from the herds which

8 . were once plentiful in the Forest , and were only finally destroyed , on public grounds , about 1 36 ’ (Nicholl s Forest of Dean . ) The Flaxley Park adjoins the woods which were originally granted to the Abbots by King

ar d . was Rich I It probably, in its origin, a part of the original royal grant which exempted the

d n n Abbots from the jurisdiction of the Verderers and Forest Keepers , and authorise them to mai tai

o i within forest boundaries a small enclosure in the shape a private park or paddock for deer . It _ is related in the text appended to the Flaxley Cartulary that Flaxley Abbey was frequently used

’

t . by King John and other British Sovereigns as a royal hun ing box The Abbot s private park , if it then existed , may have provided , on these occasions , a convenient supply of venison for the royal i ’ ” . s as n . table The lower terrace in the Park , facing the Abbey, _ known to this day Addiso s Walk

’ t r Bo ev e has M s . Addison s connec ion with y already been noticed , and the tradition dates from the time of Queen Anne . The woods and the adjacent farm extending to the parish of Blaisdon are K I f known to this day by the name MON H LL , which su ficiently indicates its close connection with the possessions of the Flaxley Monks .

' (3) The Sundials at Flaxley Abbey deserve special notice -o n account o f their remarkable

- a n . i is well m o delled ch racter and co struction One on the east lawn , fac ng the Park , a lead statue

LD his e . of O TIME in a kneeling position , and holding a dial on h ad This was a favourite model

1 8 Ost . constructed in the th century by John van Nost (van ) , a famous lead modeller of Piccadilly OLD TI M E — o ularl k as A similar lead statue , but with the figure of a NEGRO instead of p p y nown ” — a a The Blackamoor stands in the g rden of the Inner Temple in London , and an illustr tion is ’

Lethab s Lead Wor k . 1 01 shown in y , p (Macmillan , together with a brief account of the lead i lax l s . statue industry in London in the 1 8th century . The F ey Sundial considered by Mr Inigo

. Triggs , an excellent specimen of the lead work of that period It is , unfortunately , much

. out of repair , but deserves to be very carefully preserved

The second specimen Was probably placed in it s present position over the front door of the

. 1 . Abbey when the new front was added , after the great fire of 777 It is composed of a block of solid stone which has been coloured with painted rays , intended , apparently, as an ornament , but new quite out of place in a Sundial . This Sundial was probably preserved as . a curiosity when the south front was added to the Abbey .

was 1 26 as The third specimen is of an ordinary kind . It erected in the year 7 , shown by was the date and letters which it bears . These letters commemorate the fact that it erected by o Boev e who . Bo ev e . n w T . Crawley alias y , succeeded Mrs y at Flaxley Abbey It stands on the west

. lawn , and deserves to be carefully preserved as a memento of the date when it was erected

(4) The Vane on the west gable of the Abbey bears , in pierced letters W . B . and the date

1 6 2 W Bo ev e , 9 , which connects it tolerably clearly with illiam y the younger owner of Flaxley Abbey his 1 6 2 in that year . He left money by will , dated 9 , for the completion of the garden then in course

t . , of construction , and probably in the Dutch s yle The present lawn which has undergone extensive

37

’ o f transformation , was the probable site this garden , which is shown in Kip s engraving of Flaxley

Mr s . Bo ev e . Abbey, temp . y

. 1 8th C Lead Finials , Gutter Troughs , and Square Pipes These are principally entury

‘

b e r est o red ab o ut . work , only to found in old houses built or that time The Lead Finials are well moulded and of excellent design , in the shape of vases with clusters of fruit . They are well worthy of careful preservation , and were probably designed by the same John Van Nost , who constructed I the Sundial of OLD T ME .

6 I . ( ) Original Ring containing a portrait of King Charles , said to have been given to Sir B oeve Cra e o ne . Francis y , of the Ship Money Judges The circumstances are related in the y

M emoirs . . A portrait of Sir Francis Crawley hangs at Stockwood Park , Luton , Beds , the residence of Mr . Francis Crawley, a direct lineal descendant of this Judge , and the present representative of the elder branch of the Crawley family. This branch can trace their direct descent and ownership

% - of lands in Luton as far back as the reign of Henry IV . The - Crawley family papers are of remark

N otes o a Bed ordshire F amil able interest , and have been admirably utilised in f f y , by William Austin ’ 1 91 1 . It is not known how King Charles Ring came originally to Flaxley Abbey .

It ought , apparently, to be at Stockwood Park but all branches of the Crawley family will be glad to know of its existence . The parish church of Luton contains many memorials of the Crawley

as is family which , shown above , of great antiquity .

’ (7) Gold Memorial Seal of Dr . John Donne , Dean of St . Paul s , temp . Queen Elizabeth and

Boev e M emoirs James I . The history and associations of this Seal are fully related in the y , and also in an article by the present writer published in N otes and Queries It is believed to be the

. D original Seal given first by Dr onne to ISAAC WALTON , his intimate friend and biographer , who gave it to John Lloyd the elder , who was a near relative of Rachel Floud or Lloyd , first wife of

ISAAC WALTON . This Seal has descended in the Flaxley family, through the Lloyds , for many ’ - . so n . C generations It was given by the writer s mother to her , the Rev Richard Lloyd rawley ’ Bo ev e - y , by whom it was given to the writer . A copy of this gold Seal , with Dr . Donne s character ist ic . . G . . device of the Anchor and Cross , was made by the late H H , afterwards Lord Aldenham Several silver copies of this Flaxley Seal‘ are said to have been m ade for the family of the first

B . Sir T . C

8 ( ) China and other Curios . There was originally a fine collection of white and blue Oriental much o f has e China in the Abbey, but _ it been dispers d by gifts and legacies , and is now in the hands of various relatives of the family . The history of this collection is not known . It was

a Bo ev e s probably origin lly formed by the y , and is worth careful examination by experts on account of its age and general character .

% 1 A valuable Ivory Casket of choice design and of 4th century workmanship , described with

. . . E arl En l s Te t iet Tr r illustrations by H H G (the late Lord Aldenham) for the y g i h x Soc y (N . ub ne

81 Co . 1 868 , ) . and Roxburghe Club , passed into the possession of the late William Gibbs , Esq of

T nt esfiel - d, Cr awle Bo v e I 1 y after the death of the late Sir Martin Hyde y e y n 862 . It was examined

. Dallawa S r i . . B . 1 i and described by Mr y for the first T C , of Flaxley Abbey, in 793 , and aga n by

. . . 1 Mr Albert Way for the late Sir Martin H C B . in 860. The legend referred to has been fully

The Rom ance o the Chevelere Assi n - described in the publication referred to , entitled f g , re edited from the unique manuscript in the British Museum, with preface , notes , and glossary by Henry H . Gibbs , 38

M A . The casket is undoubtedly a great curiosity , and is now in the possession of Col . G . A . Gibbs ,

M . P . , . T n tesfi l grandson of Mr William Gibbs , of y e d .

- A valuable Cabinet , said by family tradition to have belonged to ueen Elizabeth is Q , pre in S served the Flaxley Abbey drawing room . Various ilver articles from the Summer Palace at

Daub en Pekin were the gift of the late Maj or Edward y , uncle of the writer .

’ ’ Bo ev (9) The library at Flaxley Abbey in the Abbot s Room contained in Mrs . ey s time

a fine collection of some of the standard works of that date . There are many allusions

’ “ ’ in Addison s Spectator to the subject of learned ladies and books for ladies reading ; and the n ’ ’ ” . Bo ev e 1 1 . . The L ad s Librar as dedicatio to Mrs y in 7 4 of Vol II of Steele s work , entitled y y , w

% as - a public testimony to her reputation a learned lady and a lover of books . These were the charac t er istics which excited both the admiration and despair of Sir Roger de Coverley . Since Mr s . ’ Bo ev e s y time , the Flaxley collection has been much reduced by legacies and gifts of books to Mr s . n Pope , Rev . William Lloyd , and others . Owi g to these causes , many of the most valuable books

have long since disappeared , but the Flaxley Abbey library still contains a few old books of value ,

l - besides many that are obsolete , and practica ly worthless . The existing books require to be care c e . fully sifted and examined under prof ssional advice A proper atalogue , prepared by a learned

al . bookseller , or competent expert , would be a v uable guide Several books , including The New ” ’ The Lad s Libr ar Atalantis , by Mrs . Manley , and y y in three volumes , by Steele , contain references

o ev e . G . to Mrs . B y The sermon preached in loucester Cathedral by the Rev Peter Senho use at one ’ 6 as al Mr s . Bo ev e s 1 2 w of the Three Choir Festiv s , soon after y death in 7 , dedicated to Mrs . Mary ’

. Bo ev e s v r n Pope , and refers to Mrs y ser ices as one of the original founders of these t ie nial festivals .

This sermon has been printed and is on public record .

Of Bo ev e n l x . u a le Eleven original MSS James y , one of the origi al p rchasers of F y Abbey ,

1 1 8v o . comprised in oblong notebooks , were purchased by the author of these notes from a London

1 8 . . . IS bookseller in 99, and were given by him to Mr H Martin Gibbs Their history recorded in ’ B e e M of Bo ev e n . 26 2 o v emoir s . h Aubrey s notice James y , repri ted in pp and 7 of the y T ey have

never been published , and they appear to be of some literary and family interest .

I al 1 WAx . ( 0) PORTRA T MODELS Four sm l wax portraits , well modelled and coloured , are ’ i preserved in the Abbot s Room at Flaxley , together with the principal fam ly portraits . They are

r a le -Bo ev e i said to be portrait models of members of the C w y y fam ly, and three of them are named ” Cr awle -Bo ev e Cr awle -Bo ev e Sir . on the back , T Lady y y , and Susanna y y ,

1 8 and are dated 7 2 , which connects them very clearly with the first Baronet of the family, though

t 1 8 . he did not succeed to the title till the death of Sir Charles Barrow , Bar , in 7 9 The names and

t 1 8 2 . are good specimens of a French art which da e 7 were probably added in later years _ They was popular at the time , and has been recently revived . Specimens of this date are seldom seen e except in old houses . These wax portrait models are ther fore valuable as curiosities , and deserve m is um- to be carefully preserved on account of their artistic and family interest . One Speci en

i . fortunately damaged and requires repa r . The remaining specimens are in good order

is (1 1 ) The fine Tapestry no w hung in two of the bedrooms believed to be of Flemish origin , r and is probably an original relic of the Bo ev eys of Courtrai . It is said to have been o iginally hung

’ - was 1 . t , in in the Abbot s Room , from whence it removed after the fire of 777 It is o good design and is

t wo hundred . a fair state of preservation , considering its age , which must be upwards of and fifty years