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Lot Essay
These hall chairs are attributed to the pre-eminent London firm of John Mayhew (1736-1811) and William Ince (1737-1834) based on their similarity of design to a set of eight virtually identical but painted chairs that share the distinctive roundel and fluted seat-rail at Broadlands, Hampshire (H. Roberts, ‘The Ince and Mayhew Connection: Furniture at Broadlands, Hampshire – I’, Country Life, 29 January 1981, p. 289, fig. 6). Although no furniture bills exist for Broadlands, they form part of a collection of furniture identified as by Mayhew & Ince, and were in the Great Hall from at least 1786, when they were listed in a household inventory (ibid., p. 288).
Another set of eight similar hall chairs was almost certainly commissioned by George Brodrick, 4th Viscount Midleton (d. 1836) for Peper Harow, Surrey, recorded in the 1851 inventory for the mansion, and photographed by Country Life in 1925, and again in 1956 (three pairs of these hall chairs sold Christie’s, London, 21 April 2004, lots 304, 305 and 306, and two pairs sold again, 'An Adventurous Spirit: An Important Private Collection Sold to Benefit a Charitable Foundation', Christie's, London, 13 December 2018, lot 91, £50,000 inc' prem' and lot 92, £56,250 inc' prem').
Another set of four of these distinctive chairs sold ‘The Myddelton Family, Chirk Castle', Christie’s house sale, 21 June 2004, lot 54, and later as two pairs, Christie’s, London, 10 May 2006, lots 90 (£10,800 inc' prem') and 91 (£13,200 inc' prem'), and another set of this model was photographed by Country Life at Castle Howard, Yorkshire (H. Avray Tipping, English Homes, period IV, vol. II, London, 1927, p. 35).
Another set of eight similar hall chairs was almost certainly commissioned by George Brodrick, 4th Viscount Midleton (d. 1836) for Peper Harow, Surrey, recorded in the 1851 inventory for the mansion, and photographed by Country Life in 1925, and again in 1956 (three pairs of these hall chairs sold Christie’s, London, 21 April 2004, lots 304, 305 and 306, and two pairs sold again, 'An Adventurous Spirit: An Important Private Collection Sold to Benefit a Charitable Foundation', Christie's, London, 13 December 2018, lot 91, £50,000 inc' prem' and lot 92, £56,250 inc' prem').
Another set of four of these distinctive chairs sold ‘The Myddelton Family, Chirk Castle', Christie’s house sale, 21 June 2004, lot 54, and later as two pairs, Christie’s, London, 10 May 2006, lots 90 (£10,800 inc' prem') and 91 (£13,200 inc' prem'), and another set of this model was photographed by Country Life at Castle Howard, Yorkshire (H. Avray Tipping, English Homes, period IV, vol. II, London, 1927, p. 35).