A PAIR OF GEORGE III WHITE-PAINTED AND PARCEL-GILT OPEN ARMCHAIRS

Designed in the George III 'antique' manner promoted by the architect James Wyatt (d. 1813), with pierced anthemion splat, the armchairs correspond directly to a pattern dated March 1785 and drawn by Gillow of Lancaster in their Estimate Sketch Books (see S. Stuart; Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730-1840, London, 2008, p. 175 and a related design p. 135). The basic pattern, however, was in existence earlier, featuring in 1775-80 on the trade card of Vickers and Routledge of Conduit Street, London (published in A. Heal, The London Furniture Makers, London, 1953, p. 72, pl. 9), as well as on the related suite of seat-furniture supplied to Lyonel, 5th Earl of Dysart for Ham House, Surrey around 1780 (P. Thornton, 'Ham House', Furniture History, 1980, fig. 188).
An identical suite of seat-furniture, comprising both open armchairs and matching window-seats was supplied by Gillow to George, 4th Earl and 1st Marquess Cholmondeley (1749-1827) for Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire, now at Houghton Hall. They are illustrated in P. Macquoid, The Age of Satinwood, London, 1908, figs. 102 and 115.
A pair of giltwood armchairs of this model was sold anonymously at Christie's, New York, 30 January 1982, lot 165 ($14,850), whilst a pair of side chairs en suite was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 13 April 1989, lot 30 (£6,380).

ROCHE COURT, WINTERSLOW, WILTSHIRE
Roche Court, Winterslow, Wiltshire is a Grade II listed house designed in 1804-1805 by Charles Heathcote Tatham (1772-1842), who trained under Henry Holland, for Francis Thomas Egerton. In 1792 George III granted Francis Thomas Hayter, heir to the Roche Court Estate permission to formerly change his name to that of his uncle, Dodington Egerton (d. 1797), a gentleman of the Privy Council, who without issue wanted the link to his prestigious family, the Dukes and Earls of Bridgewater preserved. In 1861 the Roche Court estate passed to a cousin of Francis Thomas Egerton, Frances Elizabeth Eyre, dowager Countess Nelson (d. 1878), with limitation upon her death to Horatio, 3rd Earl Nelson (1823-1913). It remained in the possession of the Nelson family until 1925. In 1938 the property passed into the possession of the Codrington family whose ancestors were closely involved in the naval battles of Trafalgar in 1805, Navarino in 1827, the Crimean War and the South African War. The contents were sold in 1978 upon the death of Sir Geoffrey Codrington, K.C.V.O, D.S.O. (1888-1973), former Sheriff of Wiltshire (1955) and author of military history. Roche Court is now a sculpture park and home to the New Art Centre.