Thomas More and Family - the Rowland Lockey painting in Nostell Priory
Rowland
Lockey painted this portrait of Thomas More and his family between 1593 and 1594, it is a copy of an earlier painting by
Hans Holbein completed in the 1520s, which no longer exists.
(See the sketch by Holbein at the V & A, follow the link
below.) There is a similar painting by Rowland Lockey, partly
a copy of the painting by Hans Holbein, that includes additional members of the More family.
(find out more: see below and visit the Victoria &
Albert Museum "Explore More" section,
http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/british_galleries/explore_more/index.html).
The painting shown above is in Nostell
Priory near Wakefield, West Yorkshire - a National
Trust property.
|
The
people in the painting
From
left to right:
1.
Margaret Clement, née Giggs (1505 - 1544), adopted daughter
of Thomas More and wife of Dr. John Clement; 2. Elizabeth Dauncey,
née More (1506-1564), second daughter of Sir Thomas More and
wife of Sir William Dauncey; 3. Sir John More*
(c.1450-1530), Thomas More's father; 4. Anna Cresacre* (1511-1577), fiancée of John More II; 5. Sir Thomas More, the saint (1478
- 1535)*;
6. John More II* (1510-1547),
More's son; 7. Henry Patenson (Patterson?) (More's "Fool"); 8. Cecily Heron, née
More (b. 1507. Death unknown)
, More's youngest daughter and wife of Giles Heron; 9. An unmarked
man, reading in a back room; 10. Margaret
Roper, née More (1505-1544), More's eldest daughter
and wife of William Roper; 11. Mystery man, the subject
of some speculation, 12. Lady Alice, née Middleton
(b. 1471. Death unknown), second wife of Sir Thomas More).
(*
Ancestors of Charles Waterton the Naturalist)
The
sketch by Hans Holbein for his "lost" painting.
The painting above, attributed to Rowland Lockey,
is a later copy of the Holbein original, for which this is the sketch.
(Victoria
& Albert Museum)
(Victoria
& Albert Museum)
Thomas
More II probably commissioned Rowland Lockey to paint this picture to
serve as a reminder to future generations of the strong Catholic faith
of the More family. It was painted between 1593 and 1594. It is partly
a copy of a painting by Hans Holbein completed in the 1520s, which no
longer survives. The sketch for the original painting is shown above.
.
From
left to right:
1.
Sir John More* (c.1450-1530),
Thomas More's father;2. Anna Cresacre* (1511-1577), fiancée of John More II; 3. Sir Thomas More, the saint (1478
- 1535)*;
4. John More II* (1510-1547),
More's son; 5. Cecily Heron, née
More (b. 1507. Death unknown), More's youngest daughter and wife of
Giles Heron; 6. Henry Patenson (Patterson?),
More's "Fool"; 7. Elizabeth Dauncey, née
More (1506-1564), second daughter of Sir Thomas More and wife of Sir
William Dauncey; 8. Margaret Roper, née More
(1505-1544), More's eldest daughter and wife of William Roper; 9.
John More III (1557 - 1599), the eldest son of Thomas More
II and grandson of Sir Thomas More. 10. Thomas More II *
(1531 - 1606), Sir Thomas More's grandson; 11. Cresacre More* (1572-1649), Sir Thomas More's great-grandson, the
youngest son of Thomas More II and his wife Maria. 12. Maria
(Mary) More*, née
Scrope (1534 - 1607), the wife of Thomas More II (Sir Thomas
More's grandson).
(*
Ancestors of Charles Waterton the Naturalist)
In
the first painting but not in the second:
1. Margaret Clement, née Giggs (1505 - 1544), adopted
daughter of Thomas More and wife of Dr. John Clement
9. An unmarked man, reading in a back room.
11. Mystery man, the subject of some speculation.
12. Lady
Alice, née Middleton (b. 1471. Death unknown), second
wife of Sir Thomas More).
In
the second painting but not in the first:
9. John More III (1557 - 1599), the eldest son of Thomas More
II and grandson of Sir Thomas More.
10. Thomas More II (1531 - 1606), Sir Thomas More's grandson;
11. Cresacre More (1572-1649), Sir Thomas
More's great-grandson, the youngest son of Thomas More II and his wife
Maria.
12. Maria (Mary) More, née Scrope (1534 - 1607), the wife of Thomas More II (Sir Thomas More's grandson).
11.
Mystery man: Is he John Harris, More's
secretary perhaps, or one of the "Princes in the Tower"? Read
more in Jack Leslau's article: Holbein, Sir Thomas More & the
Princes in the Tower, The Hans Holbein Foundation resource centre
for research and development, Vol. V, No. 3., August 2004, (http://www.holbeinartworks.org/index.html).
Cresacre
More
Cresacre became the heir after his elder brothers
John III and Henry died, and his other brother Thomas became a Catholic
priest. In
about 1631, Cresacre wrote a Life of Sir Thomas More, which
was re-published many times in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
~~~
Yet another portrait by Rowland Lockey (after Hans Holbein the
Younger).
This one was painted in 1593. It is in the National
Portrait Gallery, London. |
