Look Familiar?

Firstly I must thank Lyn McCulloch for reminding me to ensure my post Who is This – Part 2 was sent to Charles Foster, the archivist at Arley Hall. Today I received a very nice and informative letter from Charles in which he pointed me to the following photograph in his book Capital and Innovation (which he also sent me a copy of).

Look familiar? It is not the same picture as in my previous post though you would need to put them side by side to notice the differences. This is Peter Warburton of Arley Hall (circa 1542-1626). The date of the painting can be put between 1595 and 1600 by the sleeve pocket which was only fashionable during that period.

Although the two Peters were of very similar age Peter of Arley was actually the Judge’s father-in-law as the Judge’s third wife was Alice daughter of Peter of Arley. Before he transferred to London the Judge-to-be practiced in Chester and was one of the first stewards of the Warburton’s Manor Courts. Therefore the two Peters would have known each other well. Charles is of the opinion that the two pictures could have been painted simultaneously either at Arley, or in Chester.

The Judge became very wealthy and built Grafton Hall in South Cheshire, where he retired. He would probably have installed his painting there. On his death the painting probably passed to his only surviving daughter Elizabeth who had married Sir Thomas Stanley. She would have taken it to her husband’s main home at Alderley in Cheshire.

The main house at Alderley was destroyed by fire in 1779 and never replaced. Subsequently it is said there was no room for all the family portraits so many were sold. It is possible the picture was thought to be a Dutton because of the Dutton fret in the top left corner of the shield, and so it was bought by the Duttons at some point and installed at Sherborne.

Charles Foster has his own website here which has a wealth of 18th century documents including invoices and accounts. It also has Charles’s books on Cheshire history, based on the Arley Hall archives. These provide a fascinating insight into the world in which our Warburton ancestors, both aristocratic and common born, lived.