Great Hall (including Porch) – General Objects

Great Hall (including Porch) – General Objects

Brass Doorstops

A pair in the form of winged boars' heads in crown cups, designed by Willement.

Bronze Bowl, on a carved oriental stand and dating from 1870-1900. Possibly a type of gong or ‘singing bowl’, where an implement is run over the inside of the bowl to create the sound.

Cast Iron Coal Basket On lion’s paw feet and decorated with acanthus leaves, dating from 1830-1870

Brass Fire Dogs

A pair with black marble bases, bearing the Lucy family shield with three pikes, a lion’s head and winged horses. They were acquired in 1852.

Fire Dogs are sometimes called andirons; they are used either to improve air circulation by holding up logs in a fire, or to hold pokers and other fireside equipment.

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Swords with Scabbards (see separate notes on the pistols and helmets)

It may be that some of the swords, scabbards and helmets were part of a display placed over the tombs of important nobles. These were often used in an ‘Achievement of Arms’, which was a set of equipment suspended above the deceased’s effigy or tomb.

Another explanation for their appearance may be in a passage from Clive Wainwright’s ‘The Romantic Interior,’

“during Washington Irving’s visit to Charlecote in 1820 the trophies of the chase usually seen in a Great Hall were replaced with family portraits. However by the time of Walter Scott’s visit in 1828 the Great Hall is described as ‘the antlered old hall’. It may be that the weaponry and deer heads were introduced to the Great Hall during this time.”

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A Pair of flintlock pistols Made by William Turvey, London. c1760 Length 20cm. Calibre 15mm. Master gunmaker William Turvey senior died in 1744 but his wife Sara continued the business in Holborn until the 1760’s, almost certainly together with son William junior and possibly also Edward. William Turvey Snr, gunmaker 1703 - 1744 William Turvey Jnr, gunmaker after 1750. Bill for Pistols now in the Great Hall at Charlecote.

Mr Lucy, to G. Turvey. For a fine pair of Backwork Pistols in Silver work £8-8s

For two pair of servant’s pistols, £4-4s Reed. Of George Lucy.

The contents of this bill, by the hands of Mr. John Dighton. P. George Turvey.

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FUNEREAL HELMETS AT CHARLECOTE

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Helmet 1 A close helmet, English, c1560.There is only one other similar example in churches in the Midlands, at Acton Burnall, Shropshire. The traces of gilding at the front, and the hole in the top of the comb, for location of a spike to support a funerary crest, show that the helmet has been used for funerary purposes. Possibly Sir Thomas Lucy II funeral 1605

Helmet 4 The skull, lower bevor, visor and gorgets of a close Helmet c1570. The upper bevor has been added from a helmet c1600.This addition of later parts is quite common, normally to replace a damaged part for the funeral. The method of fixing the spike so as to keep the visor in the open position suggests a funeral towards the mid c17. Possibly Sir Thomas Lucy III funeral 1640.

Helmet 2. This is a very good example of a somewhat rare type of English close helmet, made c1560. Notable points are the workmanship of the opening and locking mechanisms: -

a) the spring clip for retaining the upper bevor on the right hand side, this being a feature of good-quality helmets of C16; and

b) the ventilation slots on the visor. It is thought there is not a similar one to be found in any other churches, certainly not in the Midlands. Possibly Sir Thomas Lucy I funeral 1600

Helmet 3 An English close helmet of a fairly common type in use during the period 1570-1600. These sort of helmets form the bulk of examples to be found in use for funerals. The only unusual feature is the embossed semi-circular area above the sights.The funerary gilding at the front is clearly visible here. Possibly Sir Thomas Lucy II funeral in1605.

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Deer Heads

There are:- 8 deer heads in the Hall 2 in the Porch

These were probably installed at the time of the refurbishment in the 1830s.

Ceiling The Elizabethan ceiling was an open timber roof. The current ceiling was installed during the renovations by George and Mary Elizabeth in the 1830s. It is lower than the original ceiling. The ceiling is plaster and painted to look like wood. Walls (no picture) Painted to look like plaster during renovations of 1830s

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9a Coats of Arms The Lucy family Coats of Arms around the wooden panels of the Great Hall were all painted by hand. They were done by the daughters of Henry Spencer Lucy (1830-1890) and Christina Cameron-Campbell, namely:-

Ada Christina (1866-1943 who inherited Charlecote in 1892) and her sisters Linda and Joyce Lucy;

9a This image is of the Lucy and Cameron-Campbell arms with the names of the three daughters underneath. This panel is situated between the Porch and the door to the Morning Room (now closed to public viewing). 9b The crossed foxes of Mary Elizabeth’s family name (Williams) can be seen above the log box to the left of the fireplace.

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Floor

In 1823, Mary Elizabeth complained about the ‘old worn stone floor’ but it took until 1843 for it to be replaced with the present marble.The floor was purchased in Italy during the family’s tour of the continent 1841-3 and was shipped from Venice. On 5th April 1843, Holme & Co. wrote to George

‘Sir, by the schooner ‘Kate’ about to sail from Venice to London we have shipped the marble pavement you ordered when in Venice’.

When originally laid, the floor was on a base of clay brick shards and lime. This meant it was not stable enough and it was re-laid onto a more stable lime concrete in the 1980s.

The original Great Hall flagstones now pave the Victorian Kitchen and Scullery.

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Fossils in the Floor If you look carefully around the Hall there are a number of tiles which show fossils. There is a small fossil on a tile near the doors to the main stairway. The one featured here is near the fireplace.

Fireplace This is not the original fireplace. However, it was modelled to look like an Elizabethan one and was added during George and Mary Elizabeth’s renovations in 1830s.

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Portrait of Nicholas Fyffler

Stained Glass Windows There are three windows in the Great Hall, and facing them, the two windows on the left, (ie one nearest the Billiard Room, and the bay window) are Tudor glass. The one nearest the Porch is Victorian. The stained glass depicts the Coats of Arms of the Lucy family. The original pieces of stained glass in the Great Hall date from between 1551-1558, when the original sections of the House were being built. This Elizabethan glass was made by Nicholas Eyffeler, who was born in Osnabrück, Germany. It is likely that Eyffeler came to Warwick from London under the patronage of Sir Thomas Lucy I. It seems that the two men were close, as Eyffeler requested that Sir Thomas be the overseer of his last will and testament, referring to him as ‘my worshipfull good friend Sir Thomas Lucy’. Eyffeler is buried at St. Mary’s Church in Warwick and the Eyffeler Almshouses can still be seen at Castle Hill, Warwick. When George and Mary Elizabeth Lucy undertook their renovations in the 1830s this Elizabethan glass was taken down and repaired by Thomas Willement, who is described as ‘heraldic artist, interior decorator, antiquary, decorative painter, stained glass restorer and designer.’ To complement this original glass, George decided to continue his family tree through the remaining Great Hall windows and those in the newly built Dining Room and Library. Willement’s original design was to have the Lords Lucy in the first window, the centre bay was to be the Lucys of Charlecote with their wives either side, and the third window was to be all new panels. The panels added by Willement can be recognised by the TW insignia (see No. 14). George appears to have had a great interest in the heraldry of his ancestors, an interest which is described by Mary Elizabeth in her writings,

‘He was fond of the study of heraldry, and took great pains in tracing the pedigree of his ancestors. I have known him travel miles after a marriage certificate or register of a birth. He had the fine emblazoned Lucy pedigree book compiled at the Herald’s College, and would not allow a thing to be inserted without being authenticated.’

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Window nearest Porch

The above Victorian stain glass appears in the window next to the porch. This window is divided into two panels Photo A is from the right hand panel. Looking closely at the left hand coat of arms, the initials TW can be seen and Photo B is an enlargement of where they appear. There are a further 2 panels in this window which show the initials TW.

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Bell Pulls There are two in the Hall, one on each side of the fireplace and they were turned round to summon servants. The wire for these two goes down into the cellar and then along up into the new Victorian wing, to the corridor just outside the Kitchen, where two rows of bells can be seen.

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Coat Hangers (c.1870-1900) in the Porch A pair of coat hangers in the shape of fish and inlaid with brass.

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Taxidermy (currently hanging in the Porch) A pair of stuffed Red-Legged Partridges A handwritten label on the back of the case bears the date 1864. The Red-Legged Partridge is an introduced species from Continental Europe, mostly found in France and Spain. They are usually spotted in groups in open fields.

Taxidermy (currently hanging in the Porch) A pair of stuffed Water Rails Rails as a bird family are largely elusive as they live in dense waterside vegetation. They are present in most of Europe except for North Scandinavia. More common types of rail are the Moorhen and Coot.

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Lantern (Late Georgian) in the Porch This is a bronze six sided lantern, now wired for electricity.

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The Coat of Arms for Elizabeth I

This coat of arms was to celebrate the visit to Charlecote of Elizabeth I in 1572 and can been seen on the porch, just above the entrance door.

Children of Ada and Sir Henry

Back Row, left to right: Sybie, Alianore, Ewan, William

Front Row, left to right: Montgomerie, Brian

21 Ada Christine Fairfax-Lucy 1866-1943 She inherited Charlecote in 1892. She was married to Sir Henry Cameron Ramsay Fairfax and in order for them to inherit Charlecote he had to adopt the name of Lucy. Their children can be seen in the two photos below. There is an excellent painting of Ada in the Billiard Room, just as you enter on the left hand side wall. (The current Baronet is: Sir Edmond Cameron Ramsay Fairfax Lucy.)

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Children of Ada and Sir Henry

Left to right: Ewan, Brian, Montgomerie, William. Sybie and Alianore

The Warwickshire Hunt Meet at Charlecote Park in

November 1926

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Outside the Porch 1920s

Left to right: Ewan, Samson (the dog) Sir Henry, Ada, Brian, Sybie

Charlecote early 20th Century

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Alice, Lady Fairfax-Lucy She was the daughter of John Buchan, author of ‘The 39 Steps’ and 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, 15th Governor General of Canada.

Alice was the wife of Sir Brian Fairfax Lucy and mother of the current Baronet, Sir Edmund.

Two portraits of her appear in the house, one in the Billiard Room and one in the Drawing Room.

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Documents

Great Hall (including Porch) – General Objects