A CLASSIC COUNTRY HOUSE SALE RECALLS HISTORY OF LEADING EAST ANGLIAN FAMILY

Sotheby’s to sell the contents of Benacre Hall, near Lowestoft, Suffolk

James Miller, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby's UK, said: “Like so many English houses and collections, Benacre reflects both the history and the particular interests of successive generations of the Gooch family whose prosperity was founded in 17th century Great Yarmouth and whose successful careers and marriages led the family to 18th century Virginia, USA and the Grand Tour of 19th century Europe.

“Throughout the house there is the gentle intermingling of the very fine with the more normal and the rare with the more usual, a quality typically characteristic of English collections. Included in the three-day sale is a selection of fine English furniture, Dutch Old Masters, a handsome group of Gooch family portraits, silver and vertu, Continental and English porcelain, militaria and the Gooch library comprising many thousands of volumes and texts, as well as objects associated with a great English country house sale from a stuffed swan to an Aubusson carpet.

“The late Sir John Gooch Bt. (1930-1999) never married and lived a quiet, reclusive life alone at Benacre. He kept the hall and the estate closed to public view and regularly used only a selection of the rooms leaving others undisturbed and untouched. Some areas of the house such as the servants quarters and the nurseries remained unchanged since 1920s and for this reason Benacre Hall retains a unique distinctive and timeless atmosphere all of its own,” James Miller said The Gooch family can trace its ancestry back to the 12th century, but, it was a 17th century ancestor, Thomas Gooch, one of the most successful and wealthy merchants of Great Yarmouth, who laid the foundations for the family’s subsequent fortune and social elevation.

Great Yarmouth of the 17th century was one of the busiest ports in England due to its position at the mouth on a system of rivers leading to the agricultural heartland of Norfolk, its herring fleet and its trading links with other ports around the North Sea. As one of the port’s leading merchants, Gooch became a member of the administration that self-governed the port under the Charter of Incorporation granted to Great Yarmouth by James I.

He conducted his business from a substantial house on the quay - likened by Daniel Dafoe in his book, Tour through the whole Isles of Great Britain, to ‘little palaces’. This was to be a fitting description as in 1684, the year Gooch died, he entertained visiting royalty – the Duke of York, later James II and his new bride Mary of Modena – to ‘a noble dinner’ at the house.

On his death, Thomas Gooch’s house and business passed to his nephew, also called Thomas. He remained in Great Yarmouth and brought up his two sons, Thomas (1674-1754) and William (1681-1751) in the bustling environment of the thriving port. Thomas, the elder son, entered the Church and became successively Bishop of Bristol, Norwich and Ely, while his younger brother, William, joined the Army, subsequently becoming Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and a Baronet.

During his lifetime, Thomas, known as ‘Bishop Gooch’ judiciously married three heiresses. His first wife, Mary Sherlock, was the daughter of the Dean of London and sister of Thomas Sherlock (1678-1761), the great Tory Bishop of Bagnor, Salisbury and London.

She died giving birth to a son, also called Thomas (1720-1781), who by a fortuitous twist of fate was to become the 3rd Baronet and the heir to the fortunes of his father, Thomas Gooch, 2nd Bt.; his maternal grandfather; his uncle, Bishop Sherlock, and his father’s brother, Sir William Gooch, 1st Bt..

Portraits of Bishop Gooch suggest the model of an 18th century cleric. Surviving correspondence between him and his brother-in-law, Bishop Sherlock, gives a further insight into Bishop Gooch’s character and shows him to have been a staunch Tory Protestant and a courteous figure with a clear notion of the importance of both rank and wealth.

His interest in architecture emerged early in his career as Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University (1717-1720) during which time he encouraged the plans for the rebuilding of the University which led to James Gibbs’ Senate House. His increasing rank and wealth led him to implement architectural improvements at Norwich and Ely, and enabled him to purchase paintings, works of art and fine early 18th century furniture, examples of which are in Sotheby’s sale.

Of particular note is a pale blue damask suite of six walnut and parcel-gilt chairs and sofa, the legs of which are decorated with carvings of lion’s masks and paw feet (est: £80,000-120,000). On a smaller scale are a pair of silver gilt cups and covers surmounted by a fruiting pineapple, which were from that family of his second wife, Hannah Miller. Made in 1747 by London silversmith Benjamin Gignac, they are estimated at £8,000-12,000.

Bishop Gooch’s brother, William, served with equal distinction in the Army and in 1727 he was made Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. A portrait of 1st Bt. painted by Jonathan Richardson (1665-1745) around the mid-1720s, shows him wearing a brown velvet coat over a gold embroidered waistcoat and white stock. It is included in Sotheby’s sale and estimated at £10,000-15,000.

William’s arrival in Williamsburg was celebrated with a special ceremony of commissions and oaths, read and administered in official chambers, after which, as the new Lt. Governor, he rode in a state carriage with the President of the Council to the proclamation of George II with a gun salute.

William’s experience and upbringing in the busy and prosperous port of Great Yarmouth must have stood him in good stead when introducing new laws relating to the tobacco trade in the US. The Gooch Tobacco Law, passed in 1730, improved the product, its trade and its sale, as well as the relationship between planters and merchants.

During his office, William also championed free speech, which led to the creation of a colonial Press and the printing of newspapers, improved roads, established a postal service and promoted organised trade in pig iron, furs, grain and naval stores. He ruled with a scrupulous regard for truth and fairness and Virginia flourished under his administration, so much so that the period of his governorship was characterised by the phrase ‘Gooch prosperity’.

Gooch’s reputation grew more and more and it was said, ‘he was the only governor abroad against whom inhabitants and merchants never once complained’. In 1741, at the outbreak of the war with Spain, he was despatched as Colonel of an American Regiment to Jamaica. He returned to Williamsburg that autumn where he remained for the next six years. After the death of his only son, William had considered making Bishop Gooch’s second son, John, his heir and contemplated selling his estate ‘that cost me £5,000’ and ‘my furniture, and there is a great stock of sorts, as well as a large quantity of plate’. However, his elevation to the title of Baronet in 1747, curtailed these thoughts and instead, he decided to make his brother, Bishop Gooch, the heir to the title, and his brother’s eldest son, Thomas, the heir to his fortune.

William returned to England in 1747 with his wife, Lady Gooch, and took up residence at her family house at Hampton. He sold his Virginian estate but retained and transported back to England his collection of furniture and works of art.

According to family tradition, the elegant suite of walnut, ivory-painted and parcel-gilt seat furniture, comprising four crimson damask chairs and stools, returned with William from Virginia. Made circa 1740, it is estimated at £80,000-120,000.

William died at Hampton in 1751 and Lady Gooch became life tenant of her husband’s property until her death in 1775 when it passed to William’s nephew, Sir Thomas Gooch 3rd Bt. at Benacre.

Benacre was acquired by the heir to the Gooch family fortunes, Bishop Gooch’s son, Thomas, later 3rd Bt. (1720-1781) in 1743, the same year he married a wealthy merchant’s daughter and heiress, Anne Atwood, of Great Yarmouth.

He settled down to consolidate his estate and over the next 20 years inherited the considerable fortune of his father, who died in 1754, and seven years later, the even greater fortune of his maternal uncle Bishop Sherlock. Thomas also inherited valuable lands near the centre of Birmingham from Bishop Sherlock’s estate which to this day retain a link with the Gooch family via the street names such as Benacre Street and Gooch Street. The family always retained a link with Birmingham by acquiring silver and furniture made by Birmingham craftsmen and employing a Birmingham architect to rebuild Benacre in the 1920s.

These fortunes allowed Thomas Gooch, 3rd Bt. to embark on a rebuiding programme for Benacre and in 1763, he appointed the architect Matthew Brettingham, well known for his work on Lord Leicester’s residence at Holkam, to build a Palladian house. A portrait of Sir Thomas, 3rd Bt. attributed to Joseph Highmore (1692-1780) is included in the sale (est: £6,000-8,000). The oil on canvas depicts Sir Thomas standing in a landscape wearing a grey coat over a blue embroidered waistcoat and white stock.

Sir Thomas had four sons and one daughter by his first marriage to Anne, which lasted 24 years until her death in 1767. The eldest son, Thomas (1745-1826), inherited his father’s title in 1781 to become the 4th Baronet.

By the end of the 18th century, the account books show the Gooch family to be well established and implementing consistent improvements to the estate. Their collection of the works of art was also growing with the purchase of Dutch Old Master paintings and patronage of the local sporting artist Edwin Cooper of Beccles, who painted the family hunters and the coursing greyhounds bred by Sir Thomas, who was a keen sportsman. A portrait of Sir Thomas’ pointer dog by Cooper is estimated at £6,000-8,000 and a portrait of Sir Thomas on his shooting cob is expected to fetch £7,000-10,000.

Dutch old master pictures acquired at this time include, a signed oil on canvas entitled, The temptation of St. Anthony in a rocky cave, by David Teniers the Younger (1610-1690) which is expected to fetch £20,000-30,000 and a landscape depicting two hounds guarding game by Elias Vonck (1605-1652), also estimated at £20,000-30,000.

In his family life the 4th Bt. and his wife, Anna Maria Haywood, had 11 children and named their eldest son and heir after his father. Sir Thomas Gooch, 5th Bt. (1767-1851) was educated at Westminster School and Christchurch, Oxford, prior to undertaking a continental tour in 1793. He had also made a name for himself in Suffolk, raising the first Yeomanary Cavalry Corps in England to counter the effect of a potential French invasion in 1792. His military activities began an association with the Army that continued through successive generations of the Gooch family.

In 1796, he married Marianne Whittaker, an heiress who brought a £30,000 fortune to the Gooch family, and first entered Parliament in 1806 as MP for Suffolk. Over the next 24 years, he was re-elected seven times and consistently supported the needs of the farmers, distillers and merchants, especially during the agricultural depression following the Napoleonic wars.

His interest in nature and involvement in rural issues is illustrated by two books from the Gooch library entitled, Practical Agriculture, by R W Dickson (est: £600-900) and two volumes of hand-coloured plates, British moths and their transformations, by H M Humphreys and J O Westwood (est: £250-350).

In recognition of his parliamentary representation and support of local issues he was presented with a spectacular silver candelabra by - The Gentry, Clergy and Freeholders of the County of Suffolk in testimony of their gratitude, respect and esteem as their representative in seven successive Parliaments. Executed by the King's goldsmiths, Green and Ward, the elaborate centrepiece is modelled with three rustic figures depicted with a seed basket, spade and sickle, as well as many supporting tiers in the shape of flowers, leaves and shells. The candelabrum is complete with its vellum parchment testimonial listing the names of the subscribers, notably The Marquis of Bristol and Sir G Broke Vere, Bt.. It is estimated at £20,000-30,000.

A portrait of Sir Thomas, 5th Bt., by George Henry Harlow (1787-1819) portrays him at the zenith of his political career, capturing the thoughtfulness as well as the stature of the sitter (est: £6,000-8,000).

Also by George Henry Harlow is the stunning portrait of Sir Thomas’ daughters, Marianne Anna Maria and Charlotte Matilde wearing pretty white dresses (est:£40,000-60,000).

Sir Thomas also purchased the magnificent portrait of the Newfoundland Dog by George Stubbs, previously in the collection of his friend the Duke of York, which was sold by Sotheby's in London in November 1999 for £2,256,500. A pair of fine William IV silver soup tureens and covers decorated with flowers, wheatsheaves and agricultural implements were also acquired by the 5th Bt. Made by London silversmiths, Barnard & Co., between 1830-1831, the pair is expected to fetch £14,000-18,000.

Sir Thomas’ eldest son, Edward Sherlock Gooch, later 6th Bt. (circa 1800-1856) succeeded his father as MP for Suffolk and also inherited his father’s interest in the arts. A head and shoulders portrait by Frank W Wilkins (c.1791-1842) shows Sir Edward, 6th Bt. dressed in uniform. Executed in black and white chalks, it is estimated at £400-600 During the early 1830s, Edward and his first wife, Louisa Prescott, lived in Florence where their daughter, aptly named Florence, was born. It was here that he acquired some Italian pictures including the beautifully preserved 13th century panel of a Madonna and child by Cimabue. Recently discovered by a Sotheby’s specialist during the preparation for Sotheby’s sale at Benacre, it is to be sold in Sotheby’s forthcoming sale of Old Master paintings in London on Thursday, July 6, 2000. (See separate press release)

The agate handles of a set of 12 dessert knives were also acquired in Italy and mounted on to the silver blades by Thomas Turner of Bond Street in 1839 (est: £250-350). A silver tea and coffee set by another London silversmith, Robert Hennell (est: £2,500-3,500) is also included in the sale. The engraving incorporates the Gooch arms and monogram initials of the 6th Bt.

After his first wife’s death, Sir Edward married Harriet Hope Vere, who was guiding force behind the redecoration of Benacre in the mid 19th century. According to the fashion at the time, the elegant interiors designed by architect, Matthew Brettingham were decorated and furnished in different period styles.

A bust and portrait of Lady Gooch’s close friend, the Duke of Wellington, were displayed in a vast niche set into the wall above the fireplace in the classically styled saloon or ballroom.

The portrait of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, by Count Alfred D’Orsay (1801-1852) is one of the last full-scale paintings of the Duke. Earlier portraits are now in prestigious collections such as the National Portrait Gallery. The Duke is portrayed in his mid seventies standing on a magnificent colonnade balcony with a distant view with a distant view across a park. Wellington is known to have been pleased with this portrait and is quoted as saying, ‘at last, I have been painted like a gentleman’. It is estimated to fetch £6,000-8,000.

Further alterations were carried out during the second half of the 19th century by Lady Gooch’s three sons, who inherited in succession: Sir Edward 7th Bt. (1843-1872), Sir Francis, 8th Bt. (1850-1881) and Sir Alfred, 9th Bt. (circa 1852-1899).

By the early 20th century, Brettingham’s small drawing room had been transformed into the ‘Versailles Room’, complete with rich plaster-work and a white fireplace that was surmounted by an elaborate scheme of mirrored arcades. A set of twelve 18th century ivory-painted and parcel-gilt armchairs supplied by I & J Ashfords of Saxmundham, Suffolk, complemented the grand setting. Made in the manner of John Linnell, the green damask-covered chairs are estimated at £30,000-50,000.

Also acquired in the second of the 19th century was a satin sycamore and marquetry cylinder bureau by Messrs. Marris and Norton, of Corporation Street, in Birmingham. Estimated at £8,000-12,000, the free-standing bureau is inlaid all over with neo-classical motifs. Bedroom furniture includes a satin and marquetry wardrobe stamped Maple & Co., which is estimated to fetch £2,000-2,500. More unusual, is a firescreen (est: £2,000-3,000) in the form of a stuffed swan that was shot on the Benacre estate on the February 14, 1885 by the 9th Bt., Sir Alfred Sherlock Gooch (1852-1899).

Sir Alfred travelled extensively, taking in a Grand Tour of Europe as well as visiting Japan in the late 1880s.

Oriental works of art thought to have been brought back to Benacre by the 9th Bt. include, a Japanese sword with an elaborately carved ivory mount (est: £1,000-1,500) and small ivory figures, called okimono. Examples range from a fan dancer with two laughing companions (est: £300-400) and a scholar and his attendant, each wearing patterned clothes (est: £500-700).

In 1899, the estate and collection was inherited by Sir Thomas Gooch 10th Bt. and his wife Florence. After a succession of near childless baronets, their five children once more enjoyed the spacious interiors of Benacre. It was they who commissioned a view of the front of Benacre Hall, painted by Charles F Draper in 1908, which is estimated at £4,000-6,000.

The estate itself was host to innumerable events including meetings of the Coursing Club, flower shows, pedigree cow shows and numerous sporting events. Despite the upheavals of the Great War, this calendar of social events linking Benacre and the surrounding community continued until the 1920s.

In 1926, Benacre suffered a terrible fire. Fortunately the contents of Benacre Hall were saved thanks to the heroic efforts of the estate workers and local villagers who carried furniture, pictures and works of art to safety on the lawn in front of the house. Fading newspaper cuttings of the time record the event and Sir Thomas was quoted in one report confirming that, “no articles of historic interest had been lost”.

The ground floor of Benacre mostly escaped fire damage, but, extensive re-building was necessary and Sir Thomas employed the architect, James Lister of Birmingham, to see that the rebuilt interiors of Benacre resembled the old as far as possible, except for a few modern and up-to-date arrangements. Old panelling was brought from a house nearby to ‘beautify the huge hall’ and a new outer hall was completed in the beaux-arts classical style.

Sir Thomas’ eldest son, Robert Eric Gooch, 11th Bt.(1903-1978) was educated at Eton and carried on the family tradition by pursuing a long and distinguished military career. He became a Lieutenant in the Life Guards and was chosen to be the King’s escort at the opening of the new Wembley Arena in 1925. He went on to become Commander of the Household Cavalry Regiment (1942-1946).

A number of items in the sale have a military connection, such as portrait of Sir Robert wearing the uniform of the 2nd Life Guards.

Painted by William Francis Longstaff, it is estimated at £500-700. The Life Guard connection continues with two prints, one featuring a trumpeter by William Heath (1793-1840) and the other of a 2nd Life Guard sloping arms by Robert Richard Scanlon (c. 1801-1876). They are estimated at £600-800 and £1,000-1,500 respectively.

A silver plate model of a trooper in the Life Guards, mounted in full dress order and holding the regimental colours, is estimated at £2,000-3,000 and wrought-iron framed banner firescreen is estimated at £700-800. The banner of the screen is made of a Shabraque for the 2nd Lifeguards, with gold thread embroidered battle honours and insignia of Queen Victoria.

The late Sir John Gooch, the last member of the family to live at Benacre, succeeded his father to the title and the estate in 1978. He followed in his father’s footsteps by pursuing a career in the army and as a celebrated breeder of carnations.

During his lifetime, Sir John also developed a strong interest in history and the arts and became known as an extremely discerning collector of fine art. He began collecting furniture in the 1950s and 60s to the extent that his mother is memorably quoted as saying on one occasion, ‘Not another table, John!’ Sir John also undertook alterations to the house, removing some of the restored elements and returning the rooms to their original 18th century style. It was for these that he acquired fine pieces of 18th century English furniture, porcelain and glass and through his carefully considered acquisitions, became a familiar figure in London galleries and auction rooms.

Particularly fine examples of his acquisitions include a rare carved giltwood console table, circa 1735, with marble top supported by a standing owl with out-stretched wings (£40,000-60,000). A pair of George I walnut chairs covered in petit point and gros point needlework is estimated at £30,000-50,000 and a set of four Italian ivory painted and parcel-gilt armchairs made circa 1815 is expected to fetch £15,000-20,000. Works of art acquired by Sir John include a large pair of early 19th century glass bonbonnieres, covers and liners (est: £3,000-5,000) and an unusual 32-piece coffee service decorated with exotic wild animals in landscapes (est: £4,000-5,000).

Continental and British porcelain from the Benacre Collection includes a Louis XV gilt-bronze mounted Sevres green vase and cover, circa 1760, (est: £20,000-30,000) and a pair of Flight Barr and Barr Worcester oval vegetable tureens, covers and liners from the Stowe Service. Painted with the arms of the 2nd Marquess of Buckingham, Richard-Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, the tureens are estimated to fetch £25,000-35,000.

Sir John was also noted for his immaculate dress sense and his passion for fine English clothes. This is illustrated by the inclusion of items from his extensive wardrobe including city suits; velvet evening jackets and overcoats by Sandon & Co., and Davies and Sons; handmade shoes by Lobbs; shirts and silk ties from Turnball and Asser, hundreds of hats from Locks and Herbert Johnsons, plus a wonderful collection of gem-encrusted stick pins.

The Gooch family’s fascination and love of animals is also illustrated throughout the sale. The library, for instance, includes a monograph of the family of Pheasants by Daniel Giraud Elliot comprises two volumes of 79 fine hand-coloured lithographed plates (est: £40,000-60,000). The silver collection also contains a fascinating menagerie of animals from owl peppers and mustard pots (est: £420-450) to a pair of bon bon dishes designed as geese (est: £550-650).

BENACRE HALL SALE INFORMATION:

The sale will take place at Benacre Hall which is situated off the A12 on the coast between Wrentham and Lowestoft