Studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.

Mary Shaw, the wife of Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon's secretary;
bequeathed by her to Henry Hyde, Lord Cornbury (1638-1709), later 2nd Earl of Clarendon, at Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire;
by descent, at Cornbury, and later The Grove, Hertfordshire, to his nephew, Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Rochester and later 4th Earl of Clarendon (1672-1753);
transferred to his son, Henry Hyde, 5^th Baron Hyde and Viscount Cornbury (1710-1753), in 1749, who died without issue;
by descent to his niece, Charlotte (d.1790), eldest daughter of William Capel, 3rd Earl of Essex (1697-1743), who married Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon (1709-1786), of the second creation;
thence by descent to the present owner

Lady T. Lewis, Lives of the Friends and Contemporaries of Lord Chancellor Clarendon, London 1852, Vol. III, no. 114, pp. 257, 429 and 430;
R. L. Poole, Catalogue of Portraits in Oxford, 1925, no. 114, Vol. II, pp. 189-190, and Vol. III, pp. 261-162;
R. Gibson, Catalogue of Portraits in the Collection of the Earl of Clarendon, Wallop 1977, no. 50, pp. 46-47

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition. There is evidence of restoration to a repaired vertical tear approximately two inches in length. On the left hand side of the lower right hand corner there are a few scattered abrasions and paint losses. However the most notable of these is at the bottom of the upper left hand quarter. There is a dirty and discoloured varnish overall. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light confirms the opacity of the varnish. It also reveals scattered minor retouching in the forehead and restoration to the tear. FRAME Held in a carved and gilded wood frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@sothebys.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The sitter was the the son of Sir William Clarke, Secretary of War for the King during the Civil War. A Fellow of All Souls, and M.P. for Oxford University in 1685 (and later from 1717 to 1736), Clarke was himself Secretary of War from 1692 to 1704, Secretary to Prince George of Denmark when Lord High Admiral, and Lord of the Admiralty from 1712 to 1714. A prominent figure at court from a noted Royalist family, Clarke appears to have been a close friend of Henry Hyde, Lord Cornbury, later  2nd Earl of Clarendon, who inherited this painting from his father's secretary. It relates to two portraits at Worcester College, Oxford, one of which is inscribed with the sitter's name.