THOMAS GIRTIN | BISHAM ABBEY, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND

Sale, London, Christie's, 7 July 1902, lot 61;

with Leggatt Brothers, London;

Hudson Kearley, 1^st Viscount Davenport (1856-1934),

by family descent to the present owner

The manor house at Bisham lies on the River Thames to the west of London and was built circa 1260 for the Knights Templar. In 1335 the manor and its lands were acquired by William, 1^st Earl of Salisbury and in 1337 the Earl founded an Augustinian Priory there. Soon after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, King Henry VIII of England gave the abbey to Anne of Cleves, as part of his divorce negotiations. After Anne’s death in 1557 the manor was acquired by the diplomat Sir Thomas Hoby and Bisham remained with his descendants until 1768. By the time of Girtin's visit in around 1800 the estate had been sold to George Vansittart (1745-1825), a grandson of Peter Vansittart who had emigrated to England from Danzig in 1671 and, upon his death in 1705, had left a great fortune. 

Having remained in the same family collection since the very early 20^th century, this is the first time that this drawing has been seen in public for over one hundred years. We are very grateful to Susan Morris for her help when cataloguing this lot. 

Today, Bisham Abbey is one of England's National Sports Centres, perhaps best known as a main training centre for the England rugby and football teams.