Spetchley - Property from the Berkeley Collection
Spetchley - Property from the Berkeley Collection
THE CATCH CLUB 1784 GOLD MEDAL
Auction Closed
December 11, 04:05 PM GMT
Estimate
1,200 - 1,800 GBP
Lot Details
Description
THE CATCH CLUB 1784 GOLD MEDAL
inscribed FOR COMPOSING THE BEST SERIOUS GLEE MDCCLXXIV / STEPN PAXTON OF LONDON / 'Violoncellist'; the reverse with Orpheus and Bacchus inscribed LETS DRINK AND LETS SING TOGETHER, Catch Club, instituted London 1762, the medal signed T. PINGO F., in original fishskin case
44mm. diameter and 73.6g, 2.596oz
Ellen Willmott (1858-1934);
her nephew Robert George Berkeley (1898-1969)
Inventory, 1949, 'A gold medal “Presented to Stephen Paxton, 1784”, in the Strong Room
Viscount Gladstone et al, Nobleman and Gentleman's Catch Club, Three Essays Towards its History, London, 1996, p.16
The Catch Club was originally founded in 1761 (and instituted a year later) to encourage the composition and performance of glees, catches and canons. Viscount Gladstone in his 1930 essay, The Story of the Noblemen and Gentleman's Catch Club, writes that from May 1762 it was decided to institute a gold medal worth 10 guineas 'for the best catch, canon and glee, words and music'. He also refers to the present medal being 'in the possession of Miss Willmott'.
Stephen Paxton won three of the club's medals for 'How Sweet, How Fresh' (1779), 'Round the Hapless Andrés Urn' (1781) and 'Blest Power Here See' (1784) for which the present medal was awarded.