THE 'GREGSON HOUSE' AN IMPORTANT EARLY VICTORIAN CUPBOARD DOLL'S HOUSE

THE 'GREGSON HOUSE' AN IMPORTANT EARLY VICTORIAN CUPBOARD DOLL'S HOUSE

FROM 1830, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE CONTENTS EARLY AND ORIGINAL

the pine cupboard complete with original un-restored pale graining and with a moulded cornice above a pair of six panelled doors, over three short drawers, the whole raised on short shaped bracket feet; the pair of panelled doors opening to reveal nine room settings on three floors (three bedrooms above a music, dining and drawing room and the lower floor with hallway flanked by kitchen and rare still-room) the rooms communicating with thick opening latched brass handled doors and with marbled fireplaces with steel and brass inserts, cornicing and skirting to the main reception rooms, the original carpets mainly of thin velvet or oil cloth or baize, the walls covered with original coloured paper, sometimes hand painted or embossed and often edged in gilt or printed flowers and the whole containing the original furniture of wood, tin, card and in one instance pressed bread dressed in watered silks and other original fabrics, the walls hung with watercolours many painted by the original owner Bessie Wilkinson who also worked the drawing room carpet, also containing extensive fittings in ceramic, glass, alabaster and lead, the whole house peopled with the original dolls, including a cook doll with leather hands

The cupboard: 204cm high, 168.7cm wide, 61cm deep; each room: 51cm high, 50.5cm wide and 51cm deep.

Provenance

Ordered, made for and furnished by Miss Elizabeth 'Bessie' Wilkinson (died 1857) of Aston Hall, Birmingham.

By descent, to her nephew Henry Gregson 1857 who lived at Moorlands.

By descent, to Annie Canon-Cox Little.

By descent, to her daughter Lady Wenlock until about 1957 of Knockin Hall, Oswestry, Shropshire.

Thence by family descent, until 2010 when sold by private treaty to the present vendor, a family friend.

Elizabeth 'Bessie' Wilkinson was the scion of a great iron making dynasty being daughter of William Wilkinson (1744 - 1808) and niece of John 'IronMad' Wilkinson (1728 - 1808) most famous for instigating the famous Ironbridge in Coalbrookdale in the 1770's and who both had interests in iron works in North Wales and Shropshire. Both were tied in with Matthew Boulton senior and James Watt seniors' business making boilers in Birmingham. On the death of their father William in 1808 'Bessie' and her sister Mary Anne were made guardians of James Watt junior (1769 - 1848) who from about 1817 until his death leased and lived at the fine Jacobean prodigy house Aston Hall in Birmingham; ancestral home of the Holte family, it is listed Grade I and now owned and run as a museum by Birmingham City Corporation.

'Bessie's' sister Mary Anne had on 24th February 1817 married Matthew Robinson Boulton (1770 - 1842), only son of the great 18th century entrepreneur Matthew Boulton (1728 - 1809) who was also a member of the Lunar society and manufacturer of small metal trinkets, ormolu, silverware and in conjunction with James Watt senior of the steam engines that revolutionised industrial Britain. Mary Anne and Matthew Boulton lived at Soho House in Birmingham, built by his father to designs by Samuel and James Wyatt - the latter also providing designs for silver ware to Boulton senior. The fine Georgian house still exists as a museum run by the council.

Mary Anne Boulton sadly died in childbirth on 7th June 1829, leaving seven children and a new born baby girl who was also named Mary. It was this tragedy that precipitated the creation of this wonderful doll's house to help her little nieces and nephews recover from this great sadness by their maiden aunt Elizabeth 'Bessie' Wilkinson. The doll's house was originally called 'Maryland Lodge' after her sister and baby niece. The house itself was possibly made for Aunt Bessie by estate carpenters but is fine enough to have been supplied by a more sophisticated cabinet maker. The nieces visited nearby Aston Hall where Aunt Bessie l