Sir Edward Littleton: various correspondence.

Sir Edward Littleton: Michael Rysbrack to Littleton, 18 November 1756, (formerly FL/4); John Anderson to Littleton, 11 August 1756, (formerly FL/3); Michael Rysback to Littleton, 11 November 1758, (formerly FL/8); Michael Rysback to Littleton, 21 June 1757, (formerly FL/5). These letters relate to some of the eight terracotta busts of 'British Worthies' that Littleton commissioned from John Michael Rysbrack for Teddesley Hall, near Stafford, when he was refurbishing it in neo-classical style in the 1750s. Littleton was a major patron of Rysbrack but in the 1930s Lord Hatherton - the Littleton barony dating from 1835 - sold off the contents of the house before it was demolished as part of the general loss of English country houses at that time owing to changing circumstances and the post-World War I impact of death duties. The eight Rysbracks - and other pieces by him - were sent to Spink's in London for sale in July 1932 and Sir James Caird bought three - the busts of Ralegh, Francis Bacon and Cromwell - for the Museum: see SCU0043 for further notes. All the related Rysbrack letters (including these) were also sold but were transcribed and published in the (illustrated) Spink catalogue - 'The Art of John Michael Rysbrack in Terracotta' by Mrs Arundell Esdaile, which is otherwise comprehensive on the Teddesley group. [PvdM 7/22]

Record Details

Item reference: HSR/Z/7
Catalogue Section: Manuscript documents acquired singly by the Museum
Level: ITEM
Date made: 1756- 1758; 1756-01-01 - 1758-12-31
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London