Francis Dashwood, 11th Baron Le Despencer

Francis Dashwood, 11th Baron Le Despencer, by Nathaniel Dance (later Sir Nathaniel Holland, Bt), circa 1776 -NPG 1345 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Mid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue

Francis Dashwood, 11th Baron Le Despencer

by Nathaniel Dance (later Sir Nathaniel Holland, Bt)
circa 1776
29 in. x 24 in. (737 mm x 610 mm)
NPG 1345

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed top right: Francis Le Despencer/aetatis suae.68.

This portraitback to top

NPG 1345 appears to be a replica of the portrait by Dance at West Wycombe which is inscribed NDance pinxt/1776. [1] A version from Mereworth Castle (which also belonged to the Dashwood family) was sold Christie’s, 2 February 1973, lot 64; [2] this or another was sold from Frankham in Sussex by Christie’s, 25 September 1989, lot 312. Each of these portraits bears the arms and inscription seen on NPG 1345.

Footnotesback to top

1) Illus. National Trust Guide, West Wycombe, 2001, p 51. The 8vo. book in his hand was described in the National Trust Guide, 1984, p 16, as possibly a copy of the abridged Book of Common Prayer which Lord Le Despencer and Benjamin Franklin produced at West Wycombe in 1773 (see Franklin at West Wycombe, American Philosophical Society PA, 1977, pp 16-20).
2) Exhibited Sabin, English Portraits, 1976 (17) illus.

Physical descriptionback to top

Brown eyes, light hair, wearing a brown suit; inscribed top right: Francis Le Despencer/aetatis suae.68. and with the arms of Lord Le Despencer top left (quarterly, Dashwood, Fane, Neville and Spencer, with crest and motto PRO MAGNA CHARTA).1

1 Quarterly, 1st, ar. on a fess betw. two double cotises gu. three griffins’ heads erased or, for Dashwood; 2nd a az. three dexter hand gauntlets with their backs forward or, for Fane; 3rd, gu. on a saltire ar. a rose of the field, barbed and seeded ppr., for Neville; 4th, quarterly, ar. and gu. in the 2nd and 3rd quarters a fret or, over all a bend sa., for Spencer. Crest – out of a ducal coronet or, a saracen’s head affrontee ppr. wreathed about the temples ar. and sa. Supporters – Dexter, a griffin, wings elevated or, collared and line reflexed over the back sa. the collar charged with three escallops ar.; sinister, a bull ar. pied sa. armed, hoofed, collared, and chain reflexed over the back or.

Provenanceback to top

Purchased from Archibald Ramsden 1903.