Sir Streynsham Master

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed lower left: Sr. Streynsham/Master Kt.

This portraitback to top

An invoice in the Master MSS from Charles d’Agar for a half-length portrait of Sir Streynsham (and for a three-quarter and a half-length of his wife), dated 1714, was in family possession in 1911. [1] D’Agar is a plausible attribution for NPG 6107. [2]
A reduced copy belonged to the Rev G. Streynsham Master of Croston in 1887. [3]

Footnotesback to top

1) R. C. Temple ed., The Diaries of Streynsham Master, 1911, I, p xvi, quoting ‘Sr Strencham Masters his Bill for Pictures &c Delivered by Mr D’Agar. For Sir Stren: Masters half lenth picture £12.18.0. For Sir Strencham Masters half Lenth gold fram £3.0.0’. Twelve gns. were paid in hand for his portrait and for a half- and three-quarter-length portrait of his wife, and the balance of the whole amount, £38.2.6, was received on the 31st December 1714 ‘being in full for this Bill and all demands by me’.
2) In 1874 there were portraits ‘by Charles D’Agar’, of ‘Sir Streynsham Master, Governor of Madras, ob. 1724’, and of ‘Lady Master, his wife [Elizabeth Leigh d. 1714], daughter of Richard Legh, of Lyme, Esq, and her daughter Anne [1691-1788], afterwards Countess of Coventry’ in family possession at Croston (Rev George Streynsham Master, Family of Master of East Langdon and Yotes in Kent, New Hall and Croston in Lancashire, and Barrow Green in Surrey, 1874, p 103). A portrait inscribed: Lady Master Daugr. of Richd. Legh of Lyme Esqr. & her Daug^r. Anne (illus. Rev George Streynsham Master, Family of Master of East Langdon and Yotes in Kent, New Hall and Croston in Lancashire, and Barrow Green in Surrey, 1874) must date from c.1693 according to the daughter’s apparent age (the second child was born in 1694); the portrait of Lady Master was probably that inscribed Mrs Streynsham Master with Bearnes salerooms, Torquay, in 1963. The portraits appear not to be by the same hand (copy photographs in NPG archives).
3) Illus. The Diary of William Hedges, ed. R. Barlow & H. Yule, II, 1887-89, front.

Referenceback to top

Simon & Saywell (eds.) 2004
Complete Illustrated Catalogue, NPG, ed. J. Simon & D. Saywell, 2004, p 419.

Provenanceback to top

[by descent in the Master family at Croston, Lancs.,] Anon. sale, Purnell, Daniell & Morrell, Honiton, 26 November 1970, lot 220, bought Richard Master (d. 1990); his mother, Mrs Alice Master, Southsea,¹ by whom presented 1990.

¹ Who wrote to the NPG (30 November 1990) saying her son had returned from sea ‘about twenty years ago’ and was told of a Devon sale where the portrait appeared, very dirty, but inscribed Streynsham; her son took it to York where he had it lined and cleaned by Gadsby’s.

Exhibitionsback to top

Lyme Park 1996–.


This extended catalogue entry is from the National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Later Stuart Portraits 1685–1714, National Portrait Gallery, 2009, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.

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