The Trust has noticed that a 122 cm high lead figure of Mercury, possibly by van Nost is coming up for sale in Cambridge later this month. The auctioneer’s estimate is £4,000 to £6,000 so it is well beyond our reach, but its provenance is what interests us. If it is by van Nost, it is most likely by the nephew, Jan van Nost the younger (1713-1780) after the model by the great Italian Renaissance Sculptor, Giambologna (1529-1608). From the early 18th century, it was owned by John Shepherd and his heirs at Campsea Ashe High House, Suffolk. From about 1880 it was with the Earls of Guildford and later Lady North at Glemham Hall.
This fine Elizabethan mansion was built by the de Glemham family in about 1560. It passed to Francis North, 2nd Baron Guildford in about 1709. His wife, Catherine was the daughter of Elihu Yale the founder of the famous American university. After belonging for a while to Mrs Herbert it reverted to the 8th Earl of Guildford who sold it in 1923 to the Cobbold family which makes this its centenary year. Mercury was moved to Philip Wyndham Cobbold (1875-1945) #324 at Tattingstone Place where it stayed from 1947 until 1966 with the Budd family before joining the present owners. Other garden statues from Tattingstone were sold by Christie’s in 2003. They were attributed to the workshops or ‘yards’ of the van Nosts and the Cheeres.
Glemham was bought in 1923 for John (Ivan) Murray Cobbold (1897-1944) #448 who had married a daughter of the 9th Duke of Devonshire, Lady Blanche Cavendish (1898-1987) #449. John Murray, who put up the money for Ipswich Town Football Club to turn professional, sadly died on 18th June 1944 when a doodle-bug demolished the Guards Chapel. His son, John Cavendish (1927-1983) #575 better known as ‘Mr. John’ in football circles, took over and the hay day of ITFC was celebrated before he prematurely died of cancer. By the will of his brother Patrick (1934-1994) #576 Glemham Hall passed to Philip Hope-Cobbold (1943-2020) #577 who started the process of turning the Hall into the highly successful wedding, conference, and event venue that it is today in the skilful hands of his two sons Tom (1974) #1390 and Tim (1976) #3234.
