MEMORIES AT SERLBY HALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22422, 17 November 1934, Page 14

MEMORIES AT SERLBY HALL

HISTORIC MANSION OF‘LORD GALWAY By J. L. Barber, in the Aorkshire Post. When Lord Galway takes up his appointment as Governor-General of New Zealand next March, he will leave a hall that has been his family’s for over 200 years —since the first Viscount Galway bought it in 1725. John Monckton, who was created a peer of Ireland and took .the title of Viscount Galway, bought this fine old Georgian mansion, and, though many alterations have been made, it is, in effect, very much the same now as then. Serlby Hall stands in the beautiful border country of North Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, and the north front looks over rolling pastureland with grass terraces that dip gradually to the lake in the bottom.' These terraces were restored by the father of the present Viscount, and in the hall hangs a picture showing the terraces and the house as they stood in olden days. The paint is thickly laid, and blackened now, but there is a s faint illustration of the old terraces, from which, it is said, the late Viscount made the restorations. The present Lord Galway has cut down little timber in the park land, and the “ Laurels ” —a beautiful wood with beech and yew avenues—-still has the reputation of always holding a fox when hounds meet. The estate also provides capital pheasant, partridge and wild duck shooting. ALTERATIONS MADE When the house was originally bought, the main entrance lay on the south side, the long stretch of - the house being pleasantly broken by a colonnaded portico. In 1907 there was a slight fire, which, though it did no extensive damage, led to alterations. ’ A new entrance hall was built on to the east side of the house, and gardens were laid out where the old entrance and drive had been. The carriage drive was removed, and now pleasantly terraced gardens—at the moment a mass of glorious dahlias and Michaelmas daisies—lead down to a lily pond, wherein rests a still swan of stone. The old doorway still serves as an entrance to these secluded gardens. In the house itself many of the rooms have finely decorated ceilings. In the dining room, the ceiling was done by Zucchi, and in the centre of this room stands an old table, shining with the polishing of centuries. It was, brought home by a Monckton who fought at Martinique, and the wood, which was « booty,” has stood in the dining room since that day. There are many relics connected with Wolfe of Quebec, for General Robert Monckton fought under this gallant soldier, and was only prevented from taking Quebec himself because he was wounded fit the time that Wolfe received his injuries. To Monckton fell the task of bringing home all Wolfe’s kit and personal belongings. Much of this now reposes in a 'museum, but in Serlby Hall there is still Wolfe’s candlestick, his beer mug and one of the few miniatures of him still in existence. A Monckton fought for King Charles 1 at Pontefract, and his reward still lies at Serlby—a handsome ring presented by the grateful monarch. In the drawing' room hangs a huge picture of King Charles I and Henrietta Maria, painted by Myteiis shortly after the royal wedding. The family have no record from where this picture came, but it could not have been in their possession before they lived at Serlby, as in their old house there was no room large enough to display it. There is also a fine example of H. P. Briggs’s work in a portrait of the Cmnitcss of Cork, daughter of the first Lord Galway. The Countess was the original person from whom Dickons drew his Pickwickian character of Mrs Loo Hunter, and, in addition to the picture of Serlby which was painted in her later days, there is one in existence painted by Reynolds in the days of her youth. COSTLY COMMISSION Most of the pictures that hang in Serlby Hall have histories, which, probably, is "btit makes them so interestin'*. In one room bangs a painting of the interior of St. Peter's, Rome, painted by Pannini for the second Lord Galway. How much was actually paid for this picture Viscount Gghvay was unable to tell me, but the story has it that when the second Viscount commissioned the (minting he offered to p&y hs mnnj guineas*as would cover the canvas when completed. I doubt if the picture was paid for on this basis, however, for it took over 2000 pieces of gold to cover the canvas.