A Meet of Sir John Cope's Hounds at Bramshill, Hampshire

This picture shows Sir John Cope, second from the right, beside his huntsman, Jem Shirley, with Captain Edward Gordon R.N. and Colonel Thomas Peers Williams on foot and Robert Tocock, the Whipper-in, mounted on a bay horse, to the left.

The men are depicted in front of Bramshill House, one of England's most important Jacobean houses, which had been acquired by Sir John's ancestor, Sir John Cope, 6th Bt. (1673-1749), in 1699. Sir John was Master of the country now known as the Garth and South Berks. He had purchased the hounds in 1817 after the death of Reverend Henry Ellis St. John in 1816, who had purchased the Duke of Bridgewater's pack. An avid hunter, Sir John was a solicitor by profession, and upon his inheritance from his brother Sir Denzil Cope, 10th Bt. (1766-1812), he is said to have remarked 'Hang the law; now for foxhunting'.

Bramshill House was originally owned by Edward, 11th Baron Zouche of Harringsworth (1556-1625). In 1638, Bramshill was acquired by Randall MacDonnell, 2nd Earl of Antrim, who sold it two years later to Robert Henley. During the 18th century, the Copes made significant alterations to the steps and front door, leaving much of the rest of the house unchanged. ('Bramshill House', Country Life, 10 October 1985, p. 1015). Bramshill remained in the Cope family until 1935 when it was acquired by Lord Brocket. The Red Cross used the house as its headquarters during World War II and it was sold to the Home Office in 1953.

The present picture was painted for Sir John's friend Colonel Thomas Peers Williams (1795-1875) of Temple House and Craigydou, Anglesey. He was Member of Parliament for Great Marlow from 1832 to 1865 and married Emily, youngest daughter of Anthony Bacon of Elcott, Berkshire, in 1835. The depth of the friendship between Thomas Peers Williams and Sir John Cope is indicated by an old label on the reverse of this picture which records that Sir John was godfather to Thomas Peers Williams' eldest son, Owen Lewis Cope Williams. The two friends clearly shared a passion for hunting and similar artistic tastes. Williams must have seen Havell's 1837 Sir John Cope with his hounds on the steps of Bramshill House, Hampshire at Bramshill and been inspired to commission his own picture from the artist. Two versions of the 1837 painting exist, the smaller of which was sold at Christie's, London, 12 December 2019, lot 27 for £27,500.

Williams's picture entered the celebrated Sporting art collection of the 4th Marquess of Bute in 1934 before being sold at Christie's in 1999.