Relhan Collection : 128 Childerley Hall. Room where King Charles I slept

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

1820Charles I stayed at Childerley while being brought by Parliamentary forces from Holmby House (Northants) to the army near Newmarket. Here he was welcomed by many from Cambridge, both Town and Gown and, it is said, first met Oliver Cromwell. The painted decoration had probably been painted for the 4th Sir John Cutts c. 1610 as part of his major rebuilding works, and his arms and those of his wife, Margaret Brockett, appear on Relhan’s drawing and survive today. The room has a cambered ceiling divided into 36 panels by intersecting moulded beams, and 3 walls are lined with old wainscot and painted. The ceiling was painted in c. 1850, as part of General Calvert’s restoration, when the rest was also repainted and Calvert’s arms were added. Paintings on the walls include dogs and monkeys with foliage, flowers and fruit; the borders are festooned with fruit and the frieze has continuous strapwork, birds, beasts and foliage. The original work is likely to be by Matthew Gooderick (c.1610). The lower painting, with heavy curving foliage, is thought to have been added in the later C17. There are many problems here for, although a general outline shown by Relhan survives, the only recognisable elements in his drawing are the coats of arms, semi-naked figures holding 2 spears each, hawks and perhaps some of the flowers. The second more luxuriant painting would therefore have been undertaken under the 6th Sir John Cutts, who came of age in 1655, was created a baronet in1661 and died 1670, having bankrupted the estate, perhaps by making it suitable for a baronet and indulging in redecorating this Painted Room. Relhan may well have been drawing from memory (he was never able to draw inside any other occupied house) and therefore omitted much detail, including all below the frieze, being only really interested in the heraldry, which is still recognisably as he drew it though differing in details. The same applies to the elaborate C18 white marble fireplace surround with classical decoration, which Relhan shows as a plain surround. Or was General Calvert more creative than we thought and employed an expert painter 200 years later? Palmer 1932; Historic England Listing; RCHME 1968; VCH 1989; Watkin1981