Post under construction
Like many of my posts what started out as a brief look at the All Souls Chapel monuments morphed into a much wider investigation into the Sculpture and Architecture at All Souls.
For a very useful overview see -
https://www.asc.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2024-07/AllSoulsCollegeChapelGuide.pdf
Here is not the place to go into the architectural developments at All Souls but there are many and various sources on line
For Talman at All Souls see -
https://georgiangroup.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GGJ_2008_08_FAIR_sec.pdf
A good place to start with the architecture is All Souls an Oxford College and its Buildings by Howard Colvin and JSG Simmons pub. Oxford University Press. 1989.
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The Mural Monument to Radclyffe Howard.
1768.
Suggested here as sculpted in the workshop of Robert Taylor (1714 - 88) at Spring Gardens, Charing Cross.
Former apprentice /assistant to Henry Cheere and later distinguished architect..
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2025/06/sir-robert-taylors-designs-for-church.html
Facing one another across the outer chapel.
The monuments of the Architect George Clarke and Dodington Grevile (a Tory parliamentarian opposed to the extension of religious toleration who helped with funding).
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For some of the designs for funerary monuments by Henry Cheere see -
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2025/06/drawings-of-funeral-monuments-by-henry.html
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George Clarke.
One of the 24 Busts commissioned bny William Blackstone in 1749 and supplied by John Cheere in 1750.
The bust is probably based one of the various portraits by or after Godfrey Kneller.
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2018/04/bust-of-george-clarke-codrington.html
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The Monument to George Clarke by Henry Cheere as reported in the Daily Post, 3 June 1738.
Dr George Clarke (1661 - 1736).
Fellow of All Souls College. M.P. for the University of
Oxford, Architect.
George Clarke (1661-1736), Fellow of All Souls from 1680
until his death, Tory politician - MP for Oxford in 1685, Winchelsea in 1702,
and East Looe in 1705.
see my post - https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2018/04/bust-of-george-clarke-codrington.html
5th but 2nd surviving son of Fulke Greville, 5th Baron
Brooke, and brother of Hon. Algernon, Hon. Francis and Hon. Robert
Greville. He was educated at Rugby School. 1694;
Wadham, Oxf. 1697; All Souls, BA 1699, Fellow 1701, MA 1703; Middle Temple
1697. he died unmarried.
At All Souls Greville’s intellectual abilities, assisted by gifts of venison to the high table, won him a fellowship in 1701. In 1705 he was encouraged to turn his attentions towards Parliament and, in partnership with his eldest brother Francis, defended the family interest at Warwick against a Whig threat.
In a list of the 1705 Parliament he was classed as a ‘True Churchman’, probably on the basis of his brother Francis’ known High Churchmanship and previous vote in favour of the Tack. On 25 Oct. Dodington himself divided against the Court candidate for the Speakership and on 4 Dec. was teller with the Tory Member for Coventry, Sir Christopher Hales, 2nd Bt., against giving immediate consideration to proceedings of the Scottish parliament concerning a union of the two kingdoms.
Subsequently, however, it is difficult to distinguish his recorded activity in the Journals from that of his brother Francis, though it is probably the latter, as the more experienced parliamentarian, who is represented in most Journal references. Dodington was classed as a Tory early in 1708, and before the 1710 general election was recorded as having voted against the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell.
On the
death of Lord Brooke in 1710 Greville inherited his estate and property at Twickenham,
and also succeeded him in the recordership of Warwick.3
Greville was marked as a Tory in the ‘Hanover list’ of the
1710 Parliament and was subsequently listed among the ‘Tory patriots’ who in
1711 opposed the continuance of the war. Additionally, he featured as one of
the ‘worthy patriots’ who in the first session of this Parliament exposed the
mismanagements of the previous ministry. He was also a member of the October
Club. In July 1712 he presented the corporation of Warwick’s address lauding
the peace negotiations; he was introduced to the Queen on this occasion by the
Duke of Beaufort, who had married Greville’s niece. On 18 June 1713 he voted
for the French commerce bill, and was noted as a Tory in the Worsley list and
two other analyses of the House compiled in 1715. The closeness of Greville’s
association with the Beauforts is well illustrated by the Duke’s nomination of
him in 1712 to act as a trustee and guardian over his two young sons in case
Beaufort died before they reached majority. Within two years Greville was
indeed called upon to fulfil these responsibilities, the Duke dying prematurely
from drink in May 1714. Significantly, too, in July Greville was added to the
commission of the peace for Monmouthshire, the heartland of the Beaufort
political empire.
After the 1715 election Greville continued to serve for Warwick as a Tory until he stood down at George II’s accession.
He died at his town house at Bath on 11 Mar. 1738 and was buried in the chapel of All Souls, to which he had been a generous benefactor. He left his considerable estate to his nephew Fulke (Greville), the bulk of it comprising property in Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Wiltshire. He also bequeathed £1,000 to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, to which he had been a subscribing member.
His monumental inscription at All Souls recalled his virtues of character,
intellectual resources and benevolence to the poor, and particularly emphasized
that as a Member of Parliament he never pursued his own private interests but
always those of his constituents, neither bought nor sold votes and was
faithful to his country and the Church.
In 1716 Dodington Grevile paid £262 10s for Thornhil's decorations in the Chapel at All Souls.
In 1733 Dodington Grevile paid for the completion of the gateway gateway on the West front at All Souls built in Hawksmoor's "Monastick Manner" which were not completed until 1734 with the help of Dodington Greviles £750 given on the understanding that he would receive £30 per annum.
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The hairy Paw foot of the Sarcophagus is a signature detail of the larger scale funerary monuments of Henry Cheere. Variations can be seen on several Cheere monuments including.
The Bamber Monument - St Margaret of Antioch Church Barking. Essex.
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2019/04/bust-of-dr-john-bamber-by-roubiliac.html
The Thomas Winnington Monument - Stanford on Teme. Worc.
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2024/11/thomas-winnington-roubiliac-at-stanford.html
and the monument to John Merrick at Norwood.
For more on Cheere and the use of the central urn see -
Arlingham. Glouc.
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-monument-by-henry-cheere-in-st-mary.html
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The Stone? Relief of Dodington Grevile.
This is perhaps the maquette for the marble relief on the West Front Gatehouse illustrated below.
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The Relief of Dodington Grevile on the Domed Tower of the West Front Gatehouse at All Souls.
The Relief is on the East side of the building facing into the Quad - there is a corresponding portrait relief on the west side of the building facing the Radcliffe Camera.
The corresponding relief on the East side is that of Archbishop Chichele (1364 - 1443)
see my post -
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2018/05/bust-of-henry-chichele-archbishop-of.html
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The Portrait Relief of Archbishop Chichele.
On the Gate House West Front of All Souls College, Oxford.
Images below from the Art UK website.
https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/archbishop-henry-chichele-c-13621443-275560
The information on the website is very sparse - no size given
They say 17th Century Stone - but this needs to be confirmed.
Having visited Oxford to view the bust of Lee at Christchurch it seems to me that this very weathered relief is the original marble from the West Front at All Souls which has been replaced with a rather inferior version (see below).
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All Souls College, St Mary’s Church, and the Radcliffe Camera (Design for the 1777 Oxford Almanack)
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Rowlandson
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The Mural Monument of Marow Knightly.
It is inscribed aged 20, died 1731.
Another monument which has all the hallmarks of an early production from the workshop at Westminster of Henry Cheere, but so far I have no evidence for this attribution.
The use of the coloured marble and the carved bracket supports and the shaped apron with putti which Cheere would adapt and develop on later monuments might strengthen this attribution.
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The Mural Monument to Stephen and Elizabeth Niblett.
c.1766.
It is attributed to Nicholas Read (d. 1787) apprentice of Roubiliac (1746).
Biographical Dictionary... Yale 2009 - refs Gunnis but gives no further info.
If not Read I would suggest perhaps William Tyler (d.1801) also an apprentice of Roubiliac.
It is the first and only memorial of a woman in the chapel - the unusual design is both bold and unique the unusual shape of the background - usually an obelisk was repeated albeit in a slightly different form on the monument to Henry Herbert, Lord Pembroke previously standing in the church at Wilton - the background has been removed, and also on the monument to Andrew Fountaine at Narford, Norfolk both by Roubiliac.
To the right of two lamps an academic gown is cast over a pile of books, all superbly sculpted in white marble.
Niblett was elected Warden (head) of All Souls College, Oxford in 1726, a post he held until 1766.
During his time as Warden of All Souls College, he was also Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University from 1735 until 1738.
The Nibletts lived in the warden’s lodgings for forty years and died within fifteen months of each other.
For reference - the Roubiliac Monument to Andrew Fountaine at Narford.
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Elizabeth Niblett. (d. 1765)
Anonymous portrait.
All Souls College, Oxford.
Inscribed on the back Stephen Niblett S.T.P. Coll. Omn. Anim. Custos Witts pinxit 1744.
https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/mrs-elizabeth-niblett-d-1765-221553
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Of Tangential interest.
The Gurnell Monument, St Mary's Church, Perivale.
Another monument from the workshop of Henry Cheere using the central urn.
It uses the typical shaped apron carved brackets and coloured marble veneer, in this case Convent Sienna.
John Gurnell, d.1748, aged 36 and his wife Ann [Harrison] Gurnell, d.1750 aged 38.
Merchant of Throckmorton St, City of London and Anne daughter of John Harrison Lord of the Manor of Greenford Parva or Perivale.
John Gurnell was a member of the Gurnell banking family.
Image courtesy
http://www.speel.me.uk/chlondon/perivalech.htm
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