Update - The Milton Fitzwilliam bust of Alexander Pope by Roubiliac

The Milton / Fitzwilliam bust of Alexander Pope by Roubiliac once belonging to William Murray, Lord Mansfield at Kenwood House, Hampstead update.

Since my previous post on the subject of the Milton / Fitzwilliam bust of Pope on the 15th January 2014 there has been an essay published in the Sculpture Journal 22.2 by Malcolm Baker entitled "Busts and Friendship: the identity and context of William Murray's version of Roubiliac's bust of Alexander Pope" (always one for a snappy title).

It adds very little to my original researches (provided to Malcolm Baker in 2002) except to give details of the fourth codicil of the will dated 30 April 1793, proved 20 September 1796, of David, the 2nd Earl Mansfield. The bequest reads "To Earl Fitzwilliam who continued to me the friendship he showed to Lord Mansfield I leave the bust of Pope at Kenwood".

I had already pointed out to him in 2002 the similarities in the motto around the bases of both the bust of Pope by Roubiliac and the bust of Lord Mansfield by Nollekins.

The form of the Roubiliac bust is unmistakeably depicted on the doorcase above William Murray, Lord Mansfied in his portrait by John Singleton Copley of 1783, now in the National Portrait Gallery.

Harris Neate (1706 - 1742).

Harris Neate (1706 – 1742). The father of the Two Children in the Portrait of the Neate Children Accompanied by their Tutor by Joshua Reynolds in the Metropolitan Museum, New York

The information of births, marriages and deaths of the Neate family came from the Quaker Records at the Friends Library, Euston Rd, London.

The first records of the Neate family suggest that they originate in the 17^th century in the North Wiltshire Area and were early Quakers. There were Quaker Meeting Houses at Calne, Devizes and Chippenham.

1672. - Birth of Thomas Neate, son of John and Ann Neate of Calne, Wiltshire the father of Harris Neate.

1704. - Thomas Neate described as Merchant of Bristol, previously a soap maker of Chippenham bought land at Chippenham, Langley Burrell, Potterne and Hardenhuish in Wiltshire, Documents at Trowbridge records Office showing a close association of Thomas Neate – Merchant of Bristol and Thomas Harris, Apothecary of Chippenham (info in Rich.Colviles note book), Thomas either the father or brother of Nathaniel Harris, father of Love Harris / Neate, mother of Harris Neate.

Nathaniel Harris was party to a lease in 1706 of Gods Place, on the High Street in Chippenham, from the Church in 1713. This is probably the date of his death. Thomas Harris rents Gods Place until 1735. Love Harris (mother of Harris Neate) lived at Gods Place until 1757. Harris Neate had an “estate” at Gastard, Nr Corsham, Wilts.

1705. Marriage of Thomas Neate I of the City of Bristol, merchant to Love Harris, daughter of Nathaniel Harris of Chippenham, Wiltshire at Chippenham,

1706. Marriage of Anthony Neate, (d. 1735 of fever), Haberdasher of Georges Yard, Lombard Street, London (son of Thomas Neate of Chippenham) married Hannah Marsh (d.1723) of Bermondsey. (Anthony is the brother of Thomas Neate I). They have a son also Anthony (b1717).

1706. Birth of Harris Neate, the first husband of Martha Vandewall, ne Barrow at Castle Green, Bristol. In 1716 the family are described of James Square, Bristol. This suggests that the family are very prosperous. Castle Green was built in the grounds of Bristol Castle, which was destroyed in the Civil War in the late 17^th Century.

1729. April 1, Sale of messuage and land called Knowles in parish of Hardenhuish. (Just north of Chippenham, Wilts)
Parties - (1) Thomas Neate and Love his wife of Bristol, Charles Harford, Walter Hawkesworth, James Davis,
(2) Nathaniel Harris of Bristol.
See at Wiltshire and Swindon Archives : Note 212B/3356. 

1734. - 6 Jan – Harris Neate, described as of the Island of Jamaica married Martha Barrow daughter of Jonathan Barrow of the county of Monmouth.

Martha had a brother Francis Barrow who was died at Charleston in America on12 July 1750, leaving his estate to Samuel Vandewall, see South Carolina Wills. p 47

The following notes relate to Thomas Neate of Jamaica and William Neate. I have not yet established the relationship of these two Neates to Harris Neate.

This Thomas Neate is perhaps the father or brother of Harris Neate

There is a reference to a brother in the will of – is this William Neate??

There are also two other companies in London bearing the Neate name – Neate and Pigou,(Kents Directory 1763, St Marys Hill, London) and Neate and Neave.

1744. The ship the Dragon was part owned by Nehemiah Champion of Bristol, she was supplied with guns and shot from Coalbrookedale in June and August of 1744: see The Goldeney Family, Stembridge. 1998.

1737. Saturday, April 30; Issue 660. Read's Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer (London, England), Reports the Death of Thomas Neate –

“by letter from Jamaica, we are informed of the death of Mr Thomas Neate, a merchant who had resided there about eight years. He died in very good circumstances and beloved by all who were acquainted with him”

1737. Thursday, July 28; Daily Post, London, England, Issue 5578, reports – Gravesend, July 26. The Dragon, Neate from Jamaica.

1738. Monday, June 5, Daily Post, London, England; Issue 5845 reports –under Port News – Deal, June 2 arriv’d the Dragon, Neate from Jamaica

1738 – 40 Anthony Neate of Jamaica, ref. RGO/ Sp Tw Liber 23 from Index of Early Wills of Jamaica

1738, Monday, June 5, London Daily Post and General Advertiser (London, England), Issue 1123 – reported -The Dragon, Captain Neate from Jamaica which ship spoke with the St Quinten, Cathcart from the Bay of Honduras in lat 49, 30m, which ship had lost her main mast, foretop mast, boats, guns and anchors, was very leaky and most of the crew sick or dead. On Saturday in the afternoon the above ship (whose holding is wholly log wood arrived in the downs.

1739, March 20; London Daily Post and General Advertiser London, England, Tuesday, Issue 1370 – reports – The Dragon, Neate, from Philadelphia is arrived at Jamaica in 21 days

1739, Monday, July 2, Daily Post, London, England; Issue 6181- reports Deal, June 30, Dragon, Neate from Jamaica.

1739, Saturday, September 29, Country Journal or The Craftsman, London, Issue 690 –reports The Dragon, Capt William Neate, bound to Philadelphia and Jamaica is sail’d, having a letter of marque.

Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette reports arrival of Capt. William Neate, 5 Dec, at Phila. from London with European News

1740, Friday, May 30, London Daily Post and General Advertiser, London, England, Issue 1747 – reports The Dragon, Neate from Philadelphia is arrived at Jamaica.

1740; Friday, August 8, Daily Post, London, England, Issue 6527 reports under port news - Deal, August 6, arrived the Dragon, Neate from Jamaica.

Undated Ref in Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette to the Dursley Galley –William Neate, Commander will sail from Phila. As a privateer to Jamaica (9 July)

1742; Saturday, January 9, London Evening Post (London, England), Issue 2211. – reports – Extract of a letter from Captain Neate of the Dursley, Galley, to his owners in London dated Oct 17 –describes an engagement between the Dursley Gally and two Spanish privateer sloops off Jamaica - one of which was sunk.

From the American Mercury, Thurs July 23, 1741.

For Jamaica; The Ship Dursly Gally,  WILLIAM NEATE, Commander

Burthen about 400 Tons, mounts 22 Cannon, six Pounders, and 8Swivel Guns, with small Arms and all other Matterials fitting for a Ship of War, & is to carry 50 Men. This is is therefore to give Notice to all Gentlemen Sailors that are willing to enter on board said Ship they shall have monthly Wages as they shall agree with said Commander, and on half of all Prizes or Booty that shall be taken during the Voyage divided between Captain, Officers, and Men, in such manner as Privateers generally divide, the other half to go to the Owners, and in Case any Man in Battle loose a Limb he shall be intituled to 50 l Sterling out of the first Booty or Prize that shall be taken, if an Eye 30 l. Sterling, if a joint 10 l. Sterling, and further if any Man get wounded or maim'd in defence of said Ship and no Captor be made, the Owners of the said Ship do oblige themselves to allow to every such Man 5 l Sterling.
 N.B. As the Ship is principally engaged to carry Kings Provisions the Company need be under no Apprehensions of being Pressed

                           ---------------------------------------------------------------

A couple of notes on other Neate Companies,

Neate and Pigou

From - http://www.danbyrnes.com.au/merchants/merchants9.htm

In April 1761 Frederick Pigou Jnr became partner of William Neate. Pigou Snr was in manufacturing and selling gunpowder, a partner with Miles Peter Andrews, at 28 Budge Row. Pigou Jnr went from Neate in 1768 and tried to take over Neate's correspondents. Booth had been briefly in New York, in 1759 with a store. By 1773, Pigou Jnr's father was a director of the East India Co, and wanted tea consigned. The owners of the Nancy to carry tea to New York were William Kelly and Co and perhaps John Blackburn qv in Kellock. After the revolution began, Pigou returned to England, but in 1777 as British troops occupied he returned to New York, but back in England by 1779 or 1780. The partnership had been ended. Booth tried to set up alone but by 1782 was bankrupt. Booth once wrote a book on a complete system of book-keeping. Pigou and Booth in 1790 claimed £6056 from New York and Pennsylvania.
(On Frederick Pigou, see Olson, Making the Empire Work, citations p. 244, Note 59.)

From - The London Mercantile Lobby and the Coming of the American Revolution - Alison G. Olson

The Journal of American History, Vol. 69, No. 1 (Jun., 1982), 21-41

Before the 1760s Quakers had held back from cooperating with non-Quaker merchants. The

most powerful had lobbied with ministers and the Board of Trade on their own; lesser ones had

channeled their influence through the London Meeting for Sufferings, but their names were con-

spicuously absent from mercantile petitions. In the 1760s Quakers like William Neate, David

Barclay, Daniel Mildred, and, before his early death, Hanbury had begun cooperating with the

larger merchant community. Quaker influence is also suggested by John Fothergill's statement

that three or four Quaker merchants got the merchants mobilized on the Stamp Act opposition,

though Fothergill was clearly writing for Quaker consumption. John Fothergill to James Pember-

ton, April 8, 1766, in Chain of Friendship: Selected Letters of Dr. John Fothergill of London, 1735-

1780, ed. Betsy C. Corner and Christopher Booth. (Cambridge, Mass., 1971), 257-61

From Franklin's Autobiographical Writings

On the 24^th I received the following note from a considerable merchant in the city - "Mr. William Neate presents his most respectful compliments to Dr Franklin, and as a report prevailed yesterday evening that all the disputes between Great Britain and the American colonies were, through his application and influence with Lord North, amicably settled conformable to the wish and desire of the late Congress, W. N. desires the favor of Dr. Franklin to inform him by a line, per the bearer, whether there is any credit to be given to the report”.

"St. Mary Hill, 24th December, 1774."

1740 - 11 April, Thomas Neate II was born at Laurence Pountney Hill, City to Harris Neate and Martha Neate ne Barrow.

1740 - Harris Neat & Co, Merchants of Laurence Pountney Hill noted in Kent’s Directory of London.

1741 – Birth of Martha Neate.

1742 - 6 September – Harris Neate of the parish of St Lawrence Jewry, died of a fever and is buried at Friends Burial Ground, Long Lane. London.

1743 - Saturday, June 18, Daily Advertiser, London, England, Issue 3874.

A black negro women about nineteen years old with two letters on her breast and her shoulder made her escape from the ship Hannah, Capt Fowler, for Jamaica the 6th inst. Goes by the name of Sabinah is supposed to be deluded away by some other black about Whitechapel, Rag Fair or Rotherhith, whoever brings her to the late Mr Neates, on Lawrence Pountney Hill, shall have three guineas reward, or if put on board the ship again any time between this and next Tuesday, ten shillings more.

The above advertisement was repeated in the Daily Advertiser (London, England), Wednesday, September 14, 1743; Issue 3949 without the last sentence.

1740’s – Both Harris Neate’s and Samuel Vandewall’s portraits were painted perhaps by George Knapton, (1698 – 1778).

Provenance - Anne Bulley & Mark Garthwaite through Patricia Allen (their mother) who inherited from grandfather, Charles Eden Neate (son of Walter Neate) now with Susanna Harris Hughs. Info from Susannah Harris Hughes a direct descendant of Thomas Neate.

Martha Neate was also painted by Knapton at around the same time. The portrait sold by Christies King St, London Lot 28, 25 November 2003 and sold by a member of the family. Described by Christies - Portrait of Mrs Neate, of Donnington, Hampshire, half-length, in an embroidered silver shawl trimmed with fur, seated by a table with a spaniel her lap, in an interior, beside a pole screen.

The will of Harris Neate of 2 December 1740 states:

“Firstly I give and bequeath unto my dearly beloved wife Martha Neate one thousand pounds and all my household goods linen plate jewels rings watches and all furniture of what kind so ever……..”

He leaves his sisters Love Neate and Anne Grant £200 each. He also wishes that his wife is not pursued for any of his brother’s debts. (William Neate??)

The Will of Harris Neate 1740 (in full)

In the name of God Amen

I HARRIS NEATE of London ~ Merchant ~ being in perfect health and of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding do make this my last Will and Testament in manner following

Firstly I give and bequeath unto my dearly beloved wife MARTHA NEATE one thousand pounds and all my household goods linen plate jewels rings watches and all furniture of what kind so ever I also give unto my mother LOVE NEATE one hundred pounds and do hereby release and discharge my said mother from the payment of and every sum or sums of money as may be due and owing from her to me at the time of my decease and and I also give and bequeath to my sister LOVE NEATE and my sister ANN GRANT the sum of two hundred pounds each which said last mentioned legacies of one hundred pounds and two hundred pounds I will shall be paid by my Executrix herein after named within twelve months after my

decease I also give to JULINES BARFFORD of Lincolns Inn Fields ~ Esquire ~ and JOSHUA FFLEETHAM of Cornhill London ~ Woollen Draper ~ Twenty guineas each I give unto my servant JOHN GORDON ten guineas if he shall be living with me at my death and from and after payment and satisfaction of the above mentioned legacy's and of all such Debts as I shall owe at my death and of the Charges attending the Probate and execution of this my Will I do hereby Will direct and appoint the rest and residue of my personal estate to be paid by my Executrix hereinafter named within two years next after my decease unto the said JULINES BARFFORD and JOSHUA FFLEETHAM upon Trust that they the said Juline BARFFORD and Joshua FFLEETHAM //

[2 pages] // Security as my said Executrix shall approve to her not to molest sue or implead her for or on account of all or any of the Estate or Effects of my said late Brother which were in partnership between us or on any other account whatsoever // And I do hereby make constitute and appoint my said dear wife MARTHA NEATE sole executrix of this my Last Will and Testament in witness whereof I the said HARRIS NEATE to the my last Will and Testament contained in two sheets of paper have sett my hand and seal to each sheet thereof this second day of June in the thirteenth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of

the ffaith and so forth and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and fforty

HARRIS NEATE Signed sealed published and declared by the said Testator Harris NEATE as and for his Last will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence and at his request have subscribed our names as Witnesses hereunto Thom's GRIFFITHS Edward WHITE Jno MIDDLEBROOKE of CLIFFORDS jur.

This Will was proved at London the second day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty two Before the Worshipful Robert CHAPMAN Doctor of laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipful John BETTESWORTH Doctor of Laws and master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully instituted by the solemn and sincere declaration or affirmation of MARTHA NEATE ~Widow the Relict of the Deceased and sole Executrix named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased having first made the Declaration or Affirmation aforesaid according to Act of Parliament Duly to Administer.