Francis Hooper (1694 - 1763). Doctor of
Divinity, Senior Fellow.
A good excuse for posting here is to continue to explore the repetition of the use of the Roubiliac late type socle and its variations and is a convenient opportunity to look at the work of Nicholas Read (1733 - .
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Francis Hooper was Rector of Gallow and Brothercross Hundreds, Thorpland, Norfolk, from 1758 until his death in 1763.
He published several
books including a Latin thesis on the origin of the Jews, and a French edition
of Propertius.
He was the Keeper of the Chatham Library, Manchester. In his will he bequeathed monies for
Trinity's new bridge, built in 1765. He
also left an estate at Barrington to found three annual prizes for English
declamations, and £1000 to rebuild or alter the combination room, and £180 for
plate.
The monument is inscribed -
FRANCISCUS HOOPER S.T.P.
Hujusce Collegii, quod unicè amavit, Socius Senior
Post multos annos in eodem feliciter completos
Hic tandem voluit requiescere,
Donec de Morte ipsâ victor Resurrexerit.
natus Jan. 10. 1694 obiit Maij 18. 1763
Nicholas Read (d. 1787) was an apprentice and assistant to Roubiliac.
The list and limited biography below from
A student and the self-appointed successor to Louis François Roubiliac, Read’s monuments are characterised by drama and excess. He was probably the son of James and Anne Read, born 1 April 1730 and christened at St Martin-in-the-Fields ten days later. He was the eldest of three or more children. Read was first a student at the St Martin’s Lane Academy and around 1746 he was apprenticed by his father to Roubiliac.
A later account in the Gentleman’s Magazine (GM, 1787, vol 57, pt II, 644). claims that Read became a favourite student of the French sculptor after covertly and successfully completing one of his master’s busts. ‘From that moment they continued inseparable friends ever after and all distinction was lost in the affection [Roubiliac] bore him’
George Vertue, who saw a drawing by Read of an ‘academy figure’ in 1750, recorded that it showed ‘great skill & fire & spirit extraordinary’ (Vertue, III, 152).
Read is said to have worked on many of Roubiliac’s major commissions, including the famous skeletal figure of Death on the monument to Mrs Nightingale, and he was left in charge of the business whilst his master was in Rome in 1752.
When Roubiliac died, early in 1762, Read took over the workshop, advertising within a few days that, having been with Roubiliac for the last 16 years ‘and executed great part of his most capital works’ he now meant to succeed him (Anecdotes 1937, 151).
It seems likely that Read
completed some of Roubiliac’s unfinished commissions, particularly the monument
to Francis Hooper, which incorporates a bust by Roubiliac (2), and another to
Lucretia Betenson at Wrotham, Kent . He repeated the Betenson emblem of a
cut rose on the monument to John Kendall.
Here seems a good a place as any to list his known works
The list below from
1. James Poole - Funerary Monument ?1785 - Budworth, Cheshire
2. Atlanta Statue - nd - Earl of Wemyss, Gosford, Lothian
3. Models for unspecified monuments, including one ‘in a
case’ Funerary Monument Sculptor’s workshop, St Martin’s Lane, sold 1787, lots
56, 61-3, 91-2 - untraced.
4. ‘A quantity of
plaster busts, &c’ Bust in Sculptor’s
workshop, St Martin’s Lane, sold 1787, lots 57-8, 98, 100 – untraced.
5. ‘A small [unspecified] monument complete’ Funerary
Monument nd Sculptor’s workshop, St
Martin’s Lane, sold 1787, lot 70 untraced.
6. Unspecified bas-reliefs - Relief - Sculptor’s workshop,
St Martin’s Lane, sold 1787, lots 89, 94, 96 untraced.
7. ‘A statuary shield and four ornaments’ Miscellaneous. Sculptor’s workshop, St
Martin’s Lane, sold 1787, lot 108 untraced
8. A model for an unspecified monument Funerary Monument 1780 Exhib Soc of Artists,
London, 209 - untraced.
9. William Pitt, Earl of Chatham (†1778), model (commission
won by John Bacon RA). Funerary Monument 1779.
Exhib. Free Soc, London, 146 – untraced.
10. John Finch (†1739) and his wife Elizabeth -Funerary
Monument †1767 Thrybergh,
West RidR Yorks.
11. Francis Hooper (bust by L-F Roubiliac). Funerary
Monument. 1763 Chapel, Trinity College,
Cambridge.
12. Rear-Admiral Richard Tyrrell - Funerary Monument †1766 Westminster
Abbey, London, nave, south aisle.
13. Elizabeth (†1765) and Stephen Niblett Funerary Monument †1766 - All Souls College,
Oxford.
14. Lady Anne Morgan (†1764) Funerary Monument – 1767 - Kinnersley,
Herefordshire.
"Near this Place are deposited the Remains of Dame Anne
MORGAN, Wife of Sir John MORGAN Bart. and youngest Daughter of Sir Jacob
JACOBSEN Knt. and Anne his Wife, eldest daughter of Sir Gilbert HEATHCOTE,
Bart.
She departed this Life universally lamented, September the
18th 1764, aged 50. In Respect to whose Memory, her Affectionate &
Afflicted Uncle, Theodore JACOBSEN Esqr. (d. 1772) erected this Monument with the Consent
of her Surviving Husband.
This Excellent Christian was distinguished by the most exemplary Piety towards God, & Love & Duty towards her Parents & Husband. Her good Sense & Sweet Disposition; her Humility & Affability engaged the Affections of her Relations & Friends & the Esteem of all her Acquaintance. To the Poor & Afflicted She Administer'd (with a liberal Hand) Comfort & Support. In Friendship, her Sincerity was perfect. & her Benevolence was universal.
In Short, she was a Shining pattern of Religion &
Virtue, & an inestimable Ornament to human Nature. Few approaching so near
to the Divine Perfection proposed for Our Imitation, by our blessed Lord him
Self
Be Ye therefore perfect, even as Your Father which is in
Heaven is perfect".
Jacobsen was a merchant in Basinghall Street, London. He was the London-born son of Sir Jacob Jacobsen, a north German merchant, of a family closely involved with the Hanseatic League, and their London base, the Steelyard. From 1735 Jacobsen ran the family business there.
Jacobsen designed the Foundling Hospital; the plan was approved in 1742, and was carried out under James Horne as surveyor. Jacobsen became a governor of the hospital.After a falling-out with Jacobsen in 1742, Thomas Coram, the hospital's founder, failed to be re-elected to its General Committee. Henry Keene did further work on the Foundling Hospital site, under Jacobsen's supervision.
Jacobsen became a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Society of Antiquaries of London, and the Society of Arts. He died on 25 May 1772, and was buried in All Hallows Church, Thames Street, London.
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15. Anne Simons - Funerary Monument d. 1769 - Lechlade, Glos.
16. Elizabeth, Duchess of Northumberland (†1776, designed by
Robert Adam) Funerary Monument - 1778-1782
- Westminster Abbey, London, Chapel of St Nicholas.
17. Rev George Legh Funerary
Monument ?1776 Halifax Parish Church, Yorks.
18. Nicholas Magens (†1764)- Funerary Monument – 1766 - Brightlingsea,
Essex.
19. John Kendall (†1750) - Funerary Monument c1765 - West
Horsley, Surrey.
20. Actaeon and his dog. - Statue 1762 - Soc
of A, premium (100 gns) - untraced.
21. Diana, out of water by a rock – Statue - 1764. Soc of Arts,
premium - untraced.
22. Sir Gilbert Heathcote - Funerary Monument - 1768 - Devizes,
Wiltshire.
23. Elizabeth, Duchess of Northumberland (†1776) (designed by Robert Adam), with relief portrait of the deceased - Funerary Monument -1778-1782 - chapel at Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, untraced (lost during rebuilding 1854-1865)
24. Lucretia Betenson (completing Roubiliac’s work) she was the daughter of Martin Folkes - Funerary
Monument 1758 -Wrotham, Kent. My opinion is that although Read might have finished the monument the relief is almost certainly by Roubiliac.
see my post - https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-monument-to-lucrecia-betensen.html
I would very much like to obtain some better photographs.
"Sacred to
the Memory
RICHARD BETENSON Esquire only son of Sir EDWARD
A Full Transcription of
the will of Lucretia Betenson:
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-monument-to-lucrecia-betensen.html
Kerridge monument in Framlingham, Suffolk, signed by Roubiliac and erected by William Folkes, Martin's younger brother. The monument to Folkes' daughter, Lucretia (d. 1758), at St George, Wrotham, Kent, was erected by her husband Richard Betenson has been attributed to Roubiliac but John Physic attributed it to Nicholas Read.