John Riley

By descent to Henrietta Louisa Jeffreys, the sitter's granddaughter, who married Thomas Fermor, 1^st Earl of Pomfret;
By descent to the 2^nd Baron Hesketh, Easton Neston, Northamptonshire;
By whose Heirs and Trustees sold with the contents of Easton Neston, Sotheby's, Session I, 17 May 2005, lot 56.

London, Royal Academy, The Age of Charles II, 1960-1961, no. 365

G. Barker, The History and Antiquities of the Country of Northamptonshire, 1838, Part IV, p. 145, as displayed in the Long Gallery;
H. Avray Tipping, 'Easton Neston, Northamptonshire, The Seat of Sir Thomas Fermor-Hesketh Bt', in Country Life, Vol. XXIV, 14 November 1908, pp. 672-673, reproduced, as displayed in The Long Gallery;
G. W. Keeton, Lord Chancellor Jeffreys and the Stuart Cause, 1965, p. 514, plate 6b.

The canvas has a hard relining, but the paint surface is not too pressed. The paint surface is clean. The background does not have as much build up of paint as the figure, but its not clear whether this is due to wear or how it was originally intended. There is thick paint in the face. Inspection under ultraviolet light shows a milky varnish; a very fine scratch in the sitter's left cheek and three very minor retouchings in his face. There is tiny degree of cosmetic restoration in the left of his fur, and the right of his red cloak, as well as in two places in the upper background. Overall the picture is in good condition with barely any restoration visible under ultraviolet light, and ready for display. This lot is offered in a carved gilt wood frame, with some tiny knocks to the gilding, but otherwise in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The celebrated Judge Jeffreys was the son of John Jeffreys of Acton Park, Wrexham and his wife Margaret Ireland.  He was educated at St Paul's and Westminster, and after a brief stay at Trinity College, Cambridge entered the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar in 1668.  He quickly made his reputation as a master of cross-examination, and built up important links with prominent merchants and city figures.  In 1671 he was elected common serjeant of London, and in 1677 was knighted and made a King's Counsel.  In 1678 he was made a Bencher of the Inner Temple.

Jeffreys had successfully ingratiated himself with the Court by keeping them informed about City politics and in August 1678 entertained the King and the Duchess of Portsmouth at Temple Bulstrode, his estate in Buckinghamshire.  This bore fruit and the King recommended him as candidate for Recorder of London, a post which he held for two years during a turbulent period which saw numerous trials resulting from the so-called Popish Plot.  In 1680 Jeffreys resigned following serious disagreements with leading figures in the City, but the King named him as Chief Justice of the Palatine Courts in Chester where he worked vigorously on behalf of the King and the Duke of York in many trials concerning treason or seditious libel.  In 1681 the King made Jeffreys a baronet.  In 1683 he became Chief Justice of the King's bench and a Privy Councillor, and actively prosecuted those implicated in the Rye House Plot, including Algernon Sidney.  He also began to preside at assizes, and in 1685, after the accession of James II, took part in the notorious assizes on the Western circuit following the defeat of Monmouth.  James II made him a peer in May 1685, and four months later he was appointed Lord Chancellor.  He remained loyal to the King, whilst trying to restrain his more extreme measures mindful of the threat of a Protestant backlash and an invasion from abroad.  Following James II's fall he was committed to the Tower, where he died four months later.  This fine portrait, painted in the mid 1680s, descended to the sitters son John and thence to the only surviving child from John's marriage to Lady Charlotte Herbert in 1688.