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Property from the Estate of John Bedford
JOSEPH HUME'S RED LEATHER DESPATCH BOX BY FURNELL & BAGNELL AND A SMALL CLOSE NAILED LEATHER TRUNK BY WILLIAM CHAPPLE & SON, LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Lot Closed
May 20, 12:55 PM GMT
Estimate
1,200 - 1,800 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from the Estate of John Bedford
JOSEPH HUME'S RED LEATHER DESPATCH BOX BY FURNELL & BAGNELL AND A SMALL CLOSE NAILED LEATHER TRUNK BY WILLIAM CHAPPLE & SON, LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY
the makers' label to the interior of the first printed 'Furnell & Bagnell / Trunk Makers to the Honble East Company...[etc.]' the lid tooled 'Joseph Hume' the close nailed example with a label printed 'William Chapple & Son / Trunk, Canteen, Camp-Bedstead and Camp Equipage Manufacturers... [etc.]' together with a Victorian leather cased photograph of a gentleman, said to be Joseph Hume, the lid tooled 'J.H.' (23 by 19.5cm.) and a coloured design of a brougham carriage by Hooper (overall 15 by 28cm.) held in a glazed Hogarth style frame, with a later pencil inscription to the lower margin 'As built by Hooper & Co for the Earl of Sefton [etc.]' (4)
the first: 18cm. high, 36.5cm. wide, 25cm. deep; 7in., 1ft. 2¼in., 9¾in. the close nailed example: 21cm. high, 41.5cm. wide, 26cm, deep; 8¼in., 1ft. 4¼in., 10¼in.
Sold without reserve
Please note: Condition 11 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot.
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The despatch box and photographic portrait, Joseph Hume (1777-1855).
The carriage design, probably William Philip Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton (1835–1897).
Joseph Hume (1777-1855) was born in Montrose, Angus and read medicine at Edinburgh University before moving to India in 1797 with an army commission as surgeon. He learnt several Indian languages and became an emissary and translator for the army and government. It was though his knowledge of chemistry that brought him fame and fortune in India where he developed a technique for drying gunpowder that has become damp.
On his return to Britain he embarked upon a European Grand Tour between 1808 and 1811. In 1812 he published a blank verse translation of Dante's Inferno.
In 1818 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society by virtue of being, according to his nomination citation, "well versed in various branches of Useful knowledge and particularly in Chimistry, in various branches of oriental literature and Antiquities".
From 1812 he became involved in politics and purchased the seat of Weymouth as a Tory, the first of a series of seats he was to hold in both England and Scotland. His political motivation was diverse and included a desire, with others, to help improve the condition of the working classes, establishing schools and forming savings banks.