Fine furniture, artworks, and decorative pieces from the historic Southwick Hall Estate, located near Oundle, will go up for auction on December 3 and 4.
With its origins around 1300, the house remains a rare survivor among England’s great country houses. The Elizabethan reconstruction in the 1570s was undertaken by Thomas Thorpe, the mason who also worked on nearby Kirby Hall and Apethorpe Palace, a favourite royal residence of James I.
Over the centuries, Southwick Hall has passed through just three families: the Knyvetts (1300–1441), Lynnes (1441–1841), and Caprons (1841–present day) — each contributing a fascinating cast of characters. From soldiers and politicians to lawyers and artists, they include a Lord Chancellor under Edward III; a protégé of Lord Cecil Burghley associated with the execution of Mary Queen of Scots at nearby Fotheringhay; Oliver Cromwell’s mother, Elizabeth; the Enlightenment scientist George Lynne VI; and his son George VII, who died in a duel at Apethorpe, bringing an end to the Lynne family’s tenure.
While the Lynnes were keen Grand Tour collectors, the items included in this sale date from the Capron family’s stewardship, acquired from the 1840s onwards. The Caprons were also distinguished travellers and scholars — serving in West Africa and India, journeying through the Alps and Italian Lakes, and collecting widely. Roderick Capron (1908–43), a geographer, antiquary, and art collector, volunteered as a navigator on a Lancaster bomber and was killed in action over Holland. His mother, from the Walker family of Leicester, was a talented musician and diarist. The current incumbent, Christopher Capron, was Head of Current Affairs at the BBC, producing Question Time and Panorama.
The forthcoming sale will present over 60 lots, with estimates ranging from £100 to £30,000. Highlights include lot 408, A George II carved mahogany suite in the manner of William Hallett, comprising a sofa and four chairs; lot 413, A walnut side table with inset marble top, probably Irish mid-18th century; lot 670, A Swedish porphyry tazza bowl, circa 1820s, with inscription to the stand dated 1822; and lot 546, A suite of six French Louis XV period gilt frame armchairs by Jean Baptiste Tilliard. There is also a significant selection of chinoiserie, which was largely assembled in Victorian times by George Capron, a flamboyant lawyer whose clients included the 3rd Marquess of Hertford, creator of what is now The Wallace Collection.
Charles Ashton, Director at Cheffins, said: “Southwick Hall is one of Northamptonshire’s most historic country houses, and it is a privilege for Cheffins to have been entrusted with the sale of this important collection. The items within the Southwick Hall Collection represent centuries of family heritage, taste, and craftsmanship. As opportunities to acquire objects with such rich provenance become increasingly rare, we are thrilled to bring them to the open market, many for the first time in their history.”
7. Southwick Hall
The estimates for items range from around £100 to £30,000 Photo: JEREMY PEMBREY
8. Southwick Hall
This large extending mahogany dining table by John Wilkie, London, circa 1850 has an estimate of £1,500 - £2,500 Photo: JEREMY PEMBREY