195

Pair of George III Armorial Satinwood Demi-lune Side Tables

late 18th century, each demi-lune top banded and with a central patera and elaborate scrolling vine and ribbon patterns, above a conforming frieze, raised on banded, tapering square legs ending in raised cuff feet, one frieze inlaid with the arms of the Earl of Shannon flanked by the monogram "RB", the other with the arms of Ponsonby flanked by the monogram "CP" for Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Shannon (1728-1807) and his wife Catharine Ponsonby (1746-1827).
h. 34", w. 53-1/2", d. 19-1/2"

Provenance: Jas A. Gundry Antiques, Houston, Texas; Private collection, Houston, Texas.

Notes: Henry Boyle (1682-1764) had served as speaker of the Irish House of Commons for twenty-three years when he and England's incumbent viceroy in Ireland, the Duke of Dorset, reached an impasse over whether excess Irish revenue were to be under the control of Ireland or England. The Duke tried to remove Boyle as speaker, but Boyle refused to accept dismissal. The matter was not resolved for two years until the appointment in 1756 of a new viceroy and Boyle's agreement, in return for elevation to the peerage, to step down as speaker, in which role he was replaced by John Ponsonby (1713-1787). Any animosity between Boyle, now the Earl of Shannon, and his successor Ponsonby was settled by December 15th 1763, when the Earl's son Richard married Ponsonby's daughter Catharine.

Almost exactly one year later, Robert inherited the Earldom - and the family estates - upon the death of his father. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Richard was a Privy Councilor when he became the second Earl and would later serve as Muster-Master-General of the Irish military, and joint Vice-Treasurer of Ireland. He was a supporter of English rule and was rewarded for his loyalty with a Barony in the English peerage in 1786. He fell from favor during the Regency Crisis of 1788, when King George III's mental illness made him unable to officially open parliament, bringing the government to a standstill. The Earl challenged Prime Minister Pitt's attempts to establish a Regency, but he did not remain in exile for long, returning as a Privy Councilor and appointed First Lord of the Irish Treasury in 1793. His support of English rule would culminate in his support for the Act of Union in 1800, which created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Richard and his wife Catharine had two children, Catherine (1768-1815), later Countess of Bannon, and Henry (1771-1842), who would succeed his father as the 3rd Earl of Shannon in 1807. The letters of Richard Boyle to his son Henry were published in 1982 as Lord Shannon's Letters to his Son.

late 18th century, each demi-lune top banded and with a central patera and elaborate scrolling vine and ribbon patterns, above a conforming frieze, raised on banded, tapering square legs ending in raised cuff feet, one frieze inlaid with the arms of the Earl of Shannon flanked by the monogram "RB", the other with the arms of Ponsonby flanked by the monogram "CP" for Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Shannon (1728-1807) and his wife Catharine Ponsonby (1746-1827).
h. 34", w. 53-1/2", d. 19-1/2"

  • Provenance: Jas A. Gundry Antiques, Houston, Texas; Private collection, Houston, Texas.
  • Notes: Henry Boyle (1682-1764) had served as speaker of the Irish House of Commons for twenty-three years when he and England's incumbent viceroy in Ireland, the Duke of Dorset, reached an impasse over whether excess Irish revenue were to be under the control of Ireland or England. The Duke tried to remove Boyle as speaker, but Boyle refused to accept dismissal. The matter was not resolved for two years until the appointment in 1756 of a new viceroy and Boyle's agreement, in return for elevation to the peerage, to step down as speaker, in which role he was replaced by John Ponsonby (1713-1787). Any animosity between Boyle, now the Earl of Shannon, and his successor Ponsonby was settled by December 15th 1763, when the Earl's son Richard married Ponsonby's daughter Catharine.

    Almost exactly one year later, Robert inherited the Earldom - and the family estates - upon the death of his father. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Richard was a Privy Councilor when he became the second Earl and would later serve as Muster-Master-General of the Irish military, and joint Vice-Treasurer of Ireland. He was a supporter of English rule and was rewarded for his loyalty with a Barony in the English peerage in 1786. He fell from favor during the Regency Crisis of 1788, when King George III's mental illness made him unable to officially open parliament, bringing the government to a standstill. The Earl challenged Prime Minister Pitt's attempts to establish a Regency, but he did not remain in exile for long, returning as a Privy Councilor and appointed First Lord of the Irish Treasury in 1793. His support of English rule would culminate in his support for the Act of Union in 1800, which created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

    Richard and his wife Catharine had two children, Catherine (1768-1815), later Countess of Bannon, and Henry (1771-1842), who would succeed his father as the 3rd Earl of Shannon in 1807. The letters of Richard Boyle to his son Henry were published in 1982 as Lord Shannon's Letters to his Son.
  • Condition: **Both tables are in good, sturdy, professionally restored condition. Both have old professional scattered veneer repairs and pieced-in patches to their tops. The color and grain of the wood matches well. Also some scattered filler. One of the tables has a small veneer loss to the lower banding of the apron just above the front left leg. Similar veneer repairs and patches to the aprons on both tables. Both exhibit rich color and finish to their surfaces.

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