Yearly Archives: 2017

Robert Cooper Lee – The Lost Miniature

I owe a debt to Michael Hardy who kindly obtained this much better copy of the image of Robert Cooper Lee from the Christie’s sale catalogue of 27 March 1979.

When I call this a ‘lost’ miniature I am sure the owner knows they have it! and I hope they still know who it is – too often miniatures end up being described simply as ‘portrait of an unknown man’ (or woman).

The miniature sold for £60 in 1979. The sale description was:

ROBERT COOPER LEE, English School, circa 1780, facing left in blue coat, white waistcoat and cravat, powdered hair – oval, 2 5/8in. (66mm) high – gold frame, plaited hair panel within blue glass border (damaged)

Robert (1735-1794), son of Joseph and Frances Lee, married Priscilla, daughter of Dennis Kelly and Favell Bourke.

All of which is correct except that the mother of Priscilla Kelly was not Favell Bourke. If you’d like to know more, it’s all in the book!

I do wish the catalogue had said what colour his eyes were, and what colour the plaited hair was. Was it some of his own hair, or perhaps some of Priscilla’s?

It would be lovely to know who now has the miniature, and whether they have any idea of the family history that goes with it.

Family Trees undergoing revision

Some readers will be aware that I am currently studying for a post graduate Diploma in Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies with the University of Strathclyde. I am hugely enjoying the course, but one of the things I have learned is the inadequacy of the way in which, in the past, I have recorded the sources of the information for the family trees I have posted on this website.

Pending being able to revise them and bring them up to an acceptable standard I have removed the links from here. Meanwhile if anyone has a specific query relating to any of the following families please feel free to get in touch and I will do my best to provide an answer.

Allen
Blankett
Dehany
Halhed
Herring
Kelly
Lee
Long
Rose
Ross
Scott
Serocold
Welch
Winde
Wynter

 

Anne M Powers
29 March 2017