SORRY SOLD

The Kingston Corbels Carved In The Reign Of Henry VIII.

Circa 1540

A pair of carved oak beam ends each depicting a bearded Tudor gentleman seated in a pew with his hands on his knees head facing the heavens.

Recently aquired from the sale of selected items from Flaxely Abbey Gloucestershire.

Flaxley Abbey was founded in 1148 by Roger Fitzmiles,2nd Earl of Hereford. It was dissolved during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536-37 and its lands and manor were granted to Sir William Kingston.

Sir William Kingston (c. 1476 – 14 September 1540) was an English courtier, soldier and administrator. He was the Constable of the Tower of London during much of the reign of Henry VIII. He received Anne Boleyn 2 May 1536, when committed a prisoner to the Tower, and with his wife, Mary, took charge of her and reported her conversations to Thomas Cromwell. To him Anne made sardonic jokes. The information he passed on to the King helped seal the fate of the Queen and the five men accused with her. Kingston's dispatches are today held as being one of the most important pieces of proof that Anne was entirely innocent, as were those who died with her.

He was MP for Gloucestershir 1529-1539 ,made controller of the household on 9th March 1539 and Knight of the Garter 24th April 1539

So as Kingston was given Flaxley in 1536 and the carvings are of similar date it is possible that he comissioned them as part of his redevelopment or you could say his stamp on the property and it is also plausible that they could represent the man himself.

Flaxley was substantially rebuilt in the late eighteenth century to the designs of the architect Anthony Keck and Between 1962 and 1963 Flaxley Abbey's interior was restored by Award winning theater and set designer Oliver Messel,so it must have been during one of these restorations that these carvings were removed and stored away.

In natural dry condition these have not been touched in years,showing signs of old beetle damage and splits that a occur in green oak ,one has suffered more than the other regarding weathering and has both legs replaced and the bottom block including feet is the original but has been reattached..

I have just brushed off the dust and cobwebs leaving a good original surface and dry colour.

Of impressive size at

34" high

10" wide.

Please get in touch for more information and images regarding this pair of important carvings with a good solid provenance.