Charlecote Park, Warwickshire
This collection has 7,166 items online
Charlecote Park has one of the finest libraries in the care of the National Trust. The nucleus of the collection was formed in the early 17th century by Sir Thomas Lucy III (1585-1640) and his wife Alice (d. 1648), who were both book-lovers. Precious survivals from their time include a finely illuminated late 14th-century Book of Hours. In the 19th century George Hammond Lucy (1789-1845) built a new Elizabethan Revival library and he filled it with suitably Elizabethan books. There is a considerable collection of family portraits; nearly every generation of Lucy since Sir Thomas III's day is included. A group of portrait of Sir Thomas Lucy III and his Family of c.1625 by Cornelius Johnson (1593-1661) takes pride of place over the fireplace in the Great Hall. There are oval portraits by William Larkin (1585-1640) of Sir Thomas Lucy III and his close friend, the diplomat and philosopher Edward, Lord Herbert of Cherbury (1582-1648). Charlecote houses an important collection of furnishings once belonging to William Beckford (1759-1844) from the Fonthill Abbey sale of 1823. George Hammond Lucy (1789-1845) was one of the most enthusiastic buyers at this sale, acquiring fine pieces of furniture, ceramics and metalwork, much of which is still at Charlecote. The most expensive purchase was the arresting 16th-century Italian pietre dure table in the hall, known as The Borghese / Beckford table.
