Lot 11: Bernard Lens (British, 1682-1740) A pair of portraits of the Whitmore family: William Whitmore (1682-1725), wearing blue coat with white embroidery and silver buttons, heavy gold brocade waistcoat, fringed white cravat and long lightly powdered

A pair of portraits of the Whitmore family: William Whitmore (1682-1725), wearing blue coat with white embroidery and silver buttons, heavy gold brocade waistcoat, fringed white cravat and long lightly powdered natural wig; Elizabeth Pope, Mrs William Whitmore (1681-1735) and Charles (1716-1770), she, wearing grey-blue dress over white underslip, a jewelled brooch and pendant pearl at her corsage, her brown hair curling over her right shoulder and red cloak across her lap, she holds her son, who wears white lace bonnet and loose white dress.
He signed on the obverse with monogram and dated BL/ 1718 and signed and inscribed on the reverse William Whitmore Esqυr/ of Apley in Shrop-Shire/ Bernard Lens Fecit/ 1718; she signed on the obverse with monogram BL and signed and inscribed on the reverse Elizabeth daughυr/ of Roger Pope and wife/ of Willυm Whitmore of Apley/ Esq. with Charles their son/ Ann. Dom. 1718/ ætat. 35./ by B. Lens, turned and stained ivory frames.
Oval, 78mm (3 1/16in) high (2)
Provenance: Lady Whitmore; Christie's, 2 November 1971, lots 115 and 116
Purchased in 1972
Exhibited: Childhood, Sotheby's, 1988, nos.111 and 112
Portrait Miniatures from the Merchiston Collection, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 23 September – 11 December 2005, nos. 12 and 13
Literature: Childhood, Exhibition Catalogue, 1988, p.73, ill.p.72
Stephen Lloyd, Exhibition Catalogue, 2005, pp.28-31 and p.58, ill.col.pls.7 and 8

The sale at Christie's on 2 November 1971 contained no less than fifteen miniatures of the Whitmore family. With commissions from the Whitmore family spanning the years 1718-1731, as well as the present two portraits, Lens painted individual portraits of the Whitmore children; John (1720-1791), aged two; Henry (1723-1796), aged one; Roger (1719-before 1740), painted twice, aged one month (now in the Institut Néerlandais, Paris), and aged three; Elizabeth (1710-1735) (this portrait also lent to the Exhibition 'Childhood'); Thomas (1711-1773) (this portrait sold Christie's, 2 June 2009, lot 225; Ann (b.1713), on her fifth birthday; William (1714-1771), aged four; George (1717-1775), aged one; Anna Maria (1725-before 1743) (this portrait sold Christie's, 10 July 1991, lot 195); Richard (1715-before 1736), aged three (this portrait now in the Victoria & Albert Museum, P.13-1971); Charles (1718-1770), (the baby seen in the present lot) aged one; and Katherine (1722-1800), aged two (this portrait now in the Victoria & Albert Museum, P.14-1971).

William Whitmore succeeded to the Apley Estates on the death of Sir William Whitmore, the second and last baronet, in 1699. He was on the roll of Freemen 1705 and Whig MP for Bridgnorth 1705-10 and 1713-25. William married in 1707 Elizabeth daughter of Roger Pope of Wolstanton, another very wealthy family. As well as the children painted by Lens. they had another son, William, born in 1709 who died in infancy. All 13 children were baptised at Astley Abbotts Parish Church, near Bridgnorth and close to Apley Park. William and Elizabeth were painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller in 1715 (sold Phillips, 13 December 1982, lot 116; and then as separate lots, Christie's New York, 30 September 2005, lots 55 and 56).

His son, Charles Whitmore was on the Roll of Freemen 1741. He married Mary Kelly (d. 1799) of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and had three sons and four daughters.