Provenance

Bequeathed by the artist in 1816 to James White of Exeter (1744–1825), on whose death it passed to Towne’s residuary legatee John Herman Merivale (1779–1844) and his successors. Merivale’s granddaughters Maria Sophia Merivale (1853–1928) and Judith Ann Merivale (1860–1945), both of Oxford, inherited the drawing in May 1915 (perhaps BP229). According to the Barton Place catalogue, in September 1934 Judith Merivale sold BP229 for 10s. to Squire Gallery, and in October 1934 the gallery exhibited a drawing called Werrington Park from the Terrace, Devon. However, Agnew’s (no.4195) records its purchase on 3 August 1945 of “Werrington Park Launceston, from the Terrace” from Judith Merivale for £30 with FT226, FT604, FT612. It seems unlikely that two works of this title existed; perhaps Squire failed to sell the drawing and it returned to Judith Merivale—the item’s subsequent trading history make this all the more likely. On 28 November 1945 it was bought from Agnew’s for £36 15s. by Joseph Hawksley Elliot of Sheffield (died ca. 1978) and sold by his daughter at Christie’s on 1 March 1977, lot 117, for £950. It was offered for sale at Christie’s on 16 November 1982, lot 107, and at Sotheby’s on 30 March 1983, lot 92, but, failing to attract a buyer, was offered again at Sotheby’s, New York, on 11 April 1984, lot 38, where it sold for $1,600, possibly to Colnaghi. It was sold at Christie’s on 8 July 1986, lot 112, and offered for sale at Sotheby’s on 16 July 1992, lot 102, where it once again failed to find a buyer. It was sold by Mellors and Kirk, Nottingham, on 20 September 2012, lot 705, for £2,500 excluding fees (est. £600–1,000).