Lot 277: James Ramsay (English, 1786-1854), "Robert Eden

James Ramsay (English, 1786-1854), "Robert Eden Duncombe Shafto", oil on canvas, signed en verso, 70 in. x 50 in., in a richly decorated mid-Victorian carved, gessoed and giltwood frame.

Provenance: Dixon and Dixon, New Orleans.

Note: The sitter of this imposing portrait, Robert Eden Duncombe Shafto (1776-1848), was a member of a socially and politically prominent English family whose ancestral home was the Estate of Whitworth in County Durham. Following in the footsteps of his illustrious forefathers, Shafto served as a Member of Parliament for many years; his grandfather, great-uncle, and father (the "Bonny Bobby Shafto" of the popular local ballad) were all MP's from Durham at various times in their careers. A savvy, well-liked, and generous politician - who happened to own the local brewery - Shafto was named High Sheriff of Durham in 1842 The Shafto family owned Whitworth township in its entirety until the end of the 19th c., and they maintained ownership of Whitworth Estate until 1981 Reference: Page, Proby, and Ladd. Victorian County History: Volume III. 1936 www.thepeerage.com.