Page 7 - Spring 2019

wearing black cloak over black doublet and white lawn collar with lace tassels, light brown receding hair
Set into silver frame with scroll at top and silver back. Inscribed on the backing card Walter Bockland of/ Standlynch/ married 1639 Helen Hacon: the/ book "Holy Court"? was her's./ In 1647 he was presented at the/ court of the hundred, as a Papist recusant.
Walter was the son of Walter Bockland of Standlynch by Beatrice, daughter of Charles Walcot of Walcot. He married Helen, the daughter of Hubert Hacon of Norwich.
In the "Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine" xxvi. 356 he is described as being a Royalist Captain, circa 1643-5. He was Justice of the Peace for Wiltshire, July 1660-70; Commissioner for assessment September 1660-9 and corporations 1662-3.
He was an inactive Member of the Cavalier Parliament, serving on only ten committees, none being of political importance. With good grounds for discontent with the Clarendon administration, he was probably a country Cavalier.
Des Granges was initially influenced as a miniature painter by John Hoskins and Peter Oliver. Contemporaries attest that he worked also as an engraver, and in oils; he is thought to have been involved in the copying of miniatures, a form of production that became important with the outbreak of the English Civil War and the demand for tokens of loyalty. Des Granges was with Charles II in Scotland in the early 1650's.
After the English Restoration of 1660, Des Granges was influenced by the court painter Jacob Huysmans, and possibly also Samuel Cooper. He was considered a leading artist of his time.
Year
1657.
Medium
gouache on vellum,
Country
Wiltshire United Kingdom
Signed / Inscribed / Dated
Signed with initials DDG
Condition
Good
2