The Lea Castle Table. An Elizabeth I oak six-leg refectory table, the massive one-piece top on jo

The Lea Castle Table. An Elizabeth I oak six-leg refectory table, the massive one-piece top on joined frame with chamfered legs and short stretchers, one of the side rails and two of the legs stamped at the top with the initials 'ML', 80cm h; 363 x 77cm; depth of the top 6cm Provenance: Acquired by Joshua Procter Browne-Westhead, MP, JP (1807-1877) with Lea Castle (demolished 1943) and its estate at Wolverley, Worcestershire from John Browne; thence by descent to the vendor. John Browne acquired the estate in 1823 from John Knight (1765-1850), the third generation of the celebrated family of West Midlands Ironmasters resident at Wolverley and related by marriage to the descendants of William Sebright of Wolverley, Town Clerk of London in 1574. The table may well be estate-made for as late as 1848 the estate was described as "… a noble mansion surrounded by 550 acres of land enriched with plantations of oak…" Lea Castle was reconstructed by Edward Knight in 1762 and further embellished by John Browne or Joshua Procter Browne-Westhead in the fashionable Norman style (possibly by the Worcestershire architect Richard Varden) promoted by Edward Knight's cousin once removed Richard Payne Knight (1750-1824) of Downton Castle, Herefordshire. A dendrochronological survey of the table prepared by the Nottingham Tree Ring Dating Laboratory dates the discernible rings to pre-1570. On this premise, it is likely that it was constructed between the mid 1580s and 90s and certainly pre-dates 1600. The timber used is proved to have been growing in 1403. Analysis available on request. An important 16th century portrait of Queen Elizabeth 1 on panel, dendrochronologically dated 1595 was sold at Sotheby's on 22 November 2007 (lot 6) which had also been long associated with Lea Castle. ++Lacking the long stretcher rails and the legs slightly reduced in height. On the top a 4 inch (approx) diagonal cut from one end and a c5.5 x 7 inch old rectangular let-in 'plug' which does not penetrate through to the underside. Of fine colour and patina.