Special Auction Services
Lot 312
A large English turned and carved painted 18th century wooden doll, with inset dark glass eyes, painted and stitched brows and eye lashes, bright pink cheeks, the arms of stuffed cotton and painted wood with elongated fingers, the white painted legs jointed at thigh and knee with carved calves, with high-piled dark brown stuffed wool wig elaborately arranged in curls falling to the shoulders, wearing original yellow striped silk open robe with train edged with puckered silk net and green silk petticoat trimmed with later cream silk bobbled braid and fine ruched net, the bodice over boned blue corset, striped silk muslin shawl, elaborate sash and cap trimmed with feathers, bows, gauze and fringing, a corsage of artificial flowers, ribbon at neck, a cotton shift, stiffened short petticoat, scalloped cut linen petticoat, knitted cotton stocking and flat heeled leather shoe - 24in. (61cm.) high (missing one lower leg, replaced chip to forehead, rubbed nose and lips, some varnish missing from forehead, missing tips of two fingers and some silk perishing)Family history dictates that this group of dolls and textiles, lots 309 to 315, belonged to Isabella Byne, who was born in 1745 and died in 1797, aged 52. She married Ralph Carr in 1758, aged just 13. From research, it appears that Isabella had five children, including three girls: Isabella Carr, born in 1760, Annabella Carr, born in 1763 and Harriet Carr, born in 1771. Therefore it is most probable that the three dolls, dating from around 1760 and the 1780s, were purchased either for these girls or purchased and kept by Isabella as mementos of the girls. They have always passed down the female line, staying in the same family for the last 250 years: Isabelle Carr, née Byne. Harriet Cheney, née Carr – wife of General Cheney of Langley, Derbyshire and Badger, Shropshire. Frederica Capel-Cure, née Cheney - wife of George Capel-Cure. They have remained in the Capel-Cure family home, Blake Hall at Ongar in Essex, since the late 19th Century. Special Auction Services would like to thank Olivia Bristol and Patricia Frost for their kind assistance in cataloguing this collection.