Sold for £7600 (hammer)

John Closterman, Osnabrück 1660 - 1711 London, Portrait of Guilford Killigrew, Oil on canvas

Winnington Family History

The Winningtons, a prominent English family, whose family seat was at Stanford Court in Worcestershire, have historic links to the monarchy, the aristocratic Spencer Churchills, and the English Civil War.

The first Sir Francis Winnington to occupy Stanford Court (a house which had belonged to his wife's family - the Salways) was knighted under the reign of Charles II and was appointed Solicitor-General to the King - perhaps as reward for his own father's loyal service as a Colonel in Charles I's army. Later descendents served as local MPs for Droitwich and Bewdley and as High Sheriff of Worcestershire.

In the winter of 1882 Stanford Court was almost completely destroyed by fire (it took local fireman three days to put the fire out in atrocious freezing conditions)but the Winnington's used the tragedy as an opportunity to re-build and improve the house, retaining the 18th century north facade that had survived the blaze but remodelling the rest of the house to modern 19th century tastes. The Winningtons eventually sold Stanford Court in 1949, although Sir Francis Winnington Bart. had already moved to Brockhill Court, Worcestershire in 1944 when he married Anne Dury-Lowe at the end of the War - just a year after he had been released as a POW followng capture by enemy forces at Dunkirk. 

Both Sir Francis and Lady Winnington were passionate collectors of furniture, porcelain, paintings and works of art. Some inherited items originate from the family seat at Stanford Court while others were collected by Sir Francis and Lady Winnington for their 18th century home at Brockhill Court and their London property.

The family has had a long connection to Worcestershire and Warwickshire and some later additions to their collection were bought in these counties so it seems particuarly fitting these objects will be sold at auction in Warwick.