Entrance Hall, Firle

Category

Library Item

Item no

17081

Title

Entrance Hall, Firle

Description

The entrance hall at Firle Place in Lewes, Sussex is heavily decorated with hunting and military memorabilia. The plaster fireplace has several classical busts on it and the walls are lined with animal heads, horns, paintings and weapons. A large metal candelabra hangs over a table that is draped with a cloth and covered with candlesticks. Various chairs are placed around the room and animal skins lie on the floors and furniture.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1870

Size

9 x 14 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

This image comes from a set of family photograph albums known as the Moray Albums. They belonged to a family known as the Stirling Home-Drummond Moray's, an aristocratic, well-connected Scottish landowning family. Originally the name was Drummond, but became hyphenated in 1741 when Agatha Drummond of Blair Drummond married Henry Home of Kames. Their grandson, Henry Home-Drummond married Christian Moray, eldest daughter of Colonel Charles Moray of Abercairny and his wife, Anne Stirling. The Stirling name was added due to the inclusion of Anne Stirling's lands.

The albums contain many pictures of the extended family and other aristocratic connections as well as images of the stately homes at Blair Drummond and Abercairny. The family travelled frequently too through Great Britain and to the continent for holidays in Switzerland. Portraits include Charles Stirling Home-Drummond Moray who became 9th Laird of Blair Drummond, 19th of Abercairny and 11th of Ardoch in 1876 and his wife Lady Ann Georgina Douglas. Their son, William Augustus married the Hon. Gwendolen Edwarde, daughter of the 4th Baron Kensington and there are photographs of the Kensingtons in the second album.

The family used many residences of their extended family as well as their own, which are represented in the albums. The original house at Abercairny; Abercairny Abbey was started in 1805 and demolished in 1960. The present Abercairney House was started in 1842 and is still in use by the family. Their hunting lodge, Connachan Lodge is still in existence and is sometimes rented out. Firle Place, Lewes, Sussex which also appears in the albums is still owned by the Gages.

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Related subjects

Architecture > Architectural features > Fireplaces

Furnishings > Ornamentation > Chandeliers

Furnishings > Ornamentation > Paintings

Homes > Residential buildings > Mansions

Places > United Kingdom > Sussex

Sport and leisure > Activities > Hunting

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