Oil painting, Edward Denny, first earl of Norwich (1569-1637), British School, manner of 17th century, possibly 18th century

Half-length portrait of a young man in a black doublet and a muslin or linen collar and earring. His hair is light brown and brushed back and a curl over his left ear is visible; he has a slight brown moustache and tuft on his chin.

Given by Sir Edward Denny, Bt

This painting was gifted to the museum by Sir Edward Denny, Bart., in 1882, along with four other portraits of the Denny family (Nominal File MA/1/D907). The original cataloguing described the five portraits as:

1510-1882 - Sir Edward Denny, Knight Banneret (d. 1599), uncle of Edward Denny, Earl of Norwich.

1511-1882 - Margaret Edgcumbe, Wife of Sir Edward Denny, Kt. Bann.

1512-1882 - Edward Denny, Earl of Norwich (about 1565-1630).

1513-1882 - Hill Denny, Son of Peter Denny of Spaldwick.

53-1889 - Joan Champernoune, daughter of Sir Philip Champernoune, of Modbury, Devon, and widow of Sir Anthony Denny, who died in 1549.

The correct descriptions are:

1510-1882: Sir Edward Denny (1547-1600), uncle of Edward Denny, first earl of Norwich (1569-1637).

1511-1882: Lady Margaret Denny, born Margaret Edgcumbe, wife of Sir Edward Denny.

1512-1882: Edward Denny, first earl of Norwich (1569-1637).

1513-1882: Hill Denny, son of Peter Denny of Spaldwick; the Reverend Hill Denny was a great grandson of Sir Edward Denny (1547-1600).

53-1889: Joan Champernon, daughter of Sir Philip Champernon of Modbury, Devon, and wife of Sir Anthony Denny (d.1549).

In addition to the above portraits, Sir Edward Denny also gave to the museum the following textiles and documents which were originally catalogued as follows:

“TEXTILES
Pair of Gloves: English, early 17th century. (1506 & A-1882.)
Silver-gilt and silver thread with sequins, seed pearls, purl & silk in satin stitch and couched work on satin. Trimmed with silver-gilt and silver bobbin lace. Said to have belonged to Henry VIII, but crowned roses and thistles refer more to the period of James I (1603-25)

Pair of Gloves: Early 17th century. (1508 & A-1882)
Silver-gilt and silver thread in plaited braid stitch with bands of braid applied to satin. Trimmed with silver-gilt & silver fringe. Said to have been given by James I to Denny who, as Sheriff of Hertfordshire, received the King during his journey from Scotland.

Pair of Mittens: English, late 16th century (1507 & A-1882)
Silver-gilt and silver thread with silk in long and short and satin stitches, and couched work, on velvet and satin. Said to have been presented by Queen Elizabeth I to Margaret Edgcumbe, wife of Denny.

Military Scarf: English (?) Second quarter of 17th century. (1509-1882)
Silver-gilt & silver thread with silk in long and short stitch couched work on silk. Said to have been worn by Charles I at Edghill and given by him after the battle to Mr. Adam Hill of Spaldwick who saved the King’s life.”

“DOCUMENTS
1. An account of the gloves, mittens & scarf, given to Sir Anthony Denny and his family, by different Kings and Queens of Great Britain. London, 1792. Printed on vellum with manuscript notes added.
2. Certaine epistles addressed to the Lord Denny of Waltham and the members of his family by Joseph Hall, D.D. Bishop of Norwich. Manuscript on vellum.
3. The will of Anthony Denny, of Chesthunt, in the countie of Hartford, knight, temp. Edw. VI. Manuscript on parchment.
4. A copy, in manuscript, of this will, made in 1745, bound, with a portrait of Sir Anthony Denny inserted.
5. A volume containing manuscript and printed notes relating to the Royal Gifts, and to the Denny family, with original letters.”


In 2014 an email from Nicholas Smith (Archivist, V&A Archive) to Thomas Denny (representative of the Denny Family Trust) describes Document 1. in more detail as follows:

“Original manuscript of “An account of the gloves, mittens, and scarf, given to Sir A. Denny and his family’, relating to objects presented to the Denny family by various sovereigns, probably written ca. 1710 by H. Denny, with annotations by Sir E. Denny, bart., 1 leaf, parchment. With camera lucida drawing by John Varley of monument to Sir Edward Denny, Waltham Abbey, 1821; and with press-cuttings from the Kerry Magazine, [after 1850], and notes by Sir Edward Denny, bart., who presented the Denny manuscripts and relics to the South Kensington Museum in 1883. Bound with: Diary kept by Sir Edward (d. 1646), Sir Arthur (d. 1673) and Sir Thomas (d. 1761) Denny, mainly concerned with family matters. Pressmark: 86.FF.53”

There are further papers concerning the Denny Family Trust on the Departmental files for the 5 paintings. This includes an annotated family tree tracing the versions of these portraits.

This portrait shows Edward Denny, first earl of Norwich (1569-1637), and the grandson of Sir Anthony Denny (1501-1549), a courtier at the court of Henry VIII. Sir Anthony had five sons, including the sitter’s father, Henry, and his uncle, Sir Edward Denny (1547-1600) [see museum number 1510-1882]. It is inscribed “Edward Denny / Earl of Norwich”. Edward Denny was educated at Cambridge and became a groom of Elizabeth I’s privy chamber. In 1602/3 he was high sheriff of Hertfordshire, and in 1603 welcomed the new Stuart monarch, James I, to Royston, Hertfordshire on his journey from Scotland. The king was so impressed with Denny’s manner, that he presented him with the gloves from his own hands, indicating the possibility of future favour. A pair of gloves bequeathed to the V&A in 1882 were said to be this pair of gloves [museum numbers 1508 & A-1882]. But it was under Charles I that Denny was created first earl of Norwich, on 17 October 1626 [see ‘Edward Denny’ under ‘Denny, Sir Anthony’, Narasingha P. Sil, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004). Edward Denny died on 24 October 1637, and was buried at Waltham Abbey.

This is one of five oil portraits of sitters from the 16th and 17th centuries that came to the museum from the Denny family in the late 19th century, all of which seem to be later copies. This is typical of the practice of making copies for successive generations of a family, as different branches of a family wished to own and display portraits of their forebears. When the painting was acquired in 1882 it was described as ‘17th century’. However, a later note by Michael Kauffmann on the Departmental file comments, ‘Manner of 17th Cent.’ A member of the Denny family, The Rev. Sir Henry L.L. Denny, wrote to the museum in 1938 explaining that he had recently acquired a portrait ‘rather similar to the one you have, but larger and finer, probably by Geeraerts of Edward Denny, Earl of Norwich’ (see Departmental file for 1512-1882). This painting was probably by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (c.1561/2-1636), a Flemish artist working at the English court in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It is still with the Denny Family Trust and is an elegant three-quarter length portrait, showing the sitter in a silk black jacket with elaborately embroidered sleeve/cuff (Photograph on the Departmental file for 1512-1882). The V&A version is a bust length of this painting, and does not show the sleeve. The V&A version is a copy, possibly done in the 18th century.

This inscribed portrait shows Edward Denny, first earl of Norwich (1569-1637), and the grandson of Sir Anthony Denny (1501-1549), a courtier at the court of Henry VIII. Edward Denny became a groom of Elizabeth I’s privy chamber. As high sheriff of Hertfordshire in 1602/3, he found favour with the new Stuart monarch, James I, who presented him with the gloves from his own hands and, under Charles I, was created first earl of Norwich in 1626. This portrait is a bust-length version, possibly done in the 18th century, of a three-quarter length portrait of Edward Denny by Marcus Geeraerts the Younger. It is one of five oil portraits of sitters from the 16th and 17th centuries that came to the museum from the Denny family in the late 19th century, all of which seem to be later copies. This is typical of the practice of making copies for successive generations of a family, as different branches of a family wished to own and display portraits of their forebears.

1512-1882