Carved and turned walnut with a canework back and seat, made in England, ca. 1680

(original catalogue record) Doll's armchair. Carved walnut. Top rail consisting of a crown supported by cherubs. Twisted uprights terminating in human head finials. Snake-head arms. Four turned legs, and carved front stretcher, with two (originally three) twisted stretchers. Cane seat and cane panel in back.

Given by Major Vivian Nickalls on behalf of Clare Style

(RF 1245/45) Associated with the court of King James VII and II at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, and said to have been given to a family of loyal supporters by James II's son James Edward (acknowledged James VII in Scotland but not James III in England and Wales, and subsequently known as 'The Old Pretender').
Extract from Clare Style's letter of 30/03/1956: ...Major Vivian Nickalls, my brother, placed with you, on my behalf, a Stuart doll seated in a chair. You labelled it as "Queen Anne" [this was a term at that time applied erroneously to early wooden dolls of almost any date], and [I] believe it is still so described. I therefore thought the following notes might interest you, culled from old family notes and papers. Those re the doll were testified to by a Miss Margaret Bray, daughter of one Admiral E. Bray (my great-great-Aunt) - I am 78. About 1800 her great friend was a Miss Elizabeth Cunningham, daughter of Captain James Cunningham, R.N. Her mother's family were close adherents of the [Young] Pretender, Charles Stuart, and had accompanied them to St Germains (one being a lady-in-waiting). Thus Miss Cunningham had been given many gifts of great interest, among them being "A large old Doll, which had been in use at Holyrood, and a chair for the said old Doll, an exact pattern of those in use in the Palace." Miss Cunningham left all to Miss Bray when she died..."

W.17-1945