Charles Brinsley Marlay facts for kids
Charles Brinsley Marlay (born in 1831, died on June 18, 1912) was an important person from Ireland. He owned a lot of land and was also a big fan of art, collecting many beautiful pieces.
Contents
His Life and Homes
Early Years and Education
Charles Brinsley Marlay went to two famous schools when he was younger. He studied at Eton College and then at Trinity College, Cambridge.
Owning Land and Homes
He owned huge areas of land in Ireland. These included special places like Belvedere House and Gardens and the Jealous Wall. He received these properties from his cousin, Brinsley Butler, in 1847. He also inherited Tyrrellspass Castle from his grandmother.
Charles moved into Belvedere House and made some changes to it. He updated the windows on the upper part of the house. He also added terraced areas outside and planned a beautiful walled garden.
Public Service and Politics
Charles served as a "High Sheriff" several times. This was an important local role, like a top official for a county. He was High Sheriff for Westmeath in 1853 and 1906. He was also High Sheriff for Louth in 1863 and Cavan in 1885.
He also tried to get involved in politics. In 1880, he ran as a candidate for the Conservative Party in an election, but he did not win.
His Amazing Art Collection
Charles loved art and old books very much. He joined a special group called the Burlington Fine Arts Club. This club held an exhibition of old handwritten books in 1908. Charles lent some of his own valuable manuscripts for this show.
He became friends with Sydney Cockerell, who was the director of the Fitzwilliam Museum. In 1908, Cockerell visited Charles to talk about adding to the museum's collection. Charles wanted to give his entire collection to the Fitzwilliam Museum. However, the museum didn't have enough space or staff to handle such a large gift. So, Charles also offered to give them money. He agreed to give £80,000, which was a lot of money back then! He also included the lease for his house in London.
Charles Brinsley Marlay passed away on June 18, 1912. He kept his promise to the museum. He left them many amazing things:
- Eighteen rare books.
- 240 pieces cut from illuminated manuscripts (beautifully decorated old books) from the 12th to 16th centuries.
- All the manuscripts he had lent for the 1908 exhibition.
- 84 paintings, many prints, decorative art pieces, jewelry, glassware, carpets, and Japanese artworks.
Some items he left were not kept by the museum because they were too modern or not of high enough quality. However, the money he gave helped the museum build new parts. It also created the "Marlay Fund," which was the museum's very first fund specifically for buying new art.
Charles didn't give everything to the Fitzwilliam Museum. His personal papers and family manuscripts went to Richard Warwick Bond. These papers are now kept at the University of Nottingham. His homes, Belvedere House and Tyrrellspass Castle, were passed on to Charles Howard-Bury.
Images for kids
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A 16th-century portrait of a lady.
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A 16th-century portrait of Johannes Theodorus Streuffius.
