Welbore Ellis Agar facts for kids
Welbore Ellis Agar FRS (1735 – 30 October 1805) was an Anglo-Irish gentleman who worked for the government and was a famous art collector. He lived most of his life in Mayfair, Westminster, a well-known part of London.
Contents
Welbore Ellis Agar: Art Collector and Public Servant
Early Life and Family
Welbore Ellis Agar was born in 1735. He was the middle son of Henry Agar, who lived at Gowran Castle in County Kilkenny, Ireland. His mother was Anne Ellis. Welbore had two brothers: his older brother became James Agar, 1st Viscount Clifden, a nobleman. His younger brother, Charles Agar, became a very important church leader, eventually becoming the Archbishop of Dublin.
Welbore went to Westminster School in London from about 1747 to 1754. This was a good school that prepared him for a successful career.
A Career in Public Service
After finishing school, Welbore Ellis Agar joined HM Revenue and Customs. This government department was in charge of collecting taxes and duties on goods. It was a respected job with good chances for promotion.
He lived in Mayfair, London, for most of his adult life. In 1776, he was promoted to Commissioner of Customs. This meant he was one of the main people in charge of collecting taxes and duties. The next year, in 1777, he became the Muster Master General. This role involved keeping records of soldiers and their pay.
Marriage and Family Life
In 1769, Welbore Ellis Agar married Gertrude Hotham. Her mother was related to the Earl of Chesterfield, a famous nobleman. This marriage brought Agar more land and money in London and Essex. Both he and Gertrude had large investments in the East India Company, which was a very powerful trading company at the time.
Sadly, Gertrude died in 1780. She left all her property and a lot of money to Welbore. He was very sad about her death. Later that year, he invested a large sum of money, showing he was financially secure. In 1781, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group for scientists and thinkers.
Welbore Ellis Agar had two sons, Welbore Felix Agar and Emanuel Felix Agar. They were born in 1779 and 1781. Welbore Ellis Agar died on 30 October 1805 and was buried in London.
A Passion for Art: His Collection
Welbore Ellis Agar was a very keen art collector. He bought many paintings, especially in the 1780s and 1790s. He bought art in England, but also used agents to buy paintings for him in France and Italy. Sometimes, he even traveled to buy art himself.
By the time he died, he owned about 120 paintings by famous old masters. These included artists like Velazquez, Poussin, Lorrain, Rubens, Murillo, and Guido Reni. His collection was known all over Europe.
The Famous Auction That Wasn't
After Agar died, his sons planned a big auction to sell his art collection. It was advertised for May 1806, and many art dealers came to England from other countries. However, the auction never happened! Just before it was supposed to start, Earl Grosvenor bought the entire collection for a huge sum of money, £35,000.
So, all of Agar's paintings became part of the Grosvenor collection. Some of these paintings are still there today. Even though the auction was canceled, details of his collection were known from a French catalog that had been printed and sent out before the planned sale.
One painting from Agar's collection, David Meeting Abigail, which was made in the workshop of Rubens, is now owned by the J. Paul Getty Museum.
His Legacy
In his will, which he wrote in 1804, Welbore Ellis Agar left his property to his two sons, Welbore Felix Agar and Emanuel Felix Agar. He also mentioned his valuable collection of paintings. His sons officially took over his estate in London in November 1805.
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