Lot 234
A statuette of Francis Humberston McKenzie,
Auction: 7 December 2005 at 12:00 GMT
Description
with marks for Birmingham 1935, maker Elkington & Co, naturalistically cast wearing early 19th century full Regimental Highland dress uniform of the Seaforth Highlanders, mounted on a waisted square section ebonised plinth
Dimensions
Height 36cm
Footnote
Francis MacKenzie Humberston, or Francis Humberston McKenzie, Baron Seaforth and MacKenzie (1754-1815), was a descendant of the old Scottish earls of Seaforth and twenty-first Caber Feidh (caberfae) hereditary clan chief of the MacKenzies. Despite suffering an attack of scarlet fever at the age of twelve which permanently destroyed his hearing and, for a time, deprived him of speech, Seaforth went on to enjoy a distinguished career as a military leader and politician. He was also a great patron of the arts generously supporting artists such as Thomas Lawrence and Benjamin West. In 1800 he was appointed Governor of Barbados and famously campaigned against the slave trade. However, his later years were darkened by calamities and personal suffering including the death of three of his sons, debts and the sale of his estates. His death in 1815 is believed to have fulfilled a prophecy which foretold that in the days of a deaf and dumb Caber Feidh the ‘gift-land’ of the house should be sold and the male line of Seaforth come to an end.