Figure 1.--This beautiful portit of Sir Francis Ottley (1600-49) and his family was painted by Petrus Troueil (active 1633-36). It was painted about a decade before the Civil War. We know nothing about the artist. He painted for only a short period. His name does not sound English, but all his works were English. He clearly is an accomplished artist. It is strange that he was active for such a short priod. And it has remained at the Ottley family home, Pitchford Hall, from the date it was painted (1636) until the contents of the house were dispersed (1992). The painting is of Ottley and hius wife with two of their three known children, Richard and Mary. Ottley married Lucy Edwards, daughter of Thomas Edwards of the College, Shrewsbury (1624)
This beautiful portit of Sir Francis Ottley (1600-49) and his family was painted by Petrus Troueil (active 1633-36). It was painted about a decade before the Civil War. We know nothing about the artist. He painted for only a short period. His name does not sound English, but all his works were English. He clearly is an accomplished artist. It is strange that he was active for such a short priod. And it has remained at the Ottley family home, Pitchford Hall, from the date it was painted (1636) until the contents of the house were dispersed (1992). The painting is of Ottley and hius wife with two of their three known children, Richard and Mary. Ottley married Lucy Edwards, daughter of Thomas Edwards of the College, Shrewsbury (1624). She was the widow of Thomas Pope, another Shrewsbury resident, and was some 8 years older than her husband. We see the lace and decorations and fabrics that the Cavilers were so famous for. Interestingly Mary is wearing a black dress, allbeit with elaborate lacy collar and wrist cuff decoration. Ottley was Governor of Shrewsbury and an important royalist commander during the English Civil War (1642-51). King Charles placed him in chgarge of the Royal Mint established in Shrewsbury during the War. Ottley served as the Royalist High Sheriff of the county and helped negotiate the surrender of Bridgnorth. After being captured and parolled, Ottley spent much of the rest of his life trying to free his estates from sequestration.
