Historic English Oak Tester Bed from Podenhale Manor, 17th C and Later

Description

Podenhale Manor is part of the prestigious Wentworth Estate in Virginia Water, Surrey, England, which can trace its roots to before the Norman Conquest of 1066 and was used as a hunting lodge by a number of English kings, including Henry VIII. The house that became known as “Podenhale” was in fact a series of farm buildings converted into a large house in the 1930s for Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair (1864-1958), Governor of New South Wales from 1924 to 1930, and his South African wife Enid. During World War II, Podenhale was requisitioned by the War Office as the GHQ of Home Defense, later as the Rear HQ of the Army Group planning for the invasion of Europe, where it hosted frequent visits by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is said that Eisenhower slept in this bed while in residence.

When the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia bought Podenhale in 1977, the manor’s contents were shipped to an exhibition at SAKS in Houston, Texas, where it was visited by His Royal Highness, Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III), before being sold at auction by Phillips Auction House in New York in 1978. The bed was featured on the cover of the auction catalog and an original copy is included with the bed. After its sale, the bed was used in a mansion overlooking the Hudson River in New York until the owner’s death, after which it spent several decades in storage until we revived and reassembled it.

The bed dates from the early 17th C, with later alterations, and is made from hand-carved English Oak. Beds of this type and quality were commonly commissioned for the marriage of two wealthy or noble families. Painted on the headboard is the motto “Stemmata q(ui)d Faciunt”. This is a quotation from the Roman poet Juvenal’s Satires, meaning roughly: “What good are pedigrees?” The central crest carved and painted on the headboard features on the left what is believed to be the Arms of the Meyrick or Merrick family of Pembrokeshire in Wales, represented by two porcupines. This is confirmed by Letters Patent of 1583 (see photo). This would represent the male line of the marriage. The arms on the right side would be those of the wife’s family, but have not yet been identified due to its common representation of an eagle. Further research into marriage records of the Merrick Family might possibly lead to the identity of this family.

The bed has been enlarged over the years and it will now handle a king-sized mattress and sheets. Overall dimensions are 91” long by 79” wide by 80” tall.

Price on Request