History At Harewood 

by Mariam Latif

The history of Harewood begins with the home of the Lascelles, who certainly lived in Yorkshire since 1315. This is when John De Lascelles lived in the north riding of Hinderskelfe, now called Castle Howard. They brought great wealth and success as members of the gentry.

The family moved to North Allerton, where Francis Lascelles later served in parliament and held military positions , a tradition continued by many of his decendants for over 200 years. lt was his grandson, Gawthorpe, who bought Harewood and it was his great grandson, Edwin Lascelles, who made the decision to build a new house on the roof-top hill.

Edwin Lascelles by Reynolds

In the 17th century, the family purchased plantations in the West Indies. Thus, from the product of the earnings, Henry Lascelles purchased an estate in 1738, where Edwin Lascelles, the 1st Baron of Harewood, built the house between 1759 and 1771. John Carr, an architect, at the time, working in the north of England and previously employed by a number of famous Yorkshire families was commissioned to design their new country houses. The foundations were laid in 1759, with the house being largely complete by 1765.

The Lascelles, a man of great reputation, would spend generously on architects such as Robert Adam, who created his interior design and Thomas Chippendale, who filled it with the finest furniture in the land. Adam created a design of classical elegance that no one could deny. The year 1750 saw assembled the finest craftsmen, such as John Carr, Robert Adam, Thomas Chippendale and Lancelot 'Capability 'Brown. Lancelot, also an architect, employed over 100 people and submitted designs for an English landscape, plans for the parkland this surrounding the lake with plantations.

Lancelot 'Capability' Brown

Robert Adam, a Scottish architect who had studied in Italy for 3 years before establishing himself in London, asked if he could submit his designs for the interiors, which were accepted in 1765. Minor alterations to Carr’s designs were made for the exterior of the building. The house remained largely untouched, until the 1840s, when Sir Charles Barry was employed by Henry Lascelles, 3rd Earl of Harewood. Sir Charles Barry arranged further rooms to each of the house wings, to provide extra bedrooms and create further terraces.

Harewood House, north front, by Thomas Malton c.1788

In 1922, Henry Lascelles, Viscount married Mary, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of George V. The couple moved, in 1929, after the death of Sir Henry’s father. The house has been continuously lived in by Lascelles. Today, the 8th Earl of Harewood, David Lascelles and Countess of Harewood, Diane Lascelles, as well as Patricia, Countess of Harewood, retain homes on the property.

The house and grounds have since been bestowed to an independent, charitable, educational trust, founded and developed by Harewood House for the public benefit.

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There are over 18 rooms on view at Harewood House. These include:

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Harewood House, well known for its connections with French porcelain, was recently open to an exhibition entitled, In Pursuit of the Exquisite: Royal Sèvres from Versailles to Harewood, under the auspices of the French Porcelain Society, with rarely seen porcelain treasures on display. The history of the Harewood Sèvres collection begins in the early nineteenth century. Today, Harewood House features many these pieces but most of the collection was sold in 1965. The royal porcelain factory at Sèvres, founded in 1753, produced the fine collection of china to be seen at Harewood House today.

Also known as white gold, porcelain is a type of creamic obtained from a fine clay called kaolin. Like all ceramics, porcelain is made by firing (heating) clay mixed with other materials. Figurines, tableware, decorative pieces are made with porcelain. Its properties are also applied quite commonly in the plumbing, tiles and electrical insulation trades.

The making pottery has been around since 4,000 BC. It is from there that we know how to create ceramics in ovens heated to certain temperature. The history of porcelain dates back to China, where kaolin was popular during T'hang Dynasty. Today, we know of three main porcelain types: hard paste, soft paste and bone. The term paste refers to the mixture of clay and other materials out of which porcelain is made. In this article we are referring to the hard paste, classified as kaolin.

The room housing the exhibition at Harewood was originally designed by Robert Adam and existed as a library, later serving as a study. It was converted, in 1958, with special cabinets installed for the display of porcelain. It was renamed The China Room and the entire collection is contained within the East and South Cabinets.

In the East Cabinet lies Sèvres Porcelain a Shell Vase in Rose Pompadour, dating from 1757. It is known to have been collected by the Edward, Viscount Lascelles (1764-1814). These are still stylishly displayed today and among the finest china that ever been modelled. The best of these were created before 1789. Harewood is known to hold three pieces, including the magnificent Bleu du Roi Tea Service (dating from 1779), a gift from the city of Paris to Queen Marie Antoinette, displayed with gold foliage on the dark blue border of the tray set. It shows a group of peasants, watching the antics of a monkey and three dogs in human clothing. The actual scenes on the tea set were painted by Pierre Andre Le Guay. The Rose Sèvres, found in 1758, is a shell vase featuring a scene after Boucher 1757-60.

The South Cabinet displays two dinner services. The gold white Crown Derby china belonged to the statesman, George Canning. The sauce boats were designed with French scenes, such as Notre Dame de Paris, a truly outspoken design.

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You will also find plenty of information on museums, gardens, castles and secret tombs from the official guides and website dedicated to Harewood House. There are great maps to help you navigate to your destination. Various children's activities, such badge making take place during the year. If this is your first visit in Yorkshire, this is definitely worth to visit!

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Books and Guides

• Official Website of Harewood House

  • Harewood House, New History by David Lascelles

  • Treasures houses of England: Harewood House by Mary Machuline

• Harewood, Yorkshire Guide

Websites

• Official Website of Harewood House

  • Sèvres Porcelain in the Nineteeth Century - Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

• Sèvres: Making the World's Finest Porcelain since 1740

  • Sèvres Porcelain - Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Maryam Q is a published writer whose work covers a wide range of subjects and topics. Her interest in English heritage stems from her time working as a volunteer under the Learning Department of Harewood House.

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Copyright © Mariam Latif , 2015