31 x 40 1/2 x 20 3/4 in.

Note: Alexander Murray of Broughton was Whig MP for Kirkcudbrightshire from 1838-1845. His important collection at Cally was dispersed by auction in January 1846 and included a bust of Napoleon by Bertel Thorvaldsen commissioned by Murray from the sculptor when in Rome in 1829. The great collector, Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton, purchased the bust from the house sale and it was later included in the Hamilton Palace sale of 1882 where it was illustrated in the catalog and sold for 640.10 GBP.

Gatehouse owes its development to the entrepreneur James Murray of Broughton, whose great house, Cally, now a hotel, was completed in 1765. From 1760-1850 it grew into a thriving center for the cotton industry. Gatehouse was known as "The Glasgow of the South". Port Macadam, once the town's harbor, lies on the stretch of the fleet that was canalized by order of Alexander Murray in 1824, and used to receive up to 150 ships a year.

This table is made in a similar way to steel fenders and was probably made by a metal-maker rather than a cabinetmaker, harnessing Gatehouse's industrial expertise. 

Minor scuffing and slight staining to the top. Wear to the gilding throughout with slight oxidation. Minor losses to the frieze. Some legs with a slight wobble. Well worth restoring.

Notwithstanding this report or any discussion concerning condition of a lot, all lots are offered and sold "as is" in accordance with our conditions of sale.