‘Never been seen before’historic portraits return to the home that they left over 130 years ago.
Ordsall Hall is the one of the oldest surviving houses in the UK. From the 1100s up until the 1970s, it has always been lived in. One of its fascinating characteristics is that is has had so many different inhabitants, from medieval Lords of the Manor, to Tudor Knights of the Realm, “dangerous temporizers” of the Catholic faith to protestant priests in training, Victorian mill owners to the pre-Raphaelite artist Frederic Shields.One family that lived at the Hall and who ran its surrounding farm, from 1815 to 1871 were the Markendales. Originally from Skipton, Yorkshire, the Markendales were famed in the Manchester and Salford area for being prominent and prosperous butchers, tanners and skinners.
This story centers around two main characters: Ellis and Mary. On August 3, 1813, Ellis Markendale (1790-1853) married Mary Shiers (1790-1864.) Together, Ellis and Mary raised a family of three sons and six daughters at Ordsall Hall. In the early 21st century, two portraits were discovered in an out-building of a farm in Cumbria, literally rotting away, having not seeing the light of day for decades. Torn canvases, the portrait paintings were covered in bird excrement, black with dirt and surrounded by crumbling, gilded frames. The portraits spoke of a wealth gone by, and a story untold.
The Cumbrian farmer, a direct descendant of the Markendales, contacted the curator at Ordsall Hall as he thought that the portraits may have a connection with the Hall. The farmer then kindly donated the portraits to the Ordsall Hall Trust not long after their fortunate discovery.
When the Markendales first moved into Ordsall Hall, they only lived in part of it. It was not until 1850 that they took on the tenancy of the whole Hall and became the sole residents of the manor house. It is likely that the two portraits were a direct response to the Markendales’ new found status and were commissioned to reflect their prominence in local society at that time. We know that Ellis was painted in 1851 by the artist William Scott. William Scott (1797-1862) was a portrait painter born near Leicester, England. He came from a humble background and painted portraits of those with enough mon
