C.1700 Portrait of Margaret Broun, Lady Colstoun, Ancient UK Manor House Provenance; Circle of Godfrey Kneller, Oil on Canvas Painting

This work formed part of a collection of family pictures and heirlooms of the ancient Broun (Brown) family at Colstoun House, Scotland’s oldest family home. Colstoun was the seat of the family for over 900 years ever since the first stone was laid, shortly after arriving in Britain during the Norman Conquest. The portrait passed through several generations at Colstoun before it was sold, along with other family heirlooms in 1990. Through this portrait, collectors have a chance to acquire a piece of British history and an evocative vestige of a glittering way of life, which has now vanished; the work is a charming example of portraiture from the period.

The sitter was born Margaret Bannatyne, Lady Newhall in 1672. She was the only daughter, and heiress, of James Bannatyne of Newhall (born c.1645). On 10th March 1688 Lady Newhall married Robert Broun, 19th Laird of Colstoun (1667-1703) from the neighbouring estate. The couple had five girls (accounts show that Lady Colstoun took them to be educated in Edinburgh) and two boys. Her husband was the younger son of Sir Patrick Broun, 1st Baronet of Coulston, and by marrying Margaret, an heiress, Laird Robert was able to purchase the ancient Colstoun estates from his brother, Sir George Broun of Colstoun, in 1699 when he was forced to sell them due to gambling debts. This enabled Coulston to be rescued for the family but it meant that the Newhall estates had to be sold.

Lady Colstoun was to suffer again when Robert, aged 36 years old, and their two sons, died when returning from the Scottish parliament on 31st May 1703 when their carriage overturned into a river on the Colstoun estate; Lady Colstoun was in the carriage but miraculously survived. The baronetcy passed from Robert’s older brother, Sir George, to a cousin, but the estates devolved to Margaret and her eldest daughter Jean (1688-1751), who married her cousin Charles Broun of Cleghornie, Laird of Cleghornie (born 1674) in 1705. Christian Broun, heiress to Charles Broun, married The 9th Earl of Dalhousie, who among other appointments was governor of Canada 1819-28. Her son was the 10th Earl and only Marquis, and Governor General of India from 1847-56.

On 18th July 1706 Margaret married the Reverend Matthew Reid, Minister of the Gospel at North Berwick (born 1668) and the couple had three boys and one girl. Reverend Reid died in 1730 and Margaret three years later, presumably at Colstoun, where she was known to have been living.

The most likely date in which the portrait was painted was circa 1699 when the sitter and her husband purchased the Colstoun estate. An inventory of the Colstoun estate at the time shows a marked improvement both in quantity and quality of items at the house, it is clear that money was available and it would have been a fitting time to have a portrait painted. Furthermore the age of the sitter in the portrait, and the style of clothing and hair, correspond with this date.

This ancient Clan Broun (or Brown), had close ties to royalty due to their alleged descent from the royal house of France (the clan chief even bears the three golden lilies of France). In 1073, Walterus Le Brun, a prosperous twelfth century baron, travelled from France to Scotland as the leader of a band of warriors to the aid of King Malcolm of Scotland. From Le Brun came Broun and from Broun came the anglicised version, Brown. Documented as the progenitor of the Brouns of Colstoun, he was witness to an instrument of the Inquisition of the possessions of the Church of Glasgow, made by David I, Prince (Earl) of Cumberland, in 1116, in the reign of his brother, King Alexander I of Scotland.

The painting was inspected first-hand by Professor J Douglas Stewart, Professor in the History of Art, Queen’s University, Canada in the 1980’s – it is included in his book “Sir G...

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