Arthur and Michael Carden (great grand-sons of each of them) arranged to view them in June 2017. They are in excellent condition apart from the frames which can easily be repaired. Both the university and the National Trust view favourably our suggestion that they should be loaned to the NT and put on public view at Basildon Park, owned by James Morrison, related to both sitters by marriage, from 1838 to 1928. But there are many small problems to be overcome before this is achieved.
(Added November 2017). Little progress has been made with the above project so far despite my offer to defray any costs. Southampton University tell me that Sebastian Conway, the House and Collections Manager at Basildon House, said that he would need to discuss the possibility with Oonagh Kennedy, the Curator and that it is possible that the portraits would not fit in with their current hang as it portrays a later period but might fit in with a different display.
(Added September 2020). This item was originally posted in July 2017. At that time the sitters were not named by Southampton University or by ArtUk. It has taken until now to correct this, as will be seen from https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/view_as/grid/search/makers:william-patten-d1843. No progress has been made with the proposal to hang them at Basildon.
