A Rare and Historically Interesting George IV Period Snuff Box Made from Oak Timber Removed from Windsor Castle in 1825 by James Parker of Eton

This fine box is one of a small number of souvenir pieces of this kind made from timbers salvaged during the refurbishment of Windsor Castle in the 1820s. What makes this piece particularly interesting is the verse on a printed label under the inset glass in the lid which states

Provenance

Removed from Windsor Castle in 1825 as part of George IV’s renovation of the building and taken by James Parker, ‘turner to His Majesty’ by whom made in to the present piece that same year.

‘In me behold an emblem of mortality. After a reign in my native Woods of nearly 200 Years, I was cut down to become the main prop of the PALACE of KINGS, but like them Time’s withering hand came upon me, for after a faithful service of upwards of 500 Years in WINDSOR CASTLE I also was removed in the reign of George IV. to make room for the more young & powerful of my kind. You hold now in your hands part of my remains, in the shape of a BOX, to contain a luxury not known when I was young, & such was the mutilated fate of nearly all my OLD COMPANIONS. 1825. Manufactured by J. Parker, Turner to his Majesty. Eton, near Windsor Bridge’.

James Parker is recorded in the royal accounts, now held in The National Archives at Kew, between 1836 and 1840. According to BIFMO, he ‘supplied paterae, knobs, chair rails, table feet and legs for furniture for use in the Royal Household’ in June of 1836. The discovery of this box shows that Parker, listed on the BIFMO database only as flourishing between the aforementioned years, was clearly active in the 1820s as well. With Parker’s links to the refurbishment project at Windsor, and the close proximity of his premises to the Castle, it is easy to see how he would have been able to gain preferential access to the reclaimed timber and produce fine works of art like the present example.

The refurbishment of Windsor Castle was one of the consuming passions of George IV after his accession to the throne. In fact the project, started c.1823, was not completed until 1840, long after his death, and was estimated to have cost in excess of £1 million, a figure that was truly staggering at the time. This fine box is a small reminder of the work that took place and the enduring quality of the finest of English timbers.