William Constable (1721-1791)
William Constable was an avid 18th Century collector, gathering a range of objects from works of art to numismatics, and scientific instruments to natural history specimens. In 1966, Hull City Museums were generously donated 201 objects from William Constable's Cabinet of Curiosities. However, the majority of his collections are now on display in the purpose built cabinets at Burton Constable Hall. #SUBHEADING#The Constable Family#SUBHEADINGEND# William Constable was born in 1721 to Cuthbert and Amey (Clifford) Constable of Burton Constable Hall. He inherited a love of science and botany from his father, and became a passionate collector of natural history. Cuthbert Constable married again to Elizabeth Heneage, after the death of his first wife in 1731. She bore him a second son, Marmaduke, who like his half-brother also held a great interest in science and owned a great collection of British birds. #SUBHEADING#Burton Constable Hall#SUBHEADINGEND##IMAGE# Burton Constable, home of the Constable family for over 700 years, is a large Elizabethan mansion set in over 300 acres of historic parkland in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Cuthbert Constable, William's father, inherited the Hall from his maternal uncle William Constable 4th Viscount Dunbar (1653-1718), who had no legitimate children. As a condition of the inheritance Cuthbert was obliged to change his surname from Tunstall to Constable. In 1746, following the death of his father, William inherited the Constable estate. As a patron of architecture he decided to continue his father's remodeling of the Hall as well as modernise the interior design, for which he spared no expense. Although William married, due to ill health he had no children and so upon his death in 1791 the Hall was again passed to a nephew, Edward Sheldon (1750-1803). Today, Burton Constable Hall and its surrounding parkland are a museum owned by the Burton Constable Foundation, a charity whose mission is to safeguard Burton Constable for future generations. Visit www.burtonconstable.com #SUBHEADING#The Constable Cabinet of Curiosities#SUBHEADINGEND# #IMAGE#William Constable showed much interest in the advancement of arts and sciences. He was interested in botany, geology, zoology, physics and science in a wide sense. In 1769 William embarked on a Grand Tour to Italy where he acquired many works of art and curiosities to add to his extensive collections. His spinster sister Winifred accompanied him on his journey and kept a diary of her brother's illnesses throughout their travels. It was thought that he sought the sunshine for health reasons as much as for education. There were more than a dozen individuals who contributed to William's collection including friends, relatives, the famous zoologist and traveler Thomas Pennant (1726-98) and the well-known naturalist, botanist and philosopher, Emanuel Mendes da Costa (1717-1791). During his studies William set out to observe and collect the phenomenon of nature, both for knowledge and amusement, and even attempted to master the systems of classification that were current before Linnaeus. Despite advances in scientific thinking, even as late at 1769 William still believed it would be possible to cross breed chickens with rabbits, as is reveled in his correspondence with the notable biologist and Catholic priest John Turbeville Needham (1713-81). Cabinets of Curiosities emerged in Europe during the 16th century (known as Wunderkammer) and were originally the preserve of monarchs. In this instance the word 'cabinet' refers to a room rather than a piece of furniture, containing collections of natural history, archaeology, numismatics, works of art and antiquities. Exhibits often included specimen believed to relate to mythical beasts thought to exist, such as unicorns and dragons. By the 18th century this had become popular amongst gentlemen and merchants, many of whom, like William, were fellows of the Royal Society. #IMAGE#Today William's Cabinet of Curiosities is displayed in the museum rooms at Burton Constable Hall, along with his collection of scientific instruments. Although curiosity collections were not uncommon during the 18th century, the collection at Burton Constable is of significant importance as it is the only to survive in it's original country-house setting and many of the objects still retain their original 18th century labels. View all of the #LINK=http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/museumcollections/collections/search-results/resultsoverview.php?keywordsorig=&titleorig=&personorig=&placeorig=&dateorig=&materialorig=&accessionnumberorig=&collectionorig=Constable+Collection&museumorig=&keywords=&newsearch=new&title=&person=&place=&date=&material=&accessionnumber=&collection4=Constable+Collection&museumall=all&location=any&SearchSubmit.x=36&SearchSubmit.y=7TEXT=Constable Collection# or use the advanced search.
Our Natural World
Hull Museums own over 20,000 natural history specimens ranging from pressed plants to stuffed animals to fossilised creatures. Read on to discover what weird and wonderful objects are lurking in our natural history collections.
What is a fossil?
Fossils are the preserved remains of once living animals and plants. Hull Museums own a variety of fossils from shells to woolly mammoth bones. Read on to find out about the different types of fossils you can find and how they are formed.
Spineless Creatures (part 1)
If you go swimming in the sea today you will recognise a great variety of invertebrate marine life, from crabs and lobsters to corals and shelled-animals. They have evolved over time from animals you may not be familiar with. Read on to discover more about invertebrate marine life used to exist millions of years ago including ammonites, belemnites and bivalves.
Spineless Creatures (part 2)
If you go swimming in the sea today you will recognise a great variety of invertebrate marine life, from crabs and lobsters to corals and shelled-animals. They have evolved over time from animals you may not be familiar with. Read on to discover more about invertebrate marine life used to exist millions of years ago including brachiopods, crinoids, echinoids and trilobites.
Earth's Natural Palette (part 1)
Discover how minerals have been used to colour our world for thousands of years, how the first colours to be used were painted on the caves of our Palaeolithic ancestors, and how a deadly red became an early lipstick for the Romans.
Earth's Natural Palette (part 2)
Discover how minerals have been used to colour our world for thousands of years, why blue pigments became more expensive than the precious metal gold, how yellow was poisonous and who used green as an ancient eye shadow.
Toothpaste to Toasters, Matches to Make-up (part 1)
Discover the surprising ways we use minerals in our day-to-day lives, often without realising it. From the glitter in your make-up to the whiteness of your teeth, some minerals are useful for all sorts of things. Read on to see how many times you use these minerals every day.
Toothpaste to Toasters, Matches to Make-up (part 2)
Discover the surprising ways we use minerals in our day-to-day lives, often without realising it. See how quartz keeps the time and calcite is useful for a stomach ache. Read on to see how many times you use these minerals every day.
