John White Abbott

Inscribed verso: Nutwell.Oct.24th 1796, pen and grey ink and watercolour over traces of pencil
11.2 x 18 cm.; 4 3/8 x 7 1/8 inches

Provenance
Private collection U.K. until 2024

Nutwell Court is in east Devon near Lympstone overlooking the Exe estuary. Owned by Sir Francis Henry Drake, 5th Bt. (1723-1794) the estate was planted with fig trees in 1752, cedars in 1754, and laurels and evergreen oaks in 1755. By 1756 there were grape vines, a raspberry tree, a strawberry tree, a weeping willow, plane trees, cypresses, Newfoundland firs, larch trees, and a cistus. Further planting followed with black poplars, apricot trees, orange trees, Weymouth pines, myrtle and Scotch pines.