Private Life
He had two chief residences, Burford Priory, still standing, in Oxfordshire and Besselsleigh Manor in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire). In 1637, he bought Burford from Lord Falkland. Additions and modifications to the house were made by William Lenthall. It remained in the Lenthall family for several hundred years.
Lenthall had an extensive collection of paintings. Some of these may have been at Burford when he purchased it. Some were family portraits. He may also have acquired paintings from the royal collection following the execution of Charles I. The collection was sold by Christie's in 1833.
He died at the Besselsleigh on 9 November 1662. In his will, Lenthall asked to be buried without any state and without a monument, 'acknowledging myself to be unworthy of the least outward regard in this world and unworthy of any remembrance that hath been so great a sinner'. The most he would permit was a plain stone carved with the Latin inscription Vermis sum, which means: I am a worm.
Read more about this topic: William Lenthall
Famous quotes containing the words private and/or life:
“To love one person with a private love is poor and miserable: to love all is glorious.”
—Thomas Traherne (1636–1674)
“Now, my co-mates and brothers in exile,
Hath not old custom made this life more sweet
Than that of painted pomp?”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)