Lot 1533
ALLAN RAMSAY (1713-1784)
PORTRAIT OF SIR PETER HALKETT, Bt. OF PITFIRRANE, FIFE (c.1660-1746)
Half length, wearing a russet coat and brocaded waistcoat, his hat under his left arm, bears inscription in the upper corners (Sr. Peter Halket/ Wedderburn and of Pitferren and/ Gosford. Bart. Aged 87.), within a painted oval
75 x 62.5cm.
* Sir Peter and his father were family friends of the Ramsays. The WEdderburn family helped the artist's father finance his son's studies in Italy in 1735. There is another version of this portrait in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Sir Peter Halkett (ne Wedderburn), 1st Baronet, was the second son of an eminent Royalist lawyer, Sir Peter Wedderburn of Gosford and of his second wife, Agnes (nee Dickson). He was educated at the University of St. Andrews and, in 1694, he married Janet (d.1713), the heiress to the baronetcy of Pitfirrane. She bore him twelve children. He assumed the name of Halkett when his brother in law died in 1705 and inherited from him the constituency of Dunfermline to be the town's MP from 1705-1707 as well as holding a number of other civic posts. He succeeded to the Halkett baronetcy as his elder brother had died at sea in 1688.
Halkett was an undistinguished parliamentarian, apparently making just one speech. He died on 20th March 1746 and was buried in Dunfermline Abbey. Under the provisions of complicated and disputed entails made in 1706, the estate of Pitfirrane and the name of Halkett passed to the eldest son, whereas Gosford went to the second son, Charles, who retained the Wedderburn name. The baronetcy became extinct upon the death of the 8th baronet in 1904.
