AN HISTORIC portrait of former Mayor of Chester William Aldersey (1543-1616) has returned to his home city.
It was purchased by the Grosvenor Museum with help from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Art Fund, the Grosvenor Museum Society and the Weiss Gallery.
Painted in oil on an oak panel and dated 1615, the artwork is the earliest surviving portrait of any mayor of Chester.
William Aldersey, merchant and antiquary, was baptised at St Oswald’s, Chester, on 15 December 1543.
The son of Ralph Aldersey and Jane Goodman, he followed his father as a successful merchant ironmonger.
In 1578 he married Mary, daughter of John Brereton of Wattenhall and Eccleston, and they had three children.
He served as mayor of Chester in 1595-6 and 1613-4. The mayoralty and associated civic administration was of considerable strategic importance because Chester was the principal port operating in support of the standing army in Ireland. He died at Chester on October 26, 1616 and was buried in St Oswald’s.
The Grosvenor Museum is open Monday-Saturday 10.30am-5pm and Sunday 1-4pm, admission free.
