Joseph Neeld

[4] He seems to have qualified as a barrister of the Inner Temple[5] but it is known that he set out on a career in property management; in 1821 he took a lease on land in Paddington owned by Westminster Abbey.

[6] In 1828, he inherited the substantial sum of £800,000 from his famous great-uncle, Philip Rundell the silversmith, described by James Losh as a "tyrannical miser".

[4] From 1832, Neeld began the reconstruction of Grittleton House in Victorian Gothic revival style, and set about furnishing it with an extensive collection of antiques and paintings.

Leaving no legitimate heirs, he willed his property to his brother John (who in 1859 was created 1st Baronet Neeld, of Grittleton, and was elected MP for Chippenham 1865–1868).

[18] A 1669 self-portrait in oil by Rembrandt remained at Grittleton House for some years, passed through several owners including Adolf Hitler, then in 1947 was bought by the Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands.