William Torell

Who is William Torell?

William Torell, also spelled Torel, Torrel, Torrell, Toral etc., from a notable family of London goldsmiths, was an English sculptor responsible for the very fine gilded brass funeral effigies of Henry III of England and his son's queen Eleanor of Castile in Westminster Abbey; the idealised recumbent figures are set within a tomb of Cosmati work by immigrant craftsmen. They were the first English metal sculptures on such a scale.

He was found in 1303 to have bought in good faith two ruby rings from the great theft of treasure from Westminster Abbey. His known period of activity is begun by the Westminster monuments and ended by this incident, though clearly he would have been a mature artist at the top of his field to receive the royal commissions.

Speculation in the 19th century that the family might be Italians, presumably called "Torelli", has no supporting evidence; it is more likely to be a version of the Anglo-Danish "Thorold" or "Torald", mostly found in the north of England, though there were landowning Torels, perhaps the same family, in Essex and Somerset; there would be nothing unusual in successful London goldsmiths having country estates at this period.