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The Patriarch, Aged Williams.
When I arrived across the terms “Barnes School” in relationship with artwork, I immediately believed it was referring to an inventive colony or a kind of painting but I was erroneous, albeit the identify derived from the then rural city of Barnes, a district in the London Borough of Richmond on Thames, where by a gifted inventive household experienced their portray studio. The title referred to a nineteenth century household of gifted Victorian landscape painters who pictorially depicted the British countryside. The head of this spouse and children of artists was Edward Williams. In this and the next a few blogs I will be searching at the lifetime and operate of the proficient patriarch and his six sons
Edward Williams was born some time in 1781 as baptismal information show him as currently being baptised on Oct 13th 1781 at St. Mary’s Church in the London borough of Lambeth. Edward was the son of Edward Williams, an engraver and Mary Ward. Mary arrived from a huge inventive family. She was a sister of James Ward the effectively-identified animal painter, and a sister of the similarly properly-acknowledged engraver, William Ward. Mary was also a sister-in-legislation of the talented figure painter George Morland, and a sister-in-regulation of Henry Chalon, another animal painter. The household record recounts that close to 1793 Edward Williams’ mom left his father for a further male, and their son Edward was despatched to stay with his maternal uncle, James Ward the painter. Ward was one particular of the superb artists of the day and was regarded as a single of the fantastic animal painters of his time. It is not recorded as to no matter whether Ward at any time gave his young nephew any creative education but there is no doubt that Edward have to have been motivated by his short association with Ward.
Right after remaining with Ward for a small time period Edward Williams took up an apprenticeship with a carver and gilder named Thomas Hillier, who was not in any of the trade guilds but even so had a shop on Silver Street, Golden Sq., London. It was probable that Edward commenced his profession carving and gilding picture frames, but it is also known that to assist himself fiscally he painted and sold miniatures.
Edward married Ann Hildebrant, who was the daughter of Frederick and Sarah Hildebrant, on February 12th, 1806 at St. Pancras Church in London. Ann was 20-five and Edward was a yr youthful. Although Edward Williams’ profession was as a carver and gilder he was amongst family members who have been all nicely-known painters and engravers, and as a result, as time passed, Edward re-invented himself as a painter.
His first delving into the planet of artwork was when he started out to copy nicely recognised landscape paintings of the Dutch Baroque period of the 1600’s, these as people by Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael and Meindert Hobbema.
Adhering to this stage in his creative occupation, he concentrated on copying operates by modern day landscape painters, this sort of as his uncle, George Morland. Edward took the choice to turn out to be a landscape painter which was a risky decision as landscape artwork was, at the time, regarded to be an inferior style.
Edward Williams grew to become recognized for his moonlight scenes. Edward Williams usually shared art exhibition venues with his sons, causing some confusion with the public who had problems telling 1 Williams portray from a different. He is typically called “Old Williams” to distinguish him from his oldest son, and he is referred to in some of the artwork journals of the time as “Moonight Williams”, as moonlit scenes of the Thames were one of his favourite subjects in his paintings
As he obtained more mature, for river scenes along the Thames.
Edward and his wife Ann Hildebrandt had married in February 1806 and went on to have 8 small children. The initially-born was Edward Charles Williams who was born on July 10th 1807 and because he experienced been presented the very same identify as his father, Edward Williams, his father grew to become recognized in his afterwards a long time as “Old Williams” to distinguish himself from his eldest son . Two a lot more sons adopted, Henry John Boddington Williams in Oct 1811, George Augustus Williams in May well 1814. Then adopted the Williams’ only daughter, Emily Anne Williams who was born in June 1816. Arthur Gilbert Frederick Williams arrived in December 1819 adopted by Sidney Richard Percy Williams in March 1822. Equivalent twin boys Alfred Walter Williams and Charles Williams ended up the ultimate additions to the Williams family in July 1824. Unfortunately, Charles Williams died shortly right after beginning.
Edward and his spouse Ann lived in numerous residences, in what is now termed the West End of London, in Percy Avenue, Foley Street, and Charlotte Road. In 1827 the relatives moved to Cromer Road in the St Pancras location wherever they stayed for nearly twenty many years. By 1846 with the continuous sale of the father and sons’ paintings, the family’s finances experienced improved. Incorporate to that actuality the spouse and children experienced grown, they required a larger sized home and so moved to 32 Castelnau Villas, Barnes. Edward Williams used his remaining several years there with his spouse Ann. She died, aged 71, and was buried on September 24th, 1851 at the Barnes Parish Church. Old Williams was overcome with the grief from the demise of his spouse and he died just four years afterwards at the age of 74 on June 24th, 1855 at his Castelnau Villa property. He together with his wife now relaxation in the Old Barnes Cemetery. Sadly, the cemetery has been turned into a mother nature sanctuary by the city council and the graveyard has fallen into disrepair and is overgrown with bushes and vines.
……………..to be continued.
Most of the information and facts I have identified for these blogs about the Barnes College came from the fantastic site of Mike Clark, entitled Genealogy of the Percy, Williams and Ward family members. If you would like to browse an in-depth account of the Williams household, this is a must-examine.
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