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Topic: Sir William Beechey - Norwich 1782-1787 (Read 405 times)
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Graeme Smith
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Posts: 29
Currently living in Latvia
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I am related to Sir William Beechey the famous portrait artist of the 18th/19th centuries.
I have recently discovered that he moved to Norwich in 1782 and lived there until 1787. According to my information he may well have had some children while he was there and wondered whether would know where to begin to find out!
Thanks
Graeme
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Smith, Falgate, Kirby, Whomes, Grimble, Crisp in Norfolk
Hoyes in Lincolnshire
Beechey in Oxfordshire
Barber, Baker, Innes, Miller, Sheerman in London/Middlesex
Estill in North Yorkshire
Fellows in Staffordshire
Wood/Woodstock, Wardhaugh in Co Durham
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kapajoy51
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Posts: 139
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I found this on the web and thought it may interest you.
Biography of Sir William Beechey (1753–1839)
English portrait and landscape painter. He trained to be a lawyer but turned to art and entered the Royal Academy schools in London in 1774. His early works were rather dull and consisted mostly of conversation pieces influenced by his probable teacher, Johan Zoffany, and portraits in the style of Sir Joshua Reynolds. After a five-year stay in Norwich, 1782–87, Beechey returned to London to enjoy a long and successful career marked by royal appointments. In 1793 he became Portrait Painter to Queen Charlotte. The imposing, approximately 4 x 5 metre ‘Review of a Horse Guard with King George III and the Prince of Wales’ (Royal Collections) earned him a knighthood in 1798, the year in which he was also elected a Royal Academician. He exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy from 1776 and at the British Institution from its foundation in 1805. He was praised for developing a technique which contributed to the durability of his paintings but artistically they remained uninspiring. The quality of his art improved by 1800 when his handling became more spontaneous, composition more innovative and palette lighter. He occasionally painted landscapes and mythological subjects. He was appointed portrait painter to William Frederick, 2nd Duke of Gloucester, around 1813 and Principal Painter to William IV after 1830. Beechey is reputed to have helped young artists such as John Constable. His naval-officer sons, Admiral Richard Brydges Beechey (1808–95), and Frederick William Beechey (1796–1856) were both good artists, the former exhibiting marine works. His brother, George Beechey, was also a portrait painter.
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Cairns, Gale, Hawes, Holyoake, Joynes, Major, Moss, Portlock, Turner, Wilkins, Young
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Hackstaple
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Posts: 2583
Family researcher
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You will find this interesting. It is about one of his 18 [!]children 
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/mag/pages/mnuInDepth/Biography.cfm?biog=184
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Southern or Southan [Hereford , Monmouthshire & Glos], Jenkins, Meredith and Morgan [Monmouthshire and Glos.], Murrill, Damary, Damry, Ray, Lawrence [all Middx. & London], Nethway from Kenn or Yatton. Also Riley and Lyons in South Africa. Any census information included in this post is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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Hackstaple
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Posts: 2583
Family researcher
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This web site will show you pictures by William and his two artist sons from the Maritime Collection at Greenwich:
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/mag/pages/mnuExplore/BrowseByArtist.cfm?action=artist&lettera=b
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Southern or Southan [Hereford , Monmouthshire & Glos], Jenkins, Meredith and Morgan [Monmouthshire and Glos.], Murrill, Damary, Damry, Ray, Lawrence [all Middx. & London], Nethway from Kenn or Yatton. Also Riley and Lyons in South Africa. Any census information included in this post is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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Graeme Smith
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Posts: 29
Currently living in Latvia
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Thanks for that information, although I already have seen that during my trawling of the internet.
My real problem is that there seems to be very little mention anywhere of his time in Norwich,other than as a passing comment, during which time he may have married his 1st wife and had some children.
Hopefully someone can shed some light on the subject through parish registers, or local history knowledge.
Graeme
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Smith, Falgate, Kirby, Whomes, Grimble, Crisp in Norfolk
Hoyes in Lincolnshire
Beechey in Oxfordshire
Barber, Baker, Innes, Miller, Sheerman in London/Middlesex
Estill in North Yorkshire
Fellows in Staffordshire
Wood/Woodstock, Wardhaugh in Co Durham
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