Derbyshire Artist

[lydiaann]

Is anyone aware of a local artist, Dorothy M Beck (or could be Dorothy E Beck)?  She was my mother's cousin, daughter of Joseph Beck, a chauffeur, and Jane - or Jeannie - Craven.  I have a photo of a catalogue of an exhibition:

"County Borough of Burton upon Trent Museum and Art Gallery.
An Exhibition of Pictures in Oil and Water Colours by Dorothy Beck and Other Artists.
13 February to 22 March, 1941".

The 2 other artists were S Fletcher, who had only one painting in the show, and Ernest Townsend.  It would be interesting to know a little more about her.  Beck is a fairly common name and, although I have her father's details (BMD and censuses inc 1911) and her mother's, I can find nothing on Dorothy other than her birth (in 1913 in Chertsey, Surrey).  Ditto Dorothy's brother, John C. Beck (1911, Chertsey).

Any little titbit would be most interesting to learn!

[CaroleW]

Using the GRO maiden name search shows her as Dorothy Mary

Have you looked for her on the 1939 register?

She may have married but exhibited in her maiden name

[rosie99]

John Charles Beck
Birth 4 June 1911
Death Registration   Nov 1985
Age at Death 74
Reg district Sunderland

Middle name confirmed by GRO index 

[rosie99]

1935 electoral register has Joseph, Jeanie & John Charles Beck at 3 Carlton Mews, SW1 (Westminster)

[CaroleW]

Longshot

Marriages September qtr 1939 
Dorothy M   Beck / William J T  Phillips    Strood    2a   4432   

Deaths

Dorothy Mary Phillips born 18.12.1913 (her birth was registered December qtr 1913)
Date of Registration:   Jan 1997  Lewisham Register Number:   D37A
District and Subdistrict: 2421D  Entry Number:   298

[cath151]

Derby Daily Telegraph 23 Oct 1937
Chellaston Artist
" Roses by Miss Dorothy Beck of Long Meadow, Station Road, Chellaston ,is an outstanding example of a still life study".
Another newspaper piece says she studied art in Surrey and moved to Derbyshire and was a pupil of Mr Robert Townsend.

Cathy

[MaureeninNY]

I think she's listed on the 1939 as Dorothy Wood (Beck) in Repton R.D.
Fooling around with a free search-household has Joseph,Jeannie Beck and a Jane Carven (sic).

Maybe the 1944 marriage in Shardlow Dorothy M Beck and William H Wood?

Maureen

[CaroleW]

Better possibility perhaps??

Dorothy Mary Wood aged 80 born 26 Sep 1913 death reg February 1994  Derby
Reg Number :   E25C
District and Subdistrict :   3941E
Entry Number    165

[lydiaann]

Wow!  You people are marvellous!  How you all managed to sort out this family from the many Becks around amazes me...so many thanks are due to you all.

I am certain that the marriage registered in Shardlow is the correct one...no offence CarolW...as Jeannie's family (mum, dad, Jeannie and 4 sibs) moved from Banchory-Ternan in Scotland to Foremark Hall, where dad became head gamekeeper and where the family was based for many years - there and in other parts of Derbyshire and Leics. 

The newspaper article shows why Dorothy was exhibiting with Ernest Townsend (the same surname as her mentor can be no coincidence, surely): good find Cath!  I shall pop that little snippet into the site (naturally acknowledging your part in it, Cath).

Joseph had been a chauffeur in London when he and Jeannie married; I presume they moved out of London when war broke out; after all, Joe would have been 58 by then so too old for service.  I haven't found him in WWI at all; going by his occupation, I would imagine he would have enlisted in the Army in transport of some sort. 

One of the most interesting things was when I had a look at the 1935 Electoral Register on Ancestry; I checked a few of the years before then:  from 1923 to 1930 incl. he lived at 3 Carlton Mews; in 1931, he lived at No. 2; in 1933, he lived at 4 Carlton House Terrace; and then in 1935 had once again lived in No. 3 Carlton Terrace.  Having looked at it on Google Maps, it is a VERY expensive building these days.  I am assuming, going by the fact that it is a mews, that many of the well-to-do housed their cars and their chauffeurs there.

Thanks to you all for your input.  I shall poke around on and off until I find a few more bits and bobs but I know now a little more about our artist. 

Off now to pack - wee break to Berlin and Dresden tomorrow!