This is the second in what will become a series of posting relating to my research into various Devon photographers.
Charles Keeping (c1842-) appears to have first worked as a photographer in Torquay, and moved to Exeter in the late 1860s, where he was in business until at least 1919.
Charles KEEPING was born c. 1842 at Lymington in Hampshire. He married his first wife, Elizabeth Ann HANKINS, in about 1861-1862; they had two daughters and two sons before Elizabeth died in 1877. Charles remarried in 1882 to Ellen Jane ATTWATER, and they had another three children. Using census records and FreeBMD, I have built up the following provisional family:
Charles KEEPING (b. c.1843 Lymington HAM) m1:
Elizabeth Anne HANKINS (b. c.1840 Crediton DEV d. 1877 Exeter DEV) m2: 1882 Barnstaple
Ellen Jane ATTWATER (b. c1859 Southampton DEV)
|- Lavinia "Minnie" KEEPING b. c.1862 Torquay DEV
|- Alice Kate KEEPING b. c.1867 Torquay DEV
|- Alfred KEEPING b. c.1872 Exeter DEV
|- Frederick KEEPING b. c.1874 Exeter DEV
|- Mabel A. KEEPING b. c.1887 Exeter DEV
|- Frank KEEPING b. c.1891 Exeter DEV
|- Edward W. KEEPING b. c.1897 Exeter DEV
Can anyone add to the material shown here, please? In particular, I'm looking for:-
- An 1861 Census entry for Charles KEEPING
- A record of Charles KEEPING's baptism, and the names of his parents. There was another Charles KEEPING born c.1838 at Boldre near Lymington, son of George & Lucy KEEPING, but it appears this was nopt the photographer, as another researcher has him married to a Charlotte. This "other" Charles Keeping was living at Lambeth in 1861.
- A record of Charles KEEPING's marriage to his first wife, Elizabeth Anne
I am not related to the above family, but would be interested to hear from any researchers who do have a connection, please, particularly if they are able to shed any light on Charles Keeping's life and career as a photographer.
Charles Keeping first worked as a photographer in Exeter in the late 1860s, setting up a studio at 1, Exe Bridge after moving there from Torquay in about 1868. He appears to have had additional premises at the Esplanade in Sidmouth (c.1869-1872), Waterloo Road, Weston-super-Mare in Somerset (c.1871-1874) and 12 Holloway Street, Exeter (1889). By April 1881, the business must have been thriving, because the census of that year shows his daughter Minnie Keeping, sister-in-law Mary Hankins and an employee Blanc Treble, all working as photographic assistants in the shop. In the mid-1880s, the shop was known as the "Exonia Studio".
Between 1891 and 1893, the main shop appears to have moved to 1 Clinton terrace in Littleham, near Exmouth, but by 1901 he had moved back to Exeter and was living at 7 Ebrington Terrace, St Thomas. Further changes of premises in Exeter have been found in trade directories as follows: 32 Poltimore Square (1906), 25 Longbrook Street (1909-1912), 55 Ladysmith Road (1915-1919) and 96 Paris Street (1919).
I am also looking for any
trade directory entries for Charles Keeping in the period 1860 to 1878, please, to help narrow down the dates which he spent at various addresses in Torquay & Exeter. Also if anyone has old family photos taken by the studio of Charles Keeping, I would be very grateful for scanned images, to help with dating purposes. I am compiling profiles along the same lines as the ones I have done for
Derbyshire Photographers, and any images will be of great help.
Regards and best wishes,
Brett Payne
Tauranga, New Zealand
