Hi, Do you know about the amazing art connection that YOUR Thomas has through his descendents to one of Australia's greatest artists? I find it interesting that the other Thomas, the one you're asking about, married a Hardy, because that family line enters into your Thomas's line as well. Let me know if you're still monitoring this thread and I'll tell you more. Alan
Thanks for the msg, I tried replying via the msg system, but the site won't let me. Anyway, so Thomas (yours, not the other artist) begat Mary Maria who married Thomas Graham. Amongst their children was Mary Ann Graham who married Thomas Anderson and begat Louisa Rosena Anderson (among others) who married George Robt. Hardy (I told you your family also had a Hardy connection), and those two brought Jane Charlotte Ann Hardy and siblings into the world. Now Jane married Sydney Benfield, and they had a bunch of tykes, two of which were Clara Jean and Arthur Sydney. This is where the artists come in.
First, Clara Jean...she married into a locally famous family of artists. Australia's premiere stained glass artist was for many, many years a man named John Radecki, and Clara Jean married his son Leo, who was a highly accomplished and respected stained glass artist in his own right. Leo and Clara begat Frank Radecki, who became a college professor teaching graphic arts, and he begat me and I'm an internationally published photographer (which means that you and I are very distant cousins).
And then there's Arthur Sydney Benfield (who went by the nickname "Spag"). Spag was a brilliant artist himself, who studied under the tutilage of John Radecki, until he became proficient enough that he struck out on his own and opened his own studio. By some accounts, after "Old John" died at 90 (he never did retire), Spag then took on the mantle of Australia's greatest stained glass artist (Leo probably would contest that, but that's an ancient battle...). I have a copy of a letter from Spag that details the stained glass art world, and if I could get the system to let me msg you directly, I'd be happy to send you a copy. Alan