Arthur Miles RI

[Gwaelodian]

I’ve been asked to write a bio of the late Arthur Miles, RI. While I have memories, I can find no dates on FBMD but am sure one of the researchers here can do an infinitely better job than me! Arthur was a fine landscape painter, married more than once, but to Artist Valerie (Sweet) when he lived in Gwaelod y Garth. It’s for an exhibition of his work.

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can find information.

[CaroleW]

Is this more appropriate to the Glamorgan board?

Not a great deal of info given to enable any research

When & where was he born/died?  What is RI?

"While I have memories"   -  can you explain what this means

What is FBMD?  Do you mean freebmd?

"married more than once"  - details of wives please?  Can't see a marriage to a Valerie Sweet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Miles_(artist)

No Valerie Sweet born in 1914 on freebmd

https://www.scedt.tees.ac.uk/users/bdh/vi_com/html/the_room.html

Have you looked for him on the 1939 register?

[oldohiohome]

here's a start
Arthur Miles is a British painter (1905 - 1987)
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/arthur-miles-original-watercolour-500400875

[CaroleW]

Info already given was found easily just by using Google

[Gwaelodian]

I have found the various sales of his work, but little else. I’m grateful for the dates.

Yes, I did mean free births marriages and deaths. I spent time looking there but found nothing. Idont know where Arthur was born but he was living in Gwaeli y Garth. He had a son called John, also an artist, Whois have located. I was asked to write a short bio because no one here has been able to locate him on line.

We know very little other than the name of his wife and son, John, though many of us have one of his paintings and felt it was time to look further.

R.i is Royal Institute of paintings.

Thank you all for looking.

[Gwaelodian]

Carole
I only knew Valerie, with whom I wrote a book. The various memories are from her but not more than personal with little reference to Srthur directly. He was a member of the Communist party, and like Joh his son, very well liked. He had another son by an earlier marriage who lived in Oxford. Beyond that, I only know his paintings.

Thankyou fortrying to help. X:)

[chris_49]

There are many Arthur Miles born 1905, including one in Swansea, but only two with a middle initial H. A marriage certificate might sort out which.

I thought Valerie's birth as Sweet might be unfound because she too might have been married before, but there are a lot of Sweet weddings to a Valerie on FreeBMD, though none before 1950.

More pertinently. there are two births to a Miles MMN Sweet in Blaenau Gwent in 1968 and 1970 which were re-legitimised in 1974, after the marriage, plus another in 1975 (same one again?). They are also registered as Sweet MMN Sweet so likely illegitimate. However these make no sense if Valerie was born 1915.

She married as Beatrice M V aka Minnie B V so could be Valerie. This would make her Minnie B V Sweet born 1914 Bridgend! Was she havnig children in her 50s?

Neither of these children are called John, but you talk about him as if he was no longer with us, which means he must have died young. An even earlier birth, or the son of the first marriage after all?

None of this helps with Arthur's first marriage. There are a lot of Arthur Miles, and in 1939 his art may have only been a hobby.

[chris_49]

GRO finds that the Bridgend birth was indeed Minnie Beatrice Valerie. I can find no marriage other than the 1973 one, nor a death as Sweet.

[chris_49]

I don't have Ancestry or FindMyPast at the moment, so could someone check for the deaths of Arthur H and Valerie under her many guises after 1983? Should give the birth years which should be reasonably accurate.

I checked the 1939 and I know I'm not allowed to give details (can't see much anyway) but there are three in South Wales in 1939 (if he was there then) including a promising one in Cardiff.