The Willson Group of artists (active ) was an English
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
family of about seven landscape, portrait and caricature painters. Members included John Joseph Willson, his sister Hannah Willson, his wife Emilie Dorothy Hilliard, and their four children, Michael Anthony Hilliard Willson, twins Margaret Willson and E. Dorothy Willson, and Mary Hilliard Willson.
John Joseph, known as J.J. Willson, was senior partner in the firm of Willson, Walker & Co. which owned the
Sheepscar
Sheepscar is an inner city district of Leeds in West Yorkshire England, lying to the north east of Leeds city centre. The district is in the City of Leeds Metropolitan Council. It is overlooked by the tower blocks of Little London and Lovel ...
tannery, at one time the largest in the country.
He was instrumental to the movement for the foundation of
Leeds Art Gallery
Leeds Art Gallery in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, is a gallery, part of the Leeds Museums & Galleries group, whose collection of 20th-century British Art was designated by the British government in 1997 as a collection "of national importance" ...
, working on a committee alongside
John Atkinson Grimshaw
John Atkinson Grimshaw (6 September 1836 – 13 October 1893) was an English Victorian-era artist best known for his nocturnal scenes of urban landscapes.Alexander Robertson, ''Atkinson Grimshaw'', London, Phaidon Press, 1996 H. J. Dyos and ...
and others,
and he was a vice president of the Yorkshire Union of Artists when
John William Waterhouse
John William Waterhouse (6 April 184910 February 1917) was an English painter known for working first in the Academic style and for then embracing the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. His artworks were known for their dep ...
was president.
J.J., Margaret and Dorothy exhibited at the
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The Summer Exhibition is an open art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London, England, during the months of June, July, and August. The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sc ...
; on five occasions in Margaret's case. Michael and Mary achieved commissions including caricatures of prominent Leeds public figures such as
Sir James Kitson and
John Barran MP, and portraits in oils of
Isaac and Ann Rickett and
George Corson
George Corson (1829–1910) was a Scottish architect active in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
Background
He was born in Dumfries, where he was articled to Walter Newall before moving to Leeds in 1849 to work with his brother William Reid Cor ...
. The children and sister of J.J. never married.
Group setup and background
Family origins
The Willson family owned High Wray House, at High Wray,
Claife
Claife is a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It is situated west of Windermere, and east of Esthwaite Water and the village of Hawkshead. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 392, reducing to 298 at ...
,
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town and former civil parish, now in the parish of Lakes, Cumbria, Lakes, in Cumbria, in North West England.
Historic counties of England, Historically in Westmorland, it marks the head (and sits on the east side of the northern ...
, now a
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
. It was built in 1728 by Anthony Wilson and his wife Dorothy. They "owned and farmed much of the land across the
Hawkshead
Hawkshead is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, which attracts tourists to the South Lakeland area. The parish includes the hamlets of Hawkshead Hill, to the north west, and Outgate, a similar distance north. Hawkshead contains one ...
,
Coniston and
Langdale
Great Langdale is a valley in the Lake District National Park in North West England, the epithet Great distinguishing it from the neighbouring valley of Little Langdale. Langdale is also the name of a valley in the Howgill Fells, elsewhere in ...
valleys," extending and refurbishing an upper storey to the house in the nineteenth century. In the early 1840s the family funded a schoolhouse in the grounds of High Wray House; the original schoolhouse was demolished, and the replacement school building later became High Wray Village Hall.
Willson, Walker & Co.
The Willson Group consisted of a set of close relatives whose work was funded by their family firm Willson, Walker & Co. in
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
, due to the financial success of John Willson Senior,
JP, (b.
Claife
Claife is a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It is situated west of Windermere, and east of Esthwaite Water and the village of Hawkshead. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 392, reducing to 298 at ...
or
Hawkshead
Hawkshead is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, which attracts tourists to the South Lakeland area. The parish includes the hamlets of Hawkshead Hill, to the north west, and Outgate, a similar distance north. Hawkshead contains one ...
) who lived at Old Hall,
Barwick-in-Elmet
Barwick-in-Elmet (pronounced ''Barrick-in-Elmet'') is a village in West Yorkshire, east of Leeds city centre. It is one of only three places in the area to be explicitly associated with the ancient Romano-British kingdom of Elmet, the others ...
and
Roundhay
Roundhay is a large suburb in north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Roundhay had a population of 22,546 in 2011.
It sits in the Roundhay ward of Leeds City Council and Leeds North East parliamentary constituency.
History Etymology
Roundh ...
, Leeds, in 1861,
and 1 West Hill,
Potternewton
Potternewton (until recently also Potter Newton) is a suburb and parish between Chapeltown and Chapel Allerton in north-east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is in the Chapel Allerton ward of Leeds City Council.
Potternewton is bounded by ...
,
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingle ...
in 1871. His wife was Margaret (b.
Kendal
Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...
). John Wilson ''(sic)'' was mayor of Leeds between 9 November 1853 and 9 November 1854.
John Senior established the family tannery business of Willson, Walker & Co. Ltd. in 1823; it moved to Sheepscar Street,
Sheepscar
Sheepscar is an inner city district of Leeds in West Yorkshire England, lying to the north east of Leeds city centre. The district is in the City of Leeds Metropolitan Council. It is overlooked by the tower blocks of Little London and Lovel ...
, in 1847. The firm manufactured Spanish leather and leather glue,
and made leather artefacts too, for example a leather dressing case, possibly made for the
Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary The Crystal Palace, structure in which it was held), was an International Exhib ...
of 1851. By 1893 it had become the largest tannery in the country. It collapsed in 1901, however it is reasonable to suppose that it was the income from J.J. Willson's senior directorship of this firm which permitted his family's dedication to art until around 1900.
The factory was purchased in 1904 by Charles F. Stead & Co., a company which as of 2019 still produced leather goods there.
Studio locations
All members of this group worked from home. The Willson Group consisted of J.J. Willson's household: himself, his wife, his son and three daughters, and J.J.'s unmarried sister Hannah. They lived together in various locations in the Leeds area. From to 1871 they were living in Newton Grove, Chapeltown Road, Headingley, Potternewton.
[1871 England Census 4541/165 p.50] From at least 1888 to 1891 they lived with a number of servants at 2 Moorland Terrace, off Reservoir Road in the
Lawnswood
Lawnswood is a small suburb in the north west of the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. As such it is north north east of the West Yorkshire Urban Area. The suburb falls within the Adel and Wharefdale Ward of the City of Leeds Council.
...
area of Leeds.
From at least 1897 to 1902 the family were at a house called Ballamona, Otley Road,
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingle ...
, Leeds; it was rented from architect George Corson.
[1901 England Census 4246/31 p.13] By 1906 until at least 1911 the four children, still unmarried, were living at 5 Moorland Road, Leeds with their aunt Hannah Willson.
[1911 England Census 500/54/27035]
Hannah Willson
Hannah Willson (Leeds – Leeds 7 July 1918)
[ Deaths Sep 1918 Willson Hannah 89 Leeds 9b 485. The death cert says: Seventh July 1918, The Victoria Home, Kirkstall Lane Urban District. Hannah Willson 89 years, of 5 Moorland Road, Leeds, spinster, daughter of John Willson, leather merchant. Chronic ]nephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys and may involve the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitial tissue surrounding the glomeruli and tubules. It is one of several different types of nephropathy.
Types
* Glomerulonephritis is inflammation of th ...
. Certified by F.H. Mays MRCS. Informant: Carmen Woodman, present at the death. The Victoria Home, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds. Registered ninth July 1918. was an artist, "living on her own means," from "income from dividends." She was the unmarried sister of J.J. and the aunt of Michael, Margaret, Emilie and Mary Willson. She lived in the hamlet of High Wray,
Claife
Claife is a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It is situated west of Windermere, and east of Esthwaite Water and the village of Hawkshead. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 392, reducing to 298 at ...
, Cumberland until some time before 1890, when she moved to Leeds to live with her brother's family.
Hannah died aged 89 years on 7 July 1918 at the Victoria Home, Kirkstall Lane, Leeds, of chronic
nephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys and may involve the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitial tissue surrounding the glomeruli and tubules. It is one of several different types of nephropathy.
Types
* Glomerulonephritis is inflammation of th ...
.
Exhibitions
* ''Small Cottage at
Bewdley
Bewdley ( pronunciation) is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District in Worcestershire, England on the banks of the River Severn. It is in the Severn Valley west of Kidderminster and southwest of Birmingham. It lies on the River Sev ...
'' (11 February 1890), "an excellent little picture," Leeds Fine Arts Club's
conversazione
A ''conversazione'' is a "social gathering redominantlyheld by learned or art society" for conversation and discussion, especially about the arts, literature, medicine, and science.
::It would not be easy to devise a happier way han the ''con ...
at the Philosophical Hall, Leeds.
John Joseph Willson
John Joseph Willson (
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
–
High Wray 15 November 1903),
[ Deaths Dec 1903 Willson John Joseph 67 Ulverston 8e 567. The death cert says: Fifteenth November 1903, High Wray, ]Claife
Claife is a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It is situated west of Windermere, and east of Esthwaite Water and the village of Hawkshead. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 392, reducing to 298 at ...
Rural District. John Joseph Willson. 67 years, leather manufacturer. Fibroid degeneration of heart, dropsy
Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels tight, the area ma ...
. Certified by William Allen M.B. Informant: William D. Heelis, nephew, in attendance, Borwick Lodge, Hawkshead
Hawkshead is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, which attracts tourists to the South Lakeland area. The parish includes the hamlets of Hawkshead Hill, to the north west, and Outgate, a similar distance north. Hawkshead contains one ...
. Registered seventeenth November 1903. known as J.J., was the only son of John Willson Senior.
Like his father he was a
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
. He inherited his father's leather business, becoming its senior partner.
He was also an amateur artist, "quite a brilliant painter in watercolours,"
specialising in sporting and landscape subjects. Artists Edwin Moore and Richard Waller gave him some lessons, but he was mainly self-taught. He exhibited at the
Royal Academy of Arts
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...
and the
Walker Art Gallery
The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group.
History of the Gallery
The Walker Art Gallery's collection ...
,
and in 1896 he became a vice-president of the Yorkshire Union of Artists, with
John William Waterhouse
John William Waterhouse (6 April 184910 February 1917) was an English painter known for working first in the Academic style and for then embracing the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. His artworks were known for their dep ...
R.A. as president.
He was "one of the judges selected for adjudication of prizes at the
Leeds School of Art
Leeds Arts University is a specialist arts further and higher education institution, based in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a main campus opposite the University of Leeds.
History
It was founded in 1846 as the Leeds Schoo ...
, as well as that at York."
He also donated prizes for art to the Yorkshire Union of Mechancs' Institutes in 1889. He was a longstanding member of
Leeds Philosophical Society council, and one of the governors of
Yorkshire College
, mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased
, established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds
, t ...
.
Although he declined public work during his final six years, he "painted up to the last."
Ultimately the family firm failed, J.J. fell ill with dropsy and "graver symptoms," and died at his sister's house at
High Wray,
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town and former civil parish, now in the parish of Lakes, Cumbria, Lakes, in Cumbria, in North West England.
Historic counties of England, Historically in Westmorland, it marks the head (and sits on the east side of the northern ...
on 15 November 1903, aged 67 years.
The cause of death was recorded as
fibroid degeneration of the heart, and
dropsy
Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels tight, the area ma ...
.
The gross value of his estate was £6,240, and his Will was proved at Wakefield on 31 December 1903.
Leeds Fine Art Society Executive Committee
John Joseph was the "originator of the modern picture exhibitions in
eeds/nowiki>." He was one of the founding members, and for 27 years the president, of the Leeds Fine Art Society (LFAS), and honorary secretary of the Yorkshire Fine Art Exhibition (YFAE). Following his death his activity in the LAFS, and Executive Committee in particular, was highlighted by the ''Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer
''The Yorkshire Post'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds in Yorkshire, England. It primarily covers stories from Yorkshire although its masthead carries the slogan "Yorkshire's National Newspaper". It was previously owned by ...
'':
As president of the Leeds Fine Arts Club, John Joseph Willson's artistic and social qualities were seen to the fullest advantage. It is a small society which makes no pretense to an artistic mission, but does something for the mutual encouragement of its members not only to practise, but still more to appreciate, art. How much it owes to its first and only president it will realise ... he was, by the example of his work and by his cheery enthusiasm, the life and soul of the little body.
The LFAS was an organisation which in 1876 formed an Executive Committee, including Hon. Sec. J.J. Willson, dedicated to raising funds for, and founding, the building of a permanent public fine art
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...
gallery. Although the committee members changed over time, and the building and funding process was ultimately taken over by Leeds Town Hall, it can be said that the original committee initiated the movement to found the gallery, and arranged much of the early funding by subscription. Several of the original committee members, including J.J. Willson, took part in the process to the last. The committee first met at the Mechanics' Institute. The original committee membership included the Marquis of Ripon as president, Rev. John Gott (vicar of Leeds, and son of Benjamin Gott
Benjamin Gott (24 June 1762 – 14 February 1840) was one of the leading figures in the industrial revolution, in the field of textiles. His factory at Armley Mills, Armley, Leeds, was once the largest factory in the world and is now home to the ...
) John Atkinson Grimshaw
John Atkinson Grimshaw (6 September 1836 – 13 October 1893) was an English Victorian-era artist best known for his nocturnal scenes of urban landscapes.Alexander Robertson, ''Atkinson Grimshaw'', London, Phaidon Press, 1996 H. J. Dyos and ...
, several Leeds aldermen from Leeds Town Hall, and architect William Henry Thorp
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
(1852–1944) who would ultimately design its planned Municipal Art Gallery
An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It might be in public or private ownership and may be accessible to all or have restrictions in place. Although primarily conc ...
in 1886–1888.
By 1879 J.W. Davis was Hon. Sec. and the committee was meeting at the Mayor's rooms in Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall is a 19th-century municipal building on The Headrow (formerly Park Lane), Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Planned to include law courts, a council chamber, offices, a public hall, and a suite of ceremonial rooms, it was built be ...
. The committee, which had always included Town Hall representatives, had grown to include more town councillors, J.J. Willson, and various artists. At this point the committee had estimated the final cost at £10,000, had raised £2,000 by subscription; of the remainder one third was "guaranteed in Leeds," and the rest "guaranteed at Huddersfield and Halifax." By 1880, one of the secretaries of the committee, J.W. Davis, was saying, "We may hope that our success ... may ultimately ultimately encourage the authorities of the town to take the matter in hand, and add another institution of beneficence and culture to those already existing in Leeds, in the shape of a permanent and public fine art gallery." By 1888, Leeds Town Hall had indeed taken the matter in hand, taken much of the credit for the idea, and arranged funds to complete the cost of building, and for maintenance of the gallery. The Marquis of Ripon and Thorp, who were on the original committee, were present at the opening of the gallery in 1888.
Meanwhile, from 1880 the YFAE held a five-year lease for exhibitions in the Athenaeum Building, Park Lane (now The Headrow
The Headrow is an avenue in Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire, England.
It is one of the most important thoroughfares in central Leeds, hosting many of the city's civic and cultural buildings including Leeds Town Hall, Leeds Central Library ...
), Leeds. J.J. contributed works to the YFAE's first Spring Exhibition in 1880, alongside work by Thomas Sidney Cooper
Thomas Sidney Cooper (26 September 18037 February 1902) was an English landscape painter noted for his images of cattle and farm animals.
Biography
Thomas Sidney Cooper was born in St Peter's Street in Canterbury, Kent, and as a small child ...
, John Atkinson Grimshaw, Edwin Landseer
Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (7 March 1802 – 1 October 1873) was an English painter and sculptor, well known for his paintings of animals – particularly horses, dogs, and stags. However, his best-known works are the lion sculptures at the bas ...
, Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, (; born Lourens Alma Tadema ; 8 January 1836 – 25 June 1912) was a Dutch painter who later settled in the United Kingdom becoming the last officially recognised denizen in 1873. Born in Dronryp, the Netherlands, ...
, William Calder Marshall
William Calder Marshall ARSA (18 March 1813 – 16 June 1894) was a Scottish sculpture, sculptor.
Life
He was born at Gilmour Place in Edinburgh, the eldest son of William Marshall a goldsmith with a shop at 1 South Bridge and his wife Annie C ...
, and others. J.J. used his position to promote the idea of a new "good gallery" for Leeds. He said that, "ever since he had been able to distinguish between a tea tray and an all-right picture, he had been desirous of seeing his native town in possession of a good gallery" for the display of the Committee's existing collection, and for the promotion and sale of the work of local artists, because "artists must live."
Amateur dramatics
At one time, John Joseph was involved with amateur dramatics
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, self-taught, user-generated, DIY, and hobbyist.
History
Hist ...
. For example, on 27 and 28 February 1889, in support of a charity, he took part in ''The Parvenu'' by G.W. Godfrey, and ''Chalk and Cheese'' by Eille Norwood
Eille Norwood (born Anthony Edward Brett; 11 October 1861 – 24 December 1948) was an English stage actor, director, and playwright best known today for playing Sherlock Holmes in a series of silent films.
Early life
He was born 11 October 1 ...
at the Assembly Rooms in Briggate
Briggate is a pedestrianised principal High Street, shopping street in Leeds city centre, England. Historically it was the main street, leading north from Leeds Bridge, and housed markets, merchant's houses and other business premises. It cont ...
, Leeds. Of his part in ''The Parvenu'', the ''York Herald'' said, "Mr J.J. Willson gave a capital rendering of the part of the impecunious baronet Sir Fulke Pettigrew, acting with care and discretion." J.J. "was capital as Marmaduke Vavasour" in ''New Men and Old Acres'' in a charity performance with a Leeds amateur troupe at the Albert Hall, Cookridge Street, Leeds, on Friday 12 December 1890.
Exhibitions
* ''Autumn tints in Lundoleu, Norway'' (1880), "The absence of ... breadth is apparent in ''Autumn tints in Lundoleu, Norway'' ... where the excellent work in the grey and purple stones which break the foreground and in the distant mountains is not supported by the treatment of the trees in the middle distance," Yorkshire Art Exhibition.
* ''Anxious Moments'' (1880), "a stormy effect is realised by considerable power," Yorkshire Art Exhibition.
* ''The Breezy Expanse of Adel Moor'' (1885), "most important and gratifying," Yorkshire Artists' Exhibition.
* ''Unknown work'' (1886), Yorkshire Artists' Exhibition.
* ''A Study of Gossamer'' (11 February 1890), conversazione at the Philosophical Hall, Park Row, Leeds. Exhibited as president of Leeds Fine Arts Club. "''A Study of Gossamer'', painted many years ago, at Lochgoilhead
Lochgoilhead ( gd, Ceann Loch Goibhle, IPA: kʰʲaun̴̪ˈɫ̪ɔxˈkɤilə is a village on the Cowal peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. It is located within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and is widely consider ...
, in Scotland, and illustrating the line, ''A misty morn, with fairy wreaths bedecked.'' The subject is very well treated. A little rift in the mist, which is clearing off, shows the loch beyond; and the atmospheric effects, and the treatment of the tangled vegetation in the foreground, exhibit considerable skill. Mr Willson showed several other pictures, which possess much merit, and among which may be mentioned, ''Ballinahinch'', ''A Welcome Pool,'' ''Coming Snow,'' and ''A Favourite Cast.''"
* ''Ballinahinch'' (11 February 1890), conversazione at the Philosophical Hall, Park Row, Leeds. Exhibited as president of Leeds Fine Arts Club.
* ''A Welcome Pool'' (11 February 1890), conversazione at the Philosophical Hall, Park Row, Leeds. Exhibited as president of Leeds Fine Arts Club.
* ''Coming Snow'' (11 February 1890), conversazione at the Philosophical Hall, Park Row, Leeds. Exhibited as president of Leeds Fine Arts Club.
* ''A Favourite Cast'' (11 February 1890), conversazione at the Philosophical Hall, Park Row, Leeds. Exhibited as president of Leeds Fine Arts Club.
* ''Home in the Gloaming'' (early March 1899), "one of the strongest drawings Mr J.J. Willson has ever shown. It is simple, broad, unforced, and, in the sky especially, is of fine quality," Leeds Public Gallery.
* ''The Windmill'' (early March 1899), "there is /nowiki> welcome feeling for bigness of style ... but it is ... laboured." Leeds Public Gallery.
* ''The Last Gleam,'' 1191 (1900), watercolour, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The Summer Exhibition is an open art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London, England, during the months of June, July, and August. The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sc ...
.[ This page lists the years in which members of the Willson Group exhibited at the Royal Academy, and links to works exhibited.]
Works
* ''Set of pen and ink sketches of the Society of Friends
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...
annual meeting at Devonshire House
Devonshire House in Piccadilly, was the London townhouse of the Dukes of Devonshire during the 18th and 19th centuries. Following a fire in 1733 it was rebuilt by William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire, in the Palladian style, to designs ...
, London'' (1860), bound as booklet.[ "Yearly Meeting, 1860, is the title of an album of reproductions of seven pen and ink sketches by John Joseph ''(sic)'' Willson (London : Headley, oblong). The scenes depicted are " Friends on their way to Yearly Meeting—Distractions of Derby Day," " The Meeting House Yard, Devonshire House," with the brothers Bratt, in their ancient dress, in the foreground, " The Men's Side," " The Women's Side," " Hill's the Confectioner's," " Capper's the Draper's," and "The Royal Academy." J. J. Willson, a Friend, of Leeds, was for twenty-seven years president of the Leeds Fine Art Club. He died in 1903."]
* ''The Pot Hawker'' (1878), watercolour over graphite.
* ''Peasant woman seated at the edge of the forest,'' (undated), watercolour.
John Joseph's ''Yorkshire Post'' 1903 obituary mentioned that one of his works "was purchased for the Leeds Municipal Art Gallery, and is hung there;" as of 2019 the gallery archive still listed one of his watercolours, ''Arundel Castle from the Meadows'' but it could not be found.
Art reviews
After J.J.'s death, the ''Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer'' said this: "John Joseph Willson ... had reached a degree of proficiency in his art which entitled him to be judged without consideration of his amateurship. Though he had never gone ''through the mill'' of technical training he had from the days when he ''wasted'' his school time by drawing engines on his slate, always dabbled in art. In his later years, indeed, he had done more than dabble, for he devoted to his water-colour work all the time which a business man could spare from his daily toil, working frequently, if not chiefly, by artificial light - a condition anything but favourable for appreciating the niceties of colouring, and sufficiently accounting for what was perhaps the least satisfactory aspect of his art. Perhaps its most admirable feature was its steady progress. Up to the very last years, when ill-health began to undermine his natural vigour, he was always advancing ... The facility in handling he attained was certainly remarkable, and on this account alone his happiest efforts in landscape-work were capable of holding their own in any of the exhibitions of current art to which he contributed, while the drawing which was some years ago hung in the permanent collection of the Leeds Public Art Gallery is alike worthy of the collection and of the painter who will thus be lastingly commemorated in his native town. e was
E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plura ...
/nowiki> a lovable an/nowiki>, full of generous enthusiasm, and possessing a winning manner, and an old-fashioned courtliness that made is/nowiki> company very enjoyable."
The Pot Hawker 1878 by John Joseph Willson.jpg, ''The Pot Hawker'', 1878
Peasant seated at the edge of the forest by JJ Willson.jpg, ''Peasant seated at the edge of the forest,'' undated
Drawings of Quakers by J J Willson - 2.jpg, ''The Meeting House yard, Devonshire House'', 1860
Drawings of Quakers by J J Willson - 3.JPG, ''The Men's Side'', 1860
Drawings of Quakers by J J Willson - 5.JPG, ''Hills the confectioner's,'' 1860
Drawings of Quakers by J J Willson - 7.JPG, ''Royal Academy,'' 1860
Emilie Dorothy Hilliard Willson
Emilie Dorothy Hilliard Willson (New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
- Leeds 18 January 1899) was the daughter of architect John Hilliard (d. before 1861) of New York and the American-born wife of John Joseph Willson; they married at the Friends' Meeting House, Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
on Thursday 17 October 1861.[ Deaths Mar 1899 Willson Emilie Hilliard 60 Leeds 9b 394. Her death cert says: Eighteenth January 1899, Ballamona, Shire Oak Road, Headingley Urban District. Emilie Hilliard Willson 60 years, wife John Joseph Willson, leather manufacturer. ]Influenza
Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...
9 months, pleuropneumonia
Pleuropneumonia is inflammation of the lungs and pleura, pleurisy being the inflammation of the pleura alone.
See also
* Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia – a disease in cattle
* Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia
Contagious caprine pleurop ...
1 month 21 days, cardiac failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, an ...
. Certified by S. Rumboll FRCS. Informant John J. Willson, widower of deceased, in attendance. Ballamona, Shire Oak Road, Headingley. Registered: nineteenth January 1899. She also was an exhibiting artist. She died aged 60 years on 18 January 1899 at Ballamona, Headingley, of Influenza
Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...
, pleuropneumonia
Pleuropneumonia is inflammation of the lungs and pleura, pleurisy being the inflammation of the pleura alone.
See also
* Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia – a disease in cattle
* Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia
Contagious caprine pleurop ...
, and cardiac failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, an ...
.
Michael Anthony Hilliard Willson
Landscape artist Michael Anthony Hilliard Willson (Kirkstall
Kirkstall is a north-western suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, on the eastern side of the River Aire. The area sits in the Kirkstall ward of Leeds City Council and Leeds West parliamentary constituency, represented by Rachel Reeves. Th ...
13 April 1863 – Ulverston
Ulverston is a market town and a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 11,524, increasing at the 2011 census to 11,678. Historically in Lancashire, it lies a few mi ...
27 December 1943)[ Births Jun 1863 Wilson Michael Anthony Hilyard Kirkstall 9b 275. His birth certificate says: Thirteenth April 1863 Newton Grove, Potternewton, Michael Anthony Hilyard, boy. Father John Joseph Wilson, mother Emily Wilson formerly Hilyard. Occupation of father Spanish leather manufacturer (master), informant John Joseph Wilson father, Newton Grove, Potternewton. Registered Twenty-second May 1863.][ Deaths Dec 1943 Willson Michael A. H. 79 Ulverston 8e 1147. The death cert says: Twenty seventh December 1943, 25 Somme Avenue, ]Ravenstown
''Ravenstown is also a nickname for Baltimore, Maryland.''
Ravenstown is a settlement in the Lower Holker parish of the Cartmel Peninsula in Cumbria, England. The village is mostly a housing estate which was built during First World war to serv ...
, Lower Holker
Lower Holker is a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of the English county of Cumbria. It includes the villages of Cark and Flookburgh, the hamlets of Holker, Ravenstown and Sand Gate, and historic Holker Hall. In the 2001 census the ...
Rural Ward. Michael Anthony Hilliard Willson 79 years. Gentleman of independent means. Ia. myocardial degeneration
Cardiomyopathy is a group of diseases that affect the heart muscle. Early on there may be few or no symptoms. As the disease worsens, dyspnea, shortness of breath, feeling fatigue (medical), tired, and pedal edema, swelling of the legs may occu ...
; Ib. arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis is the thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of Artery, arteries. This process gradually restricts the blood flow to one's organs and tissues and can lead to severe health risks brought on by atherosclerosis ...
; II. enlarged prostate
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also called prostate enlargement, is a noncancerous increase in size of the prostate gland. Symptoms may include frequent urination, trouble starting to urinate, weak stream, inability to urinate, or loss o ...
. Certified by D.T. Anderson M.B. Informant Dinah Williams, present at the death, Springfield, Flookburgh
Flookburgh is an ancient village on the Cartmel peninsula in Cumbria, England, until 1974 part of Lancashire. Being close to Morecambe Bay, cockle and shrimp fishing plays a big part in village life.
Flookburgh is sometimes thought to derive ...
. Registered twenty ninth December 1943. was the eldest son of John Joseph Willson. Michael studied at the Leeds College of Art around 1900, listed as M. Hilliard Willson. He had a collection of works of art, part of which was sold at Sotheby's in 1918, under the name, "M.A. Hilliard Willson Esq." Michael died aged 79 years on 27 December 1943 at 25 Somme Avenue, Ravenstown
''Ravenstown is also a nickname for Baltimore, Maryland.''
Ravenstown is a settlement in the Lower Holker parish of the Cartmel Peninsula in Cumbria, England. The village is mostly a housing estate which was built during First World war to serv ...
, Lower Holker
Lower Holker is a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of the English county of Cumbria. It includes the villages of Cark and Flookburgh, the hamlets of Holker, Ravenstown and Sand Gate, and historic Holker Hall. In the 2001 census the ...
, of myocardial degeneration
Cardiomyopathy is a group of diseases that affect the heart muscle. Early on there may be few or no symptoms. As the disease worsens, dyspnea, shortness of breath, feeling fatigue (medical), tired, and pedal edema, swelling of the legs may occu ...
, arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis is the thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of Artery, arteries. This process gradually restricts the blood flow to one's organs and tissues and can lead to severe health risks brought on by atherosclerosis ...
and enlarged prostate
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also called prostate enlargement, is a noncancerous increase in size of the prostate gland. Symptoms may include frequent urination, trouble starting to urinate, weak stream, inability to urinate, or loss o ...
.
Exhibitions
* ''Unknown work'' (1886), Leeds Society of Artists exhibition. (Attribution, M.A.H. Willson).
* ''Our Public Servants'' (11 February 1890) "very clever character sketches", Leeds Fine Arts Club's conversazione at the Philosophical Hall in Park Row, Leeds. Selected items from the set, exhibited before commercial publication. (Attributed to "Bob").
* ''Blue Bow'' (early March 1899) "harmonious, and the face is well behind the frame," Leeds Public Gallery. (Attributed to Mr M.A.H. Willson).
* ''Mirror frame and panel'' (1901), Arts and Crafts exhibition at Leeds City Art Gallery. (Attributed to M. Hilliard Willson).
Works
* ''Ruins with Man and Dog'' (1884), pencil drawing. (Signed M.A.H., but attributed to Michael A.H. Willson).
* ''Our Public Servants'' (March 1891), a set of twelve caricature
A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...
s signed, "Bob". These were watercolour portraits published as prints, depicting prominent Leeds men: Alderman Archibald Witham Scarr, Sir George Morrison (town clerk), Alderman Sir John Ward (mayor with chain and badge), William Bruce (Leeds stipendiary magistrate), Alderman John Shackleton Mathers, Sir James Kitson, Alderman George Tatham, Rt Hon. William Lawies Jackson MP, John Barran MP, Sir George Irwin, Sir Arthur Lawson and Alderman Reginald Wigram. (Attribution: "Mr Hilliard Willson of Leeds, who gave them to the world over the signature, ''Bob''," or "Mr Hilliard Willson, son of Mr J.J. Willson of Leeds.") Leeds Museums and Galleries holds the set of twelve watercolour originals in its archives, at Leeds Discovery Centre
Leeds Discovery Centre is the purpose-built display storage facility built for Leeds Museums & Galleries in 2007. It was funded by Leeds City Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The facility stores over one million objects in climate ...
and Leeds Industrial Museum
The Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills is a museum of industrial heritage located in Armley, near Leeds, in West Yorkshire, Northern England. The museum includes collections of textile machinery, railway equipment and heavy engineering amon ...
.
* ''Portrait of George Corson'' (1901). This is an oil on canvas three-quarter length portrait of Leeds architect George Corson
George Corson (1829–1910) was a Scottish architect active in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
Background
He was born in Dumfries, where he was articled to Walter Newall before moving to Leeds in 1849 to work with his brother William Reid Cor ...
seated, holding papers in front of a landscape, signed M.A.H. Willson. It was commissioned by the Leeds and Yorkshire Architectural Society, whose members paid for it by subscription, Corson being their first president. It was presented to the Society by Corson on 21 November 1901, the ''Yorkshire Post'' recording the painter as "Mr H. Willson."
* ''Isaac Reckitt'' and ''Ann Reckitt'' (August 1906); a pair of oil-on-canvas portraits. (Signed M.A.H. Willson).
Ruins with man and dog 1884 by MAH Willson (3).jpg, ''Ruins with man and dog'', 1884
Our Public Servants by Willson - Sir James Kitson MP(10).JPG, ''James Kitson'', 1891
Our Public Servants by Willson - Sir John Barran (14).JPG, ''John Barran'', 1891
Our Public Servants by Willson - Sir Arthur Lawson (2a).jpg, ''Arthur Lawson'', 1891
Our Public Servants by Willson - Alderman George Tatham (11a).jpg, ''George Tatham'', 1891
Our Public Servants by Willson - Alderman J. Shackleton Mathers (15a).jpg, ''John Shackleton Mathers'', 1891
Our Public Servants by Willson - William Bruce (8a).jpg, ''William Bruce'', 1891
Our Public Servants by Willson - Sir George Morrison (10a).jpg, ''George Morrison'', 1891
Our Public Servants by Willson - reverse of J. Shackleton Mathers (16).JPG, ''Landscape'' on reverse of the J.S. Mathers painting
George Corson by MAH Willson (3).JPG, ''George Corson'', 1901
Isaac Reckitt by M.A. Hilliard Willson.jpg, ''Isaac Reckitt'', 1906
Ann Reckitt by M.A. Hilliard Willson.jpg, ''Ann Reckitt'', 1906
Margaret Willson
Margaret Willson (Kirkstall 16 August 1867 – Ulverston 8 March 1932),[ Births Sep 1867 Wilson Margaret and Emilie Kirkstall 9b 295. The two certificates say: Sixteenth August 1867. 8h 0mins a.m. Margaret. 8h 10mins a.m. Emilie. 3 Newton Grove, Potternewton. Father John Joseph Wilson. Mother Emilie Wilson formerly Hilyard. Father: leather dresser (master). Informant: John Joseph Wilson, father, 3 Newton Grove, Potternewton. Registered twenty-fourth September 1867.][ Deaths Mar 1932 Willson Margaret 63 Ulverston 8e 1076. The death cert says: Eighth March 1932, The Bungalow, Hill of Oaks, ]Cartmel Fell
Cartmel Fell is a hamlet and a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 309, increasing at the 2011 census to 329. The village of Cartmel and Cartmel Priory are not in th ...
Rural District. Margaret Willson 63 years, spinster of independent means, daughter of John Joseph Willson, a leather manufacturer (deceased). (a) acute enteritis
Enteritis is inflammation of the small intestine. It is most commonly caused by food or drink contaminated with pathogenic microbes,Dugdale, David C., IIII, and George F Longretc"Enteritis" MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 18 October 2008. Access ...
; (b) neurasthenia
Neurasthenia (from the Ancient Greek νεῦρον ''neuron'' "nerve" and ἀσθενής ''asthenés'' "weak") is a term that was first used at least as early as 1829 for a mechanical weakness of the nerves and became a major diagnosis in North A ...
. No post mortem. Certified by A. Brownlie M.D. Informant: M.A.H. Willson, brother, present at the death, The Bungalow, Hill of Oaks, Windermere
Windermere (sometimes tautology (language), tautologically called Windermere Lake to distinguish it from the nearby town of Windermere, Cumbria (town), Windermere) is the largest natural lake in England. More than 11 miles (18 km) in leng ...
. Registered: eleventh March 1932. was the twin of Emilie Dorothy Willson. Margaret was the daughter of John Joseph Willson, and was a decorative designer and painter, working in Leeds. Between 1888 and 1906 Margaret was an exhibitor at the Royal Academy of Arts. Margaret died aged 63 years on 8 March 1932 at The Bungalow, Hill of Oaks, Cartmel Fell
Cartmel Fell is a hamlet and a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 309, increasing at the 2011 census to 329. The village of Cartmel and Cartmel Priory are not in th ...
, of acute enteritis
Enteritis is inflammation of the small intestine. It is most commonly caused by food or drink contaminated with pathogenic microbes,Dugdale, David C., IIII, and George F Longretc"Enteritis" MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 18 October 2008. Access ...
and neurasthenia
Neurasthenia (from the Ancient Greek νεῦρον ''neuron'' "nerve" and ἀσθενής ''asthenés'' "weak") is a term that was first used at least as early as 1829 for a mechanical weakness of the nerves and became a major diagnosis in North A ...
.
London exhibitions
* ''Hydrangeas'' 894 (1888), oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest of ...
, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The Summer Exhibition is an open art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London, England, during the months of June, July, and August. The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sc ...
.
* ''Study of White Orchids'' 818 (1889), oil painting, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The Summer Exhibition is an open art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London, England, during the months of June, July, and August. The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sc ...
.
* ''Cragg Hall and Fewston Reservoir
Fewston Reservoir is located in the Washburn valley north of Otley and west of Harrogate in Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1879. The capacity is about 3.5 million cubic metres. It can be found from the A59 road. The overflow from the rese ...
, near Blubberhouses
Blubberhouses is a small village and civil parishes in England, civil parish located in the Washburn Valley in the borough of Harrogate (borough), Harrogate in North Yorkshire, a county in the north of England. The population as at the 2011 Cens ...
, Yorkshire'' 1261 (1897), watercolour
Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...
, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The Summer Exhibition is an open art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London, England, during the months of June, July, and August. The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sc ...
.
* ''Portrait of a Lady'' 871 (1902), watercolour, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The Summer Exhibition is an open art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London, England, during the months of June, July, and August. The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sc ...
.
* ''A relic of the Past'' 939 (1906), watercolour, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The Summer Exhibition is an open art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London, England, during the months of June, July, and August. The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sc ...
.
* ''Painted silk fan with pearl mount'' (1906), Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society's 8th show, at the Grafton Galleries
The Grafton Galleries, often referred to as the Grafton Gallery, was an art gallery in Mayfair, London. The French art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel showed the first major exhibition in Britain of Impressionist paintings there in 1905. Roger Fry' ...
.
Local exhibitions
* ''A Study of White Orchids'' (11 February 1890), "another nice painting", Leeds Fine Arts Club's conversazione at the Philosophical Hall, Leeds.
* ''A Socialist'' (11 February 1890), "a cleverly executed study, in which a man with expressive face sits at a table enjoying his pipe and jug of beer. On the wall behind him is a placard addressed to ''the citizens.''" LFAC conversazione as above.
* ''Pastel'' (11 February 1899), "a clever pastel, good in colour," Leeds Public Gallery.
* ''Two watercolour portraits, including one of William Harvey
William Harvey (1 April 1578 – 3 June 1657) was an English physician who made influential contributions in anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely, and in detail, the systemic circulation and proper ...
'' (1905), Leeds Exhibition.
Emilie Dorothy Willson
Margaret's twin Emilie Dorothy Willson (Kirkstall 16 August 1867 – York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
10 October 1918)[ Deaths Dec 1918 Willson Emily D. 51 York 9d 25. Tenth October 1918, The Retreat, York Urban District. Emily Dorothy Willson, 51 years, of Moorland Road, Leeds Urban District, artist spinster, daughter of John Joseph Willson, tanner (deceased). Double pneumonia, certified by Bedford Pierce M.D. Informant: Jessie Scott MacGregor, present at the death, The Retreat, York. Registered Eleventh October 1918.] was an artist who exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, and the Walker Art Gallery at Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
.[1891 England Census 3703/57] Since she exhibited her works under the name, "E. Dorothy Willson," she is likely to have been known as "Dorothy" to differentiate her from her mother. She died aged 51 years of double pneumonia
Pneumonia can be classified in several ways, most commonly by where it was acquired (hospital versus community), but may also by the area of lung affected or by the causative organism. There is also a combined clinical classification, which combi ...
at The Retreat, York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, on 10 October 1918.
Exhibitions
* ''A Study of Clematis'' (11 February 1890), "a charming picture", Leeds Fine Arts Club conversazione at the Philosophical Hall, Leeds
* ''A Dewy Morning'' 1241 (1900), watercolour, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The Summer Exhibition is an open art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London, England, during the months of June, July, and August. The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sc ...
.
Mary Hilliard Willson
Mary Hilliard Willson (Leeds 22 March 1871 – Hill of Oaks 30 May 1928),[ Deaths Jun 1928 Willson Mary H. 54 Ulverston 8e 909. Her death cert says: Thirtieth May 1928, The Bungalow, Hill of Oaks, Cartmel Fell Rural District. Mary Hilliard Willson 54 years spinster artist. Brown muscular atrophy of the heart. Natural causes. Post mortem. Certificate received from Herbert D. Wilson, Deputy Coroner for the County of Lancaster. Inquest held first June 1928. Registered fourth June 1928.] daughter of John Joseph Willson, was the youngest of the Willson Group. She was attending the Leeds College of Art
Leeds Arts University is a specialist arts further and higher education institution, based in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a main campus opposite the University of Leeds.
History
It was founded in 1846 as the Leeds Schoo ...
as a student in 1900, listed as M. Hilliard Willson. In 1901 she won a National Queen's Prize for art there, coming joint fifth in the United Kingdom, listed as Mary Hilliard Willson. She was described as a "designer and art applied worker" in the 1911 Census, and she painted landscapes and oil portraits. Mary died aged 54 years on 30 March 1928, of Brown muscular atrophy of the heart at The Bungalow, Hill of Oaks, Cartmel Fell
Cartmel Fell is a hamlet and a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 309, increasing at the 2011 census to 329. The village of Cartmel and Cartmel Priory are not in th ...
Rural District.
Exhibitions
Mary exhibited at various venues from at least 1882, and at the Yorkshire Union of Artists exhibitions and smaller London institutes, between 1888 and 1912 or 1915.
* ''Drawing'' (1882), Stockton Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition: third prize in Class 25 for "drawings shaded in crayon or pencil from life or the round." (Attribution, Miss M.A. Hilliard Willson).
* ''Lane near Meanwood'' (1885), "richly coloured ... rather defective as to the treatment of the sky, perhaps, but otherwise an effective little picture," Yorkshire Artists' Exhibition. (Attribution, Miss M.A.H. Willson).
* ''Kirkstall Abbey
Kirkstall Abbey is a ruined Cistercian monastery in Kirkstall, north-west of Leeds city centre in West Yorkshire, England. It is set in a public park on the north bank of the River Aire. It was founded ''c.'' 1152. It was disestablished during ...
'' (1885), "dainty watercolour," Yorkshire Artists' Exhibition. (Attribution, Miss Willson).
* ''Scene at Moortown'' (1885), miniature, Yorkshire Artists' Exhibition. (Attribution, Miss Willson).
* ''Mirror frame'' (1900), at Leeds City Art Gallery, Arts and Crafts department. (Attribution, M. Hilliard Willson).
Notes
References
External links
{{Commons category, Willson Group (artists)
English landscape painters
19th-century art groups
British artist groups and collectives
British art
Victorian culture
19th century in the arts
19th century in art
English portrait painters
English watercolourists
Women watercolorists
Quaker families
19th-century Quakers
English Quakers