Sir Richard Digby Neave, 3rd Baronet (1793–1868), usually known as Digby Neave, was an English artist and author.

Early life

He was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Neave, 2nd Baronet, and brother of

Sheffield Neave Sheffield Neave (1799–1868) was an English merchant and Governor of the Bank of England from 1857 to 1859.St Mary's Hall, Oxford, graduating in 1815. He later described

Edward Penrhyn Edward Penrhyn (16 September 1794 – 6 March 1861), previously Edward Leycester (until 1817), was an English barrister and briefly a member of parliament. Penrhyn was born Edward Leycester, the son of the Rev. Oswald Leycester (later Oswald Penrh ...

as a travelling companion of the years 1817–8. Neave became Steward of the Liberty of Havering-atte-Bower in 1821.

Railway director

Related by marriage to

Abel Rous Dottin Abel Rous Dottin ( – 17 June 1852) was a British Army officer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. Early life Dottin was born in St George Hanover Square, the son of Abel Dottin, of Granada Hall, Barbados, who was High Sheri ...

—Neave's father-in-law was Dottin's brother-in-law—he attended the initial meeting for the

London and Greenwich Railway The London and Greenwich Railway (L&GR) was opened in London between 1836 and 1838. It was the first steam railway in the capital, the first to be built specifically for passengers, and the first entirely elevated railway. Origins The idea for ...

in October 1831. It took place in Dottin's house at 31 Argyle Street, London. Neave became one of the railway company's directors, resigning on 26 November 1836. He was then involved also, as of 1837, in the Dover Railway Company and New Gravesend Railway Company.

Poor Law administrator

Neave acted as the first Assistant Poor Law Commissioner, in the Chester area, from January 1836. He was then described as a Justice of the Peace, of

Havering The London Borough of Havering () in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities include Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham, Lo ...

atte Bower, Essex. He owed his appointment to the recommendation of "E. Penhryn", writing to

John Shaw-Lefevre Sir John George Shaw Lefevre KCB (24 January 1797 – 20 August 1879) was a British barrister, Whig politician and civil servant. Career Shaw Lefevre was the son of Charles Shaw Lefevre by his wife Helen, daughter of John Lefevre. Charle ...

. This person has been identified as the future

Edward Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn Edward Gordon Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn (born Douglas; 20 June 1800 – 31 March 1886), was a British Conservative Party politician, landowner in Wales, and slave owner in Jamaica. He played a major part in the development of the Wels ...

, but possibly was his friend Edward Penhryn, a barrister. Another recommendation was from Sir Charles Trevelyan, a cousin, who let it be known that the appointment would please him. As mentor, Neave had Edward Gulson. They had a meeting in February 1836 at Clumber, with

Henry Pelham-Clinton, 4th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, 4th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne (31 January 1785 – 12 January 1851), was a British nobleman and politician who played a leading part in British politics in the late 1820s and early 1830s. He was styled L ...

. Another meeting to deal with

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

Poor Law union issues, in the context of local politics and personalities, was with

Robert Lowe Robert Lowe, 1st Viscount Sherbrooke, GCB, PC (4 December 1811 – 27 July 1892), British statesman, was a Liberal politician who helped shape British politics in the latter half of the 19th century. He held office under William Ewart Glad ...

at Bingham.

Edwin Chadwick Sir Edwin Chadwick Order of the Bath, KCB (24 January 18006 July 1890) was an English social reformer who is noted for his leadership in reforming the Poor Laws in England and instituting major reforms in urban sanitation and public health. A ...

sought material with which to advocate against the

Cheshire Constabulary Cheshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Cheshire in North West England, comprising the unitary authority, unitary authorities of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Borough of ...

, set up in 1829, and Neave supplied it. The 1837 general election caused local resistance in Cheshire to poor law reform, which Neave characterised as "backsliding". In implementing the

Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 (4 & 5 Will. 4. c. 76) (PLAA) known widely as the New Poor Law, was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the British Whig Party, Whig government of Charles ...

, he failed to reform the Chester workhouse, which continued on the old basis to the 1860s.

Friendship with John Constable

Neave was a friend of

John Constable John Constable (; 11 June 1776 – 31 March 1837) was an English landscape painter in the Romanticism, Romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedha ...

, visiting his London studio on 21 May 1819. In 1825 Constable painted portraits of Neave and his brother Sheffield. In the same year, Neave became godfather to Constable's daughter Emily. Constable stayed with him at

Epsom Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...

; this was at Pitt Place, which at that date, 1831, was leased by Neave from Rowland Stephenson. He and family members later bought it at auction, in 1840.

Later life

A book from 1841 described Pitt Place as Neave's seat. He became the third baronet, on his father's death in 1848. He later resided at

Dagnam Park Dagnam Park is a public park located in Harold Hill in the London Borough of Havering The London Borough of Havering () in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is R ...

Romford Romford is a large List of places in London, town in east London, east London, England, located northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Havering, the town is one of the major Metropolitan centres of London, metropolitan centr ...

, Essex. In 1861 he was elected a member of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

Works

Neave was a landscape painter, and exhibited at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

''A Scene in the New Forest''. Two of his landscapes were engraved by David Lucas. ''Four Days in Connemara'' (1852), a post-Irish Famine travelogue by Neave, was called "more polemical than topographical" by '' The Athenaeum''. It took an interest in workhouses and places of correction. ''Four Days'' also expressed great anxiety over the impending Irish elections of Autumn 1852, which saw a return of a great many Irish MPs from throughout the country intent on working together to reform Ireland's landholding policies (see

Charles Gavan Duffy Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, KCMG, His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (12 April 1816 – 9 February 1903), was an Irish poet and journalist (editor of ''The Nation (Irish news ...

''The League of North and South: An Episode of Irish History, 1850-1854'').

Family

Neave married Mary Arundell, daughter of James Everard Arundell, 9th Baron Arundell of Wardour (died 29 August 1849). They had six sons and five daughters: #Arundell Neave, 4th Baronet, married Gwyn Gertrude Hughes, daughter of William Hughes, 1st Baron Dinorben. Their son Thomas Lewis Hughes Neave, 5th Baronet was a major landowner, holding nearly 10,000 acres in England and Wales. #Edward Digby (1830–1858), Bombay Civil Service. #Kenelm (d. 1861), Bombay Army. #Wyndham (d. 1858), 71st Highlanders, died in action in Morar, Gwalior on 16 June during the

Central Indian campaign of 1858 The Central India Campaign was one of the last series of actions in the Indian rebellion of 1857. The British Army and Bombay Army overcame a disunited collection of states in a single rapid campaign, although determined rebels continued a guerr ...

. #Ednowain Reginald, graduated B.A. 1865 at

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...

#Augustus, died an infant. (Not counted in the sons are Reginald, died an infant on 2 April 1836, and Edgar, died 10 July 1849, aged 11 months.) And #Mary Blanche, married 1860 the barrister John Richard Westgarth Hale (later surname Hildyard) (died 1888) #Frances Eleanor #Venetia, married 1860 the cleric and landowner

John Whitaker Maitland John Whitaker Maitland (1831–1909) was the rector of Loughton, lord of the manor, and owner of Loughton Hall. Early life He was the third son of William Whitaker Maitland, landowner and High Sheriff of Essex. He was educated at Harrow School, ...

#Cicely, married 1863 the barrister Wyndham Slade, son of

Sir John Slade, 1st Baronet General Sir John "Black Jack" Slade, 1st Baronet, (31 December 1762 – 13 August 1859) served as a general officer in the British Army during the Peninsular War. Slade was praised in official reports, including by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke ...

by his second wife #Mariquita, married 1874 Alexander George Middleton, a second cousin.

Notes

External links

Online Books page
# {{DEFAULTSORT:Neave, Sir Digby, 3rd Baronet 1793 births 1868 deaths English painters English writers Baronets in the Baronetage of Great Britain