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W Botham Watercolour Artist


Edmund

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When normality finally returns and I can get back to furraging in the ‘antique’ emporiums I will keep my eyes peeled for a print, most folk are looking for anything other than art work, probably because they have a preference for freely touchy things. I love depictions of buildings prior to the Victorians getting their hands on them.

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On 12/02/2021 at 18:30, Edmund said:

 

213583437_BothamOldPalace.png.64aa29d1c8832d6984ad3126cdd495fe.png

1669994603_BothamOldPalace_2.png.89c0b7da9c068c2809e3f4a68fd1a0b0.png

 

Fascinating pictures, I'm particularly interested in 'the old place' on Norton Lane, does anyone know exactly where it stood please?

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On 14/02/2021 at 09:37, LeadFarmer said:

Fascinating pictures, I'm particularly interested in 'the old place' on Norton Lane, does anyone know exactly where it stood please?

Probably the nickname for the house "the old palace" refers to its connection with Bishop Blythe, as in a Bishop's Palace. From Armitage's 1910 "Chantry Land":

There is a reproduction of a watercolor on page 42 which is the same house that Botham painted, information about the picture reads:

House, demolished probably in 1810, which stood a little to the south of Norton House.  From a water-colour drawing, copied, about 1877, by the late Miss S.E. Addy, from an original in the possession of the Rev. H.H. Pearson. The copy belongs to Mr Sidney Oldall Addy, M.A., by whom permission to reproduce was kindly granted.

And from the text (page 41 following reference to the Blythes of Bishops' House):

William Pearson, once curate at Norton, writing to his brother Henry, the vicar, says : "The Blythes lived once in an old house just in front of Mr.Holy's [Norton House] near where the yew tree now stands. Mr.Read used to have a picture of the remains of it.  It was pulled down some forty or fifty years ago." Again, the Rev. Henry Pearson has a note that the Blythes lived in an old house pulled down by Mr.Read in front of Norton House near an old yew tree.

Thomas Asline Ward mentions the Norton habitation of the Blythes, for in an allusion in the autumn of 1809 to Norton House, where he used to visit John Read, he says : "The prospects from it will be greatly improved by taking down the old houses in front, which will be done in spring. One of these will be much regretted by Chantrey ; and you will, I dare say, join in the regret.  He has frequently admired  and sketched it.  A Bishop Blythe, who is said to have been born at Norton, is reported to have erected it for the residence of his honest but homely parents."  Thus apparently the house was removed in 1810. 

Mr.Addy has a water-colour drawing of an old timbered house which, before it was destroyed, stood opposite the south front of Norton House.  Probably this is the house mentioned by Asline Ward, and it may be one of those enumerated by Mrs.Sterndale in the quotation from her book which appears in the previous chapter.

 

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When they refer to Norton House, are they referring to the house that stands on the edge of Graves Park and next to St James church by the Chantrey obelisk?

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1 hour ago, LeadFarmer said:

When they refer to Norton House, are they referring to the house that stands on the edge of Graves Park and next to St James church by the Chantrey obelisk?

The Norton House referred to was demolished in 1878 and a new one built on the site - now known as Norton House Club and is in a line with St James, the obelisk, then the house.

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21 hours ago, Edmund said:

The Norton House referred to was demolished in 1878 and a new one built on the site - now known as Norton House Club and is in a line with St James, the obelisk, then the house.

I know the one, been in it a few times as I live locally and I used to be a member, but didn't renew as people were a bit clicky in there. It's a lovely building, apart from the ugly extension on the left. There are some very old looking outbuildings at the rear.

 

Unknown.jpg.09c2bead2d40c44fa5cc89355948f3bf.jpg

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Picture the scene taking place at the funeral of Sir Francis Chantrey across the road at Norton Church 180 years previously.

 

 

St James Norton.png

Sir Francis Chantry 1.png

Sir Francis Chantry 2.png

Sir Francis Chantry 3.png

Sir Francis Chantry.png

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46 minutes ago, LeadFarmer said:

Fascinating article, thanks.

Is that painting on display anywhere do we know?

The painting is probably still on the wall at the Weston Park museum , as they went to the effort of restoring it:

Paintings at Weston Park

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On 10/09/2022 at 11:54, miked said:

Thanks for posting Edmund. 

Botham was an amateur artist I take it?

There's little information about Botham, but he seems to have gone into partnership with his ex-master Robert Ramsay (carver and gilder, included framing and cleaning of oil paintings). So if not a professional artist in watercolours, then at least of other forms of art.

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