Thomas Grainger, 1849 – 1930, artist of Hartlepool
This edition’s front cover is of a painting by Thomas Grainger, my 2 x gt uncle. Unfortunately, I do not know which village the painting depicts other than that it is most likely to be in and around the Hartlepool area. I am hoping that some members of the CFHS might have an idea of the location. Thomas was a fairly prolific artist: apart from paintings he had given to family members or sold, at one point there were over 50 of his paintings in his sister’s house which were all sold for 1s. 6d when Thomas died. Places that I know Thomas painted include Greatham, Seaton Carew, Heseldene, Castle Eden Dene, Stranton Church and Hartlepool harbour. He also depicted Robin Hoods Bay and there is one of the farm where the celebrated racehorse ‘Voltigeur’ was reared at Aske near Richmond. He painted ‘The Denes’ for his sister Hannah and his nephew Barton Jr as these were where they had done their courting with their respective spouses.
So who was Thomas Grainger? The eldest child of George Grainger and Isabella (née Barton),Thomas was born in Robin Hoods Bay in 1849. By 1855 the family had moved to Hartlepool where George set up in business as a joiner and undertaker. Whilst Thomas’ younger brother Barton forged his own career as a butcher and as an alderman in Hartlepool’s first Town Council, Thomas was expected to join his father in the family business. However, art was Thomas’ first love and he only worked reluctantly as joiner. There was a story that he worked as an art master in a boy’s school for a while and whilst we don’t know if that is true, Thomas was certainly an active member of the Hartlepool School of Art. He is mentioned in several newspaper reports about the school’s exhibitions and classes. For example, the Northern Echo dated Friday 9th December 1881 mentions one of Thomas’ paintings of Hart Dene, Crimdon and how he was awarded a third grade prize, ‘the highest within reach’ for a bas-relief.
In September 1888 Thomas married Elizabeth Brass, née Coath. Elizabeth was the widow of Henry Brass and had three children from this marriage. Family reports suggest that she had a shop dealing in general goods and was hardworking and prosperous. Thomas and Elizabeth had a son, Thomas, born in February 1889, and Isabella born in March 1892. It would appear that Thomas and Elizabeth had been in a relationship a little longer than was thought. I was in contact with a descendant of Elizabeth and sharing information. This researcher was very surprised one day to be contacted by Harry Crawford who was a grandson of Hannah Grainger Brass. Hannah was, as can be guessed, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth and was born in January 1886. Although there was no father’s name on Hannah’s birth certificate, in time honoured fashion, Elizabeth gave a large clue as to Hannah’s parentage with her middle name, and Thomas acknowledged her as his daughter in his will. It is thought that Elizabeth Brass sent baby Hannah to be looked after by her family in Ireland. By 1911 Hannah was back in Hartlepool working in the Kings Head, Hartlepool as a servant having given birth to an illegitimate daughter in 1909.
Sadly, the marriage did not prosper. Thomas was only expected to pay the gas bill but he didn’t even do this and apparently the rest of the family upped and left him with only his chair to sit on! This must have happened before the 1911 census when he was living in Sunderland Street. Elsie Bradley remembers Thomas as someone who liked children to be seen and not heard and that he got cross when the children disturbed him whilst painting. Thomas lived on his own for a while but moved in with his sister Elizabeth Ann until her death in 1925. He did some work for his brother Barton as well as his father but complained about bills all the time.
Thomas’ father George didn’t appear to have a very high opinion of Thomas’ money management either. When George died in 1899 the money that he left to Thomas was to be put into a trust to be administered by Barton and Elizabeth Ann which was rather shaming for a man of 50 years of age!
Thomas’ son Thomas became a marine engineer and his daughter Isabella possibly became a nursery governess in Grimsby but after 1911 I can find no sign of either her or her mother after this date. Thomas Jr sadly died from the effects of malaria in Aden in 1921. Confusingly the probate index on Ancestry refers to Thomas Jr’s executor as Elizabeth Grainger his widow, leading many researchers to think that Thomas Sr died then but Thomas Jr’s will written on 1915, makes it clear that his mother was his executor. Even more confusingly, Thomas Sr wrote his will in 1920 but did not die until 1930. This document shows just how estranged Thomas was from his son and daughter. He left Thomas and Isabella one of his paintings each and nothing to his widow, but left one third of his estate to his daughter Hannah Grainger Durham (née Brass). It seems very poignant to me that Thomas didn’t change his will after his son died. It doesn’t seem possible that he was not aware of Thomas’ death.
|
Vicky Tomlinson Member 5726
No comments:
Post a Comment