This is a question for those of you in England.  A few years ago I purchased a painting in an
antique store, a nice watercolor.  When I got it home we found a note on the back, leading
to a note inside the backing that stated that the painting was of the Henley Vicarage by an artist named William Pearson.  I have since gotten in touch with the people in Henley(near Ipswich, Suffolk) and found out that it is in fact a painting of what was their vicarage.  I found that the artist William Pearson of Durham, was the father of John Loughborough Pearson who became a famous architect and is buried in Westminster Abbey.  Although there is info on John Loughborough, I haven't been able to find biographical info on William.  Are any of you from Durham, and have you ever heard of William? I love the painting so much I would love to know about the painter.

Danoota

I don't know of anyone here from Durham (although, interestingly I'm from Loughborough).  One place you might get an answer is on the BBC antiques message board.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/h2/h2.cgi?state=threads&board=homes.antiques&&sort=T

But I don't guarantee a reply at all.  It's pretty hit and miss in all honesty.

This is a question for those of you in England.  A few years ago I purchased a painting in an
antique store, a nice watercolor.  When I got it home we found a note on the back, leading
to a note inside the backing that stated that the painting was of the Henley Vicarage by an artist named William Pearson.  I have since gotten in touch with the people in Henley(near Ipswich, Suffolk) and found out that it is in fact a painting of what was their vicarage.  I found that the artist William Pearson of Durham, was the father of John Loughborough Pearson who became a famous architect and is buried in Westminster Abbey.  Although there is info on John Loughborough, I haven't been able to find biographical info on William.  Are any of you from Durham, and have you ever heard of William? I love the painting so much I would love to know about the painter.

^ ?

I was wondering the same thing?  I did get some info, and this post is 3 years old.

I was wondering the same thing?  I did get some info, and this post is 3 years old.
The plot thickens?

I was wondering the same thing?  I did get some info, and this post is 3 years old.


What did you find out about him?

The plot thickens?



Feeling better?




What did you find out about him?



Gis found this for me


William Pearson was born in 1773, his father was a well known local lawyer in Durham. He was a topographical artist and often exhibited at the Royal Academy.He published two books of views: the first, 'Rural Beauties' depicts small churches and cottages in the North West; the second 'Antiquities of Shropshire', of 1807 has 40 views with short descriptions of many of the county's abbeys and castles.The drawings show an appreciation of architectural form which was to be handed down to his youngest son(John Loughborough Pearson); the texts indicate a desire to record old buildings before their impending destruction.  The only other info I could find was that he died in London at the end of 1849.

There is more to the story.  There was a notation on the back that said brought to the States by C.R Betts in 1920.  A couple of years after buying the painting I hired an advocate for my son(he is autistic).  An advocate sees that Jake gets all that he deserves in the educational system, difficult job at best.  Well, we got along famously, and I am lucky to have found her.  One day she remarked that she had to go to a funeral for her husbands grandmother, Isabel Betts.  I picked up on that last name(it isn't all that uncommon) and mentioned the painting and C.R. Betts.  Well, C R Betts was Isabels husband.  They were from England and he had purchased the painting while on a trip back home to find himself a good English wife(Isabel).  The picture was hanging in their house for decades until Isabel was put in a nursing home when well into her nineties.  It was soooo wierd.