William Brockedon

William Brockedon (1787-1854) was a 19th century English painter. He lived in London.

In 1859, Brockedon illustrated the book "Italy, classical, historical and picturesque" with 39 plates.

WILLIAM BROCKEDON. A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

BY E. WINDEATT.

[Written for the Transcriptions of the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature, and Art. (Read at Kingsbridge, July, 1877.).] "Copy in an original book with annotations by Windeatt. Includes various letters and pictures. Totnes Museum Study Centre."

IT is seldom, as a rule, that there can be brought before the notice of a society, formed for the promotion of Science, Literature, and Art, a sketch of a man whose name was associated with all three, and who in each subject occupied no mean place.

In the case of William Brockedon, inventor, writer, and painter, we have an exception to this rule, and this being so, and he being a native of a neighbouring town, no apology is needed for bringing his name before your notice.

Whilst the writer of a sketch of a man who has made his mark in any particular department must labour under a disadvantage if he be not well acquainted with the particular department in which he of whom he writes excelled, it is quite possible that this disadvantage may be to some extent overcome in a case where the writer is living in the birthplace of his hero, and is therefore able to glean information of his early life which a stranger to the locality could not so easily acquire, and thus is enabled to observe the rule of this society, and bring forward something new and before unpublished concerning him of whom he writes; and it is for this reason, and because Mr. Brockedon was for many years a personal friend of several members of my family, that I presume to present to you a slight sketch of him.

The town of Totnes has not only taken its share in the conflicts of the past, but has also produced men whose names occupy a high place in the roll of fame.; for its inhabitants can point with laudable pride to names which other towns, of larger size and greater importance, would if they could only too gladly claim. Sir Edmund Lye, the bold sailor in the days of good Queen Bess; Benjamin Kennicott, D.D., the great Hebrew scholar, son of the parish clerk of Totnes; Charles Babbage, the mathematician; Edward Lye, the learned antiquary; Dr. Philip Furneaux, the Nonconformist divine; Dr. Mitchell, the public orator at Oxford, who died but a few weeks since; and last, but not least, William Brockedon, among others who might be named, are claimed as worthies of Totnes.

The subject of this sketch was born at Totnes, on the 13th October, 1787, in a small house almost close to the east gate of the town, and now a public-house, and known as the East Gate Inn.

His father, Philip Brockedon, carried on the business of a clock and watchmaker, and repairer, and seems to have been a man of genius, though only in a small way of business. In the latter part of the last century, during the Peninsular war, he was accustomed, when the Courier newspaper arrived in Totnes, to meet with some of his fellow-townsmen in the Church Walk, the Old Exchange, and read to them the latest intelligence from the seat of war.

In houses in the neighbourhood, and in Totnes, are still to be seen old-fashioned eight-day clocks with the words "Brockedon, Totnes," on the face; and the present town clock in the tower of Totnes Church was supplied by him to the Corporation.

He seems to have occupied a respectable middle-class position in the town; for whilst his son William was not educated at the Grammar School, he did not send him to the Charity School, but to a private school kept by a Mr. Daw, (17 High Street?) who, in addition to his school, had a circulating library, and it may have been that his pupils had' an opportunity of obtaining books to read on better terms than outsiders.

An old gentleman resident in Totnes, and over ninety years of age, tells me that he was a schoolfellow of Mr. Brockedon, and describes him as a fine boy, good-humoured and happy, studious and quick at his work, and as having while at school shown indications of the talent for drawing which he in afterlife used with such success; for while at school he would on his slate draw sketches of persons, animals, and scenes, which for accuracy were surprising for a school-boy who had had no teaching in that art.

On leaving school he seems to have assisted his father, and continued to exercise his natural talent; and it is probable that, from his lessons in his father's trade, he may have been in no small degree enabled to shine as an inventor.

From the position his friends occupied it was impossible for him to raise himself to the high place he attained in afterlife, without a helping hand to assist him to the foot of the ladder of fortune. In this respect, however, William Brockedon was fortunate, his chief patron being the Venerable Robert Hurrell Froude, M.A., Archdeacon of Totnes, and Rector of Dartington, an adjoining parish, to whom, not forgetful of his help, he dedicated his chief work, "in gratitude for his early patronage," and in token of the high estimation in which his continued friendship was held. Other friends and helpers in his early career were Governor Holdsworth, of Dartmouth, and the Champernowne family, of Dartington.

Leaving Totnes in 1809, Mr. Brockedon first went to London as a student in the Royal Academy. In 1815 he visited France for the purpose of studying the collection of the Louvre, and after his return painted the picture of the "Acquittal of Susannah" in the Judgment of Daniel, which he presented to his native county, and which is now in the Crown Court of the Castle of Exeter, but is frequently said by superficial observers to be the "Judgment of Solomon." He next painted the picture of "Christ Raising the 'Widow's Son," by which he obtained the prize of one hundred guineas from the Directors of the British Institution; and this picture he presented to the parish church of St. Saviour's, Dartmouth, where it still is.

The fact of this valuable picture being given to a church at Dartmouth has led some writers, among others the author of a sketch in the Literary Gazette, to assume that it was his birthplace, whereas the fact of the Governor of Dartmouth Castle being one of his staunch friends was the real reason.

A good story is told in my family relating to this friendship. For the inhabitants of many towns there is some nick-name; and, for what reason I know not, the Totnes people were and still are sometimes denominated" Totnes horse-heads." On one occasion the captain of a coasting vessel, going from Dartmouth to London and back, called on Mr. Brockedon in London, and informed him that he had brought a curious package for him from Governor Holdsworth; and as he thought it must be a practical joke, and might cause annoyance, he would tell him before he delivered it what it contained; for he knew he was a Totnes man, and the nick-name before referred to; and the package was nothing more nor less than a horse's head. Mr. Brockedon, however, so un explained matters by stating that he had wanted to study the anatomy of a horse's head, and therefore had asked the Governor to get one and send him, and that it had nothing to do with the nick-name before referred to.

He also painted a large picture, the subject of which was a scene from the Poems of Ossian, and presented it to the Corporation of his native town, Totnes: for many years it hung in the Banqueting Room at the Mayoralty House, but is now in the ancient Guildhall.

In the picturesque old parish church of Dartington, close by Dartington Hall, there was also one of Mr. Brockedon's paintings, the subject being a "Scene in the Life of St. Peter" (Giles Shinner, a well-known sexton of Totnes Church, sat for Peter); and it was presented to the church as a slight Acknowledgment of the assistance given him by his valued friends - Archdeacon Froude, the rector, and the Champernowne family.

There is another of his paintings in the parish church of Cornworthy, near Totnes; the subject is the" Crucifixion." The Rev. Charles Barter, for 71 years vicar of this parish, was a friend of Mr. Brockedon's; hence the gift. Another of his paintings was one of large size, representing "Moses with the Tables of the Law," which was exhibited in the Royal Academy.'"

In 1821 he married a Miss Graham, who died in 1829, leaving two children - a son born at Florence, and named Philip after his grandfather, and a daughter the former, an engineer of great promise, died before his father in 1848.

He married secondly the widow of Captain Farwell, of Totnes. (née Clarke)

Shortly after his first marriage Mr. Brockedon, with his wife, made a tour in Italy; and during his stay in Rome painted a picture of the "Vision of the Chariots to Zachariah," which, by the Pope's permission, was exhibited in the Pantheon.

In the summer and autumn of 1824, in company with his friend Clarkson Stanfield, he made an excursion to the Alps, for the purpose of investigating the route of Hannibal, and this tour seems to have suggested to him his great work: The Passes of the Alps those by which Italy communicates with France, Switzerland, and Germany; it was in two volumes, 4to, with 109 plates, was published in 1828-20 and was extremely popular. Mr. Brockedon in a subsequent work speaks of its extraordinary success. In order to carry out this work he made further trips in the summers of 1825, 1826, and 1828.

In 1833 he published Journals of Excursions in the Alps, being an account of the trip made in 1824, before referred to, and dedicated it to his friend and companion in the first excursion, Clarkson Stanfield. This work was not illustrated, but it, and the letter-press of his other works, show that Mr. Brockedon could handle his pen with the same facility as his pencil, and with much the same degree of merit.

He also wrote the letter-press for Finden's illustrations of the" Life and Works of Lord Byron, published that year in three handsome volumes; one of the illustrations, the portrait of the Countess Guiccioli, being engraved from a drawing of his.

In 1835 appeared, in imperial 8vo, the Road Book from London to Naples, written by him and illustrated with twenty five views from drawings by Stanfield, Prout, and Brockedon, engraved by VV. and E. Finden. And in 1842-43, Italy, Classical, Historical, and Picturesque, illustrated and described with sixty plates, folio, by Stanfield, RA., Roberts, RA., Harding, Prout, Leitch, Brockedon, Barnard, &c., &c.; with descriptions of the scenes, succeeded by an introductory essay on the History and Condition of Italy and the Italians, by Camillo Mapei, D.D., formerly Canon of the Cathedral of Penne and Graduate of the College of San Appollinare at Rome, and which was translated into, German and published., at Leipzig in 1846. This last work was of very considerable merit, and showed that he was a landscape painter of high order. Many of the scenes in these volumes were selected with a true feeling for the picturesque, and were treated with great skill and judgment; the great majority of the illustrations were by Brockedon, only a few being by the other artists named.

His were among the earliest of our illustrated books of travels.

In addition to the above he was also the author of a very interesting series of papers on "Alpine Travels," in Blackwood's Magazine, and of the Savoy and Alpine portion of Murray's Hand-Hook for Switzerland.

He frequently exhibited in the Royal Academy, his subjects being various-comprising portraits, historical and domestic scenes, fancy or ideal subjects and landscapes, all of which were more or less excellent; the year 1836 being, I believe, the last occasion of his exhibiting.

I have referred to Mr Brockedon as a painter and writer, let me now refer to him as a man of science.

While he was using both pen and pencil he showed his inventive genius; for in 1819 he invented the mode of drawing gold and silver wire by means of holes pierced in gems; but though he patented the invention, and it came into general use, ill consequence of the facility of violating the patent it never became a source of profit to him. The lessons learned in his father's trade no doubt assisted him not a little in this invention.

In later years he seems to have to some extent laid aside his pencil and easel, and directed his attention to scientific pursuits. His claims for distinction as a man of science rest upon numerous, ingenious, practical applications. For many years he was associated with Messrs. Macintosh and Mr. Hancock in the manufacture of vulcanized india-rubber, and from his experience and discoveries resulted many of the applications of that material which are now in general use.

To the fact that he was an artist is no doubt due the invention we next notice.

The Borrowdale black-lead (plumbago) was failing -that is, the mine was becoming worked out-and it was difficult to obtain any of sufficient size to cut for pencils. No one knew better than Brockedon the value of a good sketching pencil, and he therefore directed his attention to the subject in the hope of supplying a remedy to the evil. By dint of much practical ingenuity, he invented a means of compressing the waste plumbago into cakes, and these were cut into slabs for insertion in pencils, with the lead in a purer state for drawing than before; as, the waste being reduced to powder, he was enabled during the process to take out the grit. The powder was compressed by powerful pressure in vacuo; and so successful was the invention that" Brockedon's Compound Plumbago" is said to have exactly resembled the native lead. A writer said, at the time of his death, "the value of this patent Cumberland black-lead is well known to all who are accustomed to use a pencil for drawing. Its merits are attested by the majority of our leading artists."

He further invented a process of compressing potash and soda, thereby forming a valuable medicine for indigestion.

Mr. Brockedon's literary and scientific attainments were fully recognized by our learned institutions. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society, of the Geographical Society, and several others, and was also the founder of the Graphic Society, in addition to being a member of the academies of fine arts at Florence and Rome.

He was likewise an active member of the committee of the "Royal Literary Fund," and but a few months before his death was present at the annual dinner, and appeared to be in his usual robust health and high spirits; but not long afterwards he was attacked with illness, under which he died at his residence, Devonshire Street, Queen's Square, Bloomsbury, on the 29th of August, 1854, in his 67th year.

As a man he seems to have endeared himself to all who knew him by his good temper, frank, cordial manner, gentlemanly bearing and consideration.

His fine stalwart form, his ability to endure fatigue, and his hearty sympathy with, and thorough appreciation of, whatever was great and good, adapted him peculiarly for the task of portraying mountain scenery; he could look the fierce lightning in the face and glory in the thunder; he could rough it under any lowly roof in the "Passes of the Alps " and many were the tales he would tell of his adventures among the hardy mountaineers.

In the present day I fear his works are not thought much of, or known; but so much the worse for the present, for the engravings in the Passes of the Alps and Italy are worthy of a place in the homes of all who value those grand and glorious scenes.

It may be perhaps thought that the fact of his being my fellow-townsman, and his friendship with my friends, have made me too enthusiastic respecting him; but for my own part I only regret that it has not fallen into abler hands than mine to put on record, among the Transactions of this society, a sketch of one who is, I venture to think, entitled to rank not merely as a worthy of Totnes, but to be claimed by our county, by all England, as a true Englishman who rose from the ranks, worked his way up the ladder of fortune, and, when called away, left a void behind in the hearts of all who knew him.

Family Memorial

On the south side of the Totnes Church yard is a slate stone with this inscription

SACRED TO THE MEMORYOF PHILIP BOCKEDONWATCHMAKER OF THIS TOWNWHO WAS BORN IN KINGSBRIDGE IN 1751AND DIED SEPTEMBER 11TH 1802AGED 52 YEARS OF MARY HIS WIFEWHO DIED FEBRUARY 18TH 1887AND OF THEIR ELDEST SON JOHN RICHARDS BROCKEDON WHO DIED MAY 9TH 1793AGED 7 YEARSTHIS TOMB IS PLACED HERE IN REMEMBRANCE OF DEEP AND GRATEFUL AFFECTIONBYTHEIR ONLY SURVIVING SON.

From Windeatt’s papers, Study Centre.