The Doctor's Journey.                                  Biddy Cole 23/4/08

The portrait of Great Uncle John Dawson hung in my grandmother's house in Prestatyn until she died in 1929, my mother inherited it and I can remember it all my life. Both my parents taught in prep schools and the portrait moved around with them from Wales to Moffat in Scotland to Ripple in Kent and then back north via North Wales to Croft on Tees in the North Riding. When my parents finally retired aged 70, the flat in the Rectory at Croft went with the job, so we looked for a home down South on or near Romney Marsh so that they would be nearer to us as we were running Rye Tiles in Rye. The Portrait of course, moved with them to their new home in Hythe and when they finally died I inherited Great Uncle John and started to investigate its history. Great Uncle John was JOHN DAWSON the Mathematician (1734-1820), and once we had drawn out a rough family tree we  realised that he was not an uncle but a cousin, probably the family legends about his fame and relationship had started when he was already an old man and therefore more respectfully called  Great Uncle John!

It is recorded that there were 3 watercolour portraits of JD, the first commissioned by the Revd Peacock, Vicar of Sedbergh, from Joseph Allen in 1809, the second was painted by the Revd Peacock himself, because he did not like the result of the commissioned painting and he persuaded JD to sit again, this time for him.  The original[1] Joseph Allen portrait was sold to a Mr R H Leigh of Leeds, who was later killed during an election riot, and the portrait was then sold at auction. So as far as is known the original portrait disappeared in Leeds and the copy has never turned up in either Sedbergh or in the Peacock family. The plot thickens in that the Will of MARY DAWSON (JD's daughter) who died 18 July 1843 states: "I give to the Reverend THOMAS HARRISON  (1800- 1869) Vicar of Newchurch in Kent all my books and manuscripts, the two portraits of my late father, my snuff box marked "JD" on the lid on a gold plate and also…."

The Revd Thomas Harrison died in Sedbergh in 1869 but his will of 1865 makes no mention of the portraits or indeed of any of his possessions. He left £50 to his niece ELIZABETH HARRISON daughter of his brother WILLIAM of Whitbeck in Garsdale and " the remainder of all my Real and Personal estate of whatever kind to my wife LOUISA HARRISON." This will was proved in Ashford Kent 18 November 1869. 

So here the trial goes cold, the Portraits obviously left Romney Marsh for Sedbergh, but who then acquired them?

The DAWSON & GREENBANK Families were united in Garsdale with the marriage in 1854 of FANNY (1823 - 1892) d. of ROBERT (1781-1863) & JANE DAWSON of PINFOLD to THOMAS KING GREENBANK (1804-1880) " Professor of Rhetoric" at Owens College Manchester and part time insurance agent, their daughter JANE HAYTON TURNER née GREENBANK (1861-1929) was my maternal grandmother and who, I have always understood inherited the painting along with other pieces of furniture, some painted china [3] and a brass saucepan from her mother Fanny.  So at present at least one portrait of JD has returned to Romney Marsh after over 100 years away.

The whole of this puzzle resurrected itself recently, when we purchased a framed engraving, which we presumed was taken from the Joseph Allen portrait of JD, from RFG Hollett & Son.  Christopher Hollett told us that it is only the second print that he has handled in 20 years. We began to make comparisons between the engraving and the original water colour. Firstly the subject is the same but the outer sizes do not correspond. The engraving is 530 x 420mm whilst the painting has diminished in size and has an arched top or perhaps it always was a different size. We have had the w/c out of its frame and cleaned and there is none of the w/c hidden. Or perhaps it has suffered damage to the edges during the course of its life. The eyes are very different. The w/c has narrowed eyes while the engraving has much fuller and kinder ones. Was it the eyes that Peacock did not like?  If so, perhaps he then painted a kinder face, if that is the case then is the engraving taken from Peacock's and not Joseph Allen's water colour? Is there any actual proof that the print was taken from the original Allen portrait. Can any member help us with solving this detective story?

SEE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE 2 PICTURES IN OUR POSSESSION.