HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1973-12-05, Page 7Tucker$010 artists leaves, art heritage IARY
IOLGER
'Diger, Brussels,
residence on
1, 1973. He was
vnship on June t
farmed on the
lot to moving to
ago.
;urvived by his
iertrude Payne;
drs. Gordon
Cranbrook, a
on; twin sister
lie) Johnston of •
Mrs. Torrence
Walton; and 10
He was
; first wife Elva
Lnd a daughter
1960 and by a
of London in
at the M.
in Brussels
n it was taken
lean church for
Rev. Fred
Burial was in
were Harvey
mphries and
alton and Bob
Bray and Jim
Is.
re nephews -
R.#1,
Blyth, Ross
n and Harvey
nds attended
Strathroy,
oronto, Port
ri, ListOwel,
d, Clinton,
n, London,
ews
auer
eting with a
were called
The Guide
nspection of
romise was
uide Laws).
Guides for
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The well-loved hymn, Unto the Hills around do I
lift up my longing eyes, based upon Psalm 121, was
written by a former Governor-General of Canada, In
the Anglican hymn book he is listed as the Marquis
of Lorne and also as John Campbelli Duke of Argyll,
Scottish Presbyterian. Compilers of the Presbyterial'
Book of Praise, indifferent to titles, relaxed the rule
in this instance and both old and new editions
concede that the author was John, Duke of Argyll.
The new United Church-Anglican book outdoes
them all in austerity, stating only that the hymn was
written by John Campbell,
Sir John Douglas Sutherland Campbell was
Marquis of Lorne when posted to. Canada in 1878 for
a five-year term as. Governor-General. He had
married in 1871 Princess Louise, fourth daughter of
Queen Victoria, and was a Liberal member of the
British House of Commons until the Queen , having
occasion to appoint a -successor to Lord. Dufferin,
named her son-in-law.
Among his beneficent activities in the young
Dominion, the Marquis helped to establish the Royal
Canadian Academy of Art and the National Gallery
at Ottawa; for which he selected some .)f the first
paintings. He paid an official visit to God, erich, and
was guest at The Maples, Napier, street residence of
Malcolm Colin Cameron, M.P. for West Huron.
Among the host's paintings was one which
especially interested the . visitor -- a pictiire of
Goderich harbor by William Nichol CreSswell, of
Tuckersmith township, near Seaforth. Mr. Cameron
gave it to the Governor General, and commissioned
the artist to paint a duplicate. This was not finished
when the Marquis left Canada, so it seems certain
that, His Excellency carried off the original, and Mr.
Cameron eventually obtained the duplicate.t
This painting passed in due course to Grace
Emily Cameron, wife of Dr. Alexander C. Hunter, of
Goderich, and to their son Kenneth, Goderich,
barrister. It hangs' now in the living room of Mrs.
Fred Minshall, Cameron Street. Mrs, Minshall is
the former Mrs. J. K. Hunter.
Cresswell produced historical and animal life
.studies, and landscapes, all in, oil, also marines and
landscapes in water color. According to the book,
Early Paintings and Engravers, by R. Harper, Mr.
Cresswell "painted chiefly along Lake Huron,
Georgian Bay, Grand Manan and other parts of
Eastern Canada, and in the White Mountains of
New England.
Reflecting the variety of Cresswell's subjects,
the will of James Dickson, Registrar of Huron,
contained the following bequests: "To my eldest
son, Archibald, my . oil painting by Cresswell;
marine view; to my son John, my oil painting by
Cresswell of Flower Pot Island; to my son Samuel
my oil painting by Creswell of a view in the White
Mountains.'.'
' Cresswell paintings were shown at many
exhibitions, including one in Philadelphia. His
works may- he seen today in the National Gallery
at. Ottawa, Ontario Art Gallery, TorOnto 'Art
Gallery the Coverdale Collection,, and there is one
in the London (Ontario) Art Gallery. The Sigmund
Samuel Collection in Toronto has three: Lake
George, New York State, 1866; Beaching Boats,
Lake Nipigon, 1876, and Near White Horse Lodge,
White Mountains, 1866.
When in England a few years ag o Mr. and Mrs.
J.M.Scott of Seaforth attended an art exhibition in
Canada House, London, and noted two Cresswell
paintings. One was of Goderich harbor (perhaps the
Marquis of Lorne's?) Cresswell paintings were
among those sold when_ Casa Loma effects were
dispersed in Toronto.Among private owners are
Judge H. Glenn Hays, Goderich and Sam Scott,
Roxboro.
Cresswell's standing in his professin is Certified
by his electin as a charter member of the Ontario
Society of Artists and. of the Royal Academy of Arts.
• In the Harper book on early painters, it is stated
that Cresswell was a
remittance man who
lived as a country
squire, dividing his
'time between fishing
and painting. Noth-
ing which would sup-
port this theory has
been found. The
Cresswells.,, English
gentlemen dropping
into a settlement of
pioneer Scots., seems
to have assimilated
well. It is significant
that George Edwin
became reeve of
Tuckersmith and that
his county council
colleagues elected
him warden of Huron
in 1877.
William N., the
artist, was born in
Devonshire in 1822.
He studied under
W.N.Cook, R.A., and
'Clarkson -- Stanfield.
He emigrated to
Canada with his
father and other
members of his
family, and in
Stories
and Photos
by
W. E. Elliott
1852 acquired from the 'Canada Company Lot 14,
Con. 11, Tuckersmith, adjoining Harpurhey. The
'deed conveyed 100 acres for 55 pounds sterling. Two
years later, William Nichol, Charles John and Edwin
Cresswell, bought the lot across the concession road
(No. 14 in Con. 111) from. Constant Lewis Van
Egmond, Esquire. The price was 400 lbs, so there
must have been a house in existence. The property
now belongs to Gerald. Martene,
The artist's father, Rev. W. E. Cresswell, had
been an English teacher in a Grammar School in
London for many years. Finding, there were no
Anglican services being held in the Harpurhey area,
he obtained a license from the Bithop of Toronto and
started to conduct services in Knox Hall,
HarpuThey. This was really the. Knox Hotel, beside
the Cemetery, built by Thomas Knox and used for
public gatherings. Here Mr. Cresswell held services
from 1855 to 1859. Plans for a church at Harpurhey
fell through when the railway set up its station at
Seaforth, but Mr. Creswell became founder of the
Church of St. Thomas in Seaforth, . and Edwin
Cresswell's daughters, Emily and Florence,
provided much financial support.
One Cresswell brother, Henry, unmarried, went
to Colorado and became a sheep rancher in a large
way. At his death', the estate left to theHuron
members of the family was substantial. A ne 'phew,
Ralph Cresswell, went, to live in Pasadena,
California. He died in October, 1948, and the funeral
service was held in St. Thomas' Church.
The artist died in 1888, and was buried in
Maitlandbank Cemetery, north of Seaforth, where a
large tomb contains the, remains of several members
of the family. His father Rev. Wm. Cresswell and
brother George Edwin Cresswell together with
George Edwin's wife Dora Fowler are buried in
Harpurhey Cemetery.
"He was principally known as an artist," said
the Huron Expositor, "to which profession he was
greatly devoted, and many of the best private
residences of this country are adorned by works of
rare artistic merit from his hand. Although highly
educated, widely read and possessed of natural
abilities of a high order, he never aspired to any
public office, his heart being in his studio. He was of
a genial disposition and had many warm friends
and ardent professional admirers.He had no family,
but leaves a widow." -
•
Artist Cresswell's studio was'in the upper left part of thii
house in Tuckersmith Township, southwest of Seaforth. The
Cresswells came to Huron from England in 1852.
Tomb of an artist. - Here, in Maitlandbank Cemetery, north of
Seaforth, are interred the remains of William N. Cresswell and
other members of his family. •
Gift io a Governor.- - The Marquis of Lorne, when
Governor-General, admired this painting in, ,the residence of
M.C.Cameron, Gotferich, and the West Huron M.P. gave it to
him. He commissioned the artist, W. N. Cresswell of
Tuckersmith, to paint a duplicate, which now hangs in the
residence of Mrs. Fred Minshall, Cameron Street, Goderich. It iS
a vieW of the Maitland and Godetich harbor from the hill where
the north road descends.
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