Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/208

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. iv. SEPT. 9, 1011.

at thirty years ago, called " The Five-Barred Gate":

This gate hangs high and hinders none ; Refresh and pay and pass along.

Any one writing about English artists must inevitably be indebted to Mr. Algernon Graves's two great books, ' A Dictionary of Artists,' 1893, and 'The Royal Academy Exhibitors, 1769-1904,' though he gives no biographical information.

Having found out something about the picture, I have for some time been trying to ascertain who the " J. Harrison " was who painted it. This, I think, I have now accomplished, as the following shows. I first verified Mr. Graves's entries from the Royal Academy catalogues. In this way we find that two " J." Harrisons exhibited for some years. As Mr. Graves points out, the indexer of the Royal Academy catalogues has mixed them up in a hopeless manner. Inaccuracies in the Royal Academy cata- logues continued to 1869, for on 22 May in that year I contributed a note (4 S. m. 486) dissecting the catalogue, and showing that to several of the numbers no artist's name was given, that one number had no picture or artist, and that other numbers were given twice.

The above James was one of the " J.'s " ; the other J. Harrison was a miniature painter called John. James Harrison's first exhibit is in 1827, ' View of Margate Harbour': the word "view" seems to foretell what was going to happen sub- sequently. The next year he exhibits ' Entrance to Harwich, Essex.' In 1829 he has only a sort of architectural drawing, the ' South Front of Somerset House,' and John Harrison did not exhibit. In 1831 we have a view of a gentleman's residence which was being erected from the design, and under the superintendence, of J. Harrison. His namesake John also exhibits a ' Portrait of John Anderson, Esq.' I cannot help noticing the entry just above it : " 360, Portrait of - - Brunei, Esq., by J. Ram- say." That - - tells a tale of extraordinary ignorance.

In 1832, from 30, Myddleton Street (so in the Royal Academy catalogue, not Square, as Mr. Graves has it), Clerkenwell, Nos. 73 and 185 are put to James Harrison's name. These are portraits and belong to John Harrison, to whom, to make sure, the indexer has given them as well. But James did not exhibit in 1832, though his name is in the index as just stated. In 1833 James has a design for the ' Lawn Front of the Molt, South Devon.'

In 1833 a " J. Harrison " had a landscape at the New Water-Colour Society, according to Graves's Dictionary. Fortunately a copy of the New Water-Colour Society's catalogue of this date is preserved in " The Library, Victoria and Albert Museum," in the Wm. Smith bequest. In 1834 James is credited (at the Royal Academy) with No. 82, which was by John, who is given No. 995, which, however, belonged to James ; it is ' Proposed Design for Trinity Church, Woolwich.' In 1835 neither exhibited.

In 1836, for the first and only time, the latter 's name is in full, " James." He is credited with three exhibits : No. 74, which has no description; No. 113, 'Study'; and No. 1009, which last alone I should say was his, ' Design for City of London Schools,' to which the committee awarded the third premium. John's name is not in the index.

In 1837 there are five exhibits numbered 1102. James's is No. 1102 (not in Graves), and it is a design for Dodbrooke Rectory, South Devon. In 1838 he has no exhibit.

In 1839 he had the ' Garden Front of a Villa,' and lastly in 1846 another residence, No. 1244, ' Ken sal House, Harrow Road, erected from the designs and under the superintendence of J. Harrison ' : address 1, Holford Square, Pentonville. I trust to Mr. Graves in saying that James did not again exhibit. But for this last address further identification would, I believe, have been hopeless. It discovers two things : first, the address, which has enabled me to trace James subsequently in the Post Office Directory ; secondly, it seems to disclose his relationship to Mrs. G. H. Harrison ; for under her name in the index I find "see above address " (i.e. James's). Then I find that Mrs. Harrison's address is given in the indexes as at 1, Holford Square from 1845 to 1858. Her husband died on 20 October, 1846, in which year he exhibited for the last time (see J. L. Roget's 'Old Water-Colour Society,' 1891).

I infer that James and G. H. H. were brothers, the sons of the well-known flower- painter Mrs. G. H. Harrison, formerly Mary P. Rossiter. She had twelve children and brought them all up on her own earnings see Redgrave's ' Dictionary of Artists,' and also Graves and Roget. In 1863 her address in the Royal Academy catalogue is " Squire's Mount, Hampstead," which was the house of Frederick Harrison. After 1863 her name does not appear in the Royal Academy catalogues.

After 1846 the Royal Academy catalogues are no further use for this inquiry, so I had