HAIGH, Alfred Grenfell

1870 - 1963

Alfred Grenfell Haigh was born at Wavertree, Liverpool, Lancashire on 28 February 1870, son of Reginald Haigh (1832-22 February 1903), a cotton broker, and his wife Flora Grenfell (26 August 1841-27 November 1874), fourth daughter of Admiral John Pascoe Grenfell, who married at the Parish Church Childwell, West Derby on 15 April 1863. In 1871, Alfred was living at Trap Hill, Formby, Lancashire with his parents, 39-year-old Reginald and 28-year-old Flora, who was born in Brazil, and his three siblings, Cecile Flora 7, Ronald Grenfell 6 and John Grenfell 4, all born in Lancashire, and they retained seven indoor servants. Reginald and Flora had a further daughter, Mildred Entwhistle (1872-1939), before Flora's death in 1874, aged 33. Alfred was educated at Ellery [Boarding] School, Atherton Street, Liscard, Cheshire and at Rossall Art School near Blackpool, where he won prizes for drawing, and later also studied art in Paris. In 1891, a 21-year-old artist, living at Leighton Neston, Cheshire with his widowed father, and siblings Ronald and Mildred. In 1901, a lodger at High Street, Newmarket, Suffolk, the home of Arthur Mewes and his wife and settled in Newmarket where he was an equestrian and animal artist in oil and occasionally in watercolour, also a sculptor, taking private commissions to paint horses and other animals. He married at Banbury Parish Church, Oxfordshire on 18 October 1904, 39-year-old Annie Beatrice Kelk (6 December 1866-9 February 1955), daughter of John William Kelk (1831-9 June 1890). By 1911, they were living at The Cottage, South Cerney, Cirencester with a five-year-old son, Daniel Grenfell (15 August 1905-7 March 1988), born at Stretchworth, Cambridgeshire. In December 1922, Alfred exhibited with the Cheltenham Group of Artists at the Municipal Art Gallery, Cheltenham and, with the Duke of Beaufort being Alfred's patron, led to commissions from the Cotswold racing and hunting fraternity. Amongst the racehorses that he painted were portraits of 'The Petrarch', 'Diomedes', 'Airborne', 'April Fifth' and 'Ocean Swell'. Actor Tom Walls (1883-1949) was the owner of 'April Fifth', the 1932 Derby winner, for whom Haigh also painted several hunter portraits. In 1939, Haigh was an artist living at Cleevestones, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire with his wife and when he exhibited at the Banbury and District Art Society in 1954, the most expensive painting was his 'Jersey Aristocrats'. Alfred Grenfell Haigh was of North Bank, Adderbury, Banbury when he died at Tracy Nursing Home, Banbury on 12 October 1963, aged 93.

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Works by This Artist