CHURCHYARD, Laura

1830 - 1891

Laura Churchyard was born at Well Street (now Seckford Street), Woodbridge, Suffolk and baptised at St Mary’s church on 7 February 1830, one of the several artist children of Thomas Churchyard and his wife Harriet née Hailes (1797-1865), daughter of Lieut George Hailes RN, of Henley, near Ipswich. Laura was educated at a boarding school at Bury St Edmund’s. She worked particularly in water-colour mostly landscapes and was a member of Ipswich Fine Art Club 1884-1890 exhibiting from Seckford Street, Woodbridge in 1881 ‘The Rope Walk, Woodbridge’, ten works in 1883 including an oil and a watercolour, both entitled 'The Entrance to Woodbridge' and watercolours 'Study of an Old Oak', 'Reydon Church', 'The Rope Walk‘, and 'At Brightwell’, in 1886 ‘Wilford Bridge’ and ‘Little Bealings Church’, and was a regular annual exhibitor in all about 37 works. Her painting had a dash like her father’s and was the nearest to him in style and was his painting companion in later years, often seen out walking with him. Laura also exhibited at the Woodbridge Art Exhibition in 1880, two watercolours 'View at Kingston' and 'View at Martlesham' and two sketches, in 1883 she exhibited six of her works including an oil 'Glade Cottage after old Crome' and in 1887 ten watercolours and an oil 'Cherry Tree Inn'. In 1889 the Misses Churchyard exhibited at the Woodbridge Fine Art Exhibition at the Assembly Room at the Bull Hotel, Woodbridge both in oil and in watercolours. She also exhibited at the Bury St Edmunds Fine Art Society in 1882, watercolours 'Raydon Church' which was highly commended and 'View and Kingston' and 'Brightwell Church' which were commended. Laura was librarian at Seckford Library at Woodbridge and in 1891 the four sisters were living at Seckford Library, Woodbridge. Laura Churchyard died at Woodbridge in 1891, aged 61, unmarried, and buried in Woodbridge cemetery on 16 October. She was succeeded as librarian by her sister Harriett Churchyard.

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Works by This Artist