HARRISON, Reginald Foster
Reginald Foster Harrison was born at 7 Upper Brook Street, Ipswich on 16 February 1880 and baptised at St Mary-le-Tower Church, Ipswich on 19 May 1880, fifth child of Denwood Harrison (20 February 1844-1911), a bootmaker employing 14 men, and his wife Alice Bowery née Wenn (1852-17 September 1908), who married at St Mary-le-Tower Church, Ipswich on 4 October 1871. His father, when living at Cemetery Road, Ipswich was declared bankrupt in 1886 when he opened a new business at 4 Great Colman Street, Ipswich but by 1891 had retired to The Street, Tuddenham St Martin, Ipswich. In 1901, Reginald was a 21-year-old assistant teacher, living at The School, Barsham, Suffolk with his parents, 58-year-old Denwood and 47-year-old Alice and his 19-year-old sister Dorothy Alice, all born at Ipswich. Reginald was appointed an assistant teacher in the boys' department at Bungay school, and he passed his art examination in geometrical drawing and in perspective at the school of science and art at Beccles in 1904. He married at Barsham in 1909, [Nellie] Marion Rosa Chaston (27 January 1880-31 December 1939) and by 1911 they had moved to School House, Ilketshall St Lawrence, Bungay. During the First World War Reginald was a captain in the 4th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, being awarded the Military Cross in the battle at Botain 9/10 October 1918. A member of the Ipswich Art Club 1923-1956, exhibiting from School House, Trimley, Suffolk in 1923, four watercolours 'Old Courtyard', 'The River, Norwich', 'The Quayside' and 'A Cornish Cove', in 1933 'Devon Coast', 'Brantham', 'Cattawade Bridge' and 'Tuddenham', in 1935 'Study of a Man's Head', 'Johnstone as Sir Peter Tazel' and 'Shingle Street Marshes' but in 1937 he exhibited from St Martin's Cottage, Trimley, near Felixstowe, two oils 'Selworthy, Devon' and 'Hangman's Hill, Coombe Martin' and two watercolours 'Low Tide in the Dyke' and 'Falkenham Marshes' and was a regular annual exhibitor. In 1939, he was still living at St Martins Cottage, Trimley with his wife 'Nellie' and exhibited six pictures in 1942 'The Marshes, Falkenham', 'Low Tide, Boston', 'After the Rain', 'The River, Flatford', 'The Pilgrimage, Walsingham' and 'The Pond', six in 1943 'He was Rejected', 'Candle Manor Farm', 'Pond at Capel Hall', 'St Margaret's Church' and 'Two Churches, Trimley' and six in 1944. Reginald Foster Harrison died at St Martin's College, Trimley St Martin on 4 June 1957, aged 77.