GROSE, Francis

c.1731 - 1791

Francis Grose was born at his father's house in Broad Street, St-Peter-le-Poer, London around 1731 and baptised in the parish of St Peter-le-Poer on 11 June 1731, eldest of the seven children of Francis Jacob Grose or Grosse, a Swiss immigrant and jeweller, and his wife Ann Bennett, daughter of Thomas Bennett of Kingston, Oxfordshire. Francis was living at Wandsworth, London when he studied art at William Shipley’s (1715-1803) drawing school near Fountain Court in The Strand. Francis was Richmond Herald 1755-1763 and in 1769 a member and exhibitor at the Society of Artists of Great Britain 1767-1768 and as an honorary member exhibited at the Royal Academy 1769-1777. Paymaster in the Hampshire militia, captain of the Surrey militia and held a similar position at Landguard Fort at Felixstowe, Suffolk, spending a lot of his time travelling the Suffolk County, sketching views. He married in 1750, Catherine, daughter of Mr Jordan of Canterbury, by whom he had several children, their eldest son being Francis Grose (c.1758-1814), Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales, Australia and one of his daughters Catherine Anne Maria, married Capt Anketell Singleton (died 1804), Lieutenant Governor of Landguard Fort at Felixstowe, where Francis lived on many occasions. Francis made frequent sketching tours, often with other amateur artists such a John Nixon (1755-1818), Thomas Pennant (1726-1798) and Moses Griffiths (1747-1819) with whom he toured the Isle of Man in 1774. Francis Grose died of an apoplectic fit whilst on a tour of Ireland, at the house of Horace Hone's in Dublin, on 12 May and buried at Drumcondra cemetery on 18 May 1791. The author of several books including 'The Antiquities of England and Wales' (1773-87), 'A Dictionary of Buckish Slang' (1785), 'A Glossary of Provincial and Local Words used in England (1787)', 'The Antiquities of Scotland' (1789-91); 'The Antiquities of Ireland' (1791-1795); The Antiquarian Repertory' (1775) and several others on military matters.

Royal Academy Exhibits
1769 134 Riding Gate, Canterbury
         135 Croydon Church
1770 227 A View of Christ Church, Canterbury
         228 A View of Newark Priory, near Ripley
1771 237 A View in Holy Well, in North Wales
         238 A Snow-piece from fancy'
1772 301 Two Views of Ely House in Holborn
1773 327 Gate of the Ecclesiastical Court, Canterbury
         328 The Walls of Canterbury
1774 332 Strollers in the Character of Anthony and Cleopatra
         333 A View of Durham
1775 365 Warkworth Castle in Northumberland
         366 Kirkstall Abbey, Yorkshire
1776 346 Caistor Castle, Norfolk, the house of Sir John Fastolf
         347 Keep and Leaning Tower of Caerphilly Castle, Glamorganshire
1777 410 Alnwick Castle, the seat of his grace the Duke of Northumberland
         411 Christ-church Priory in Hampshire
         416 View of the Castle and part of the Town of Tangier

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Works by This Artist