EDWARDS, Edwin

1823 - 1879

Edwin Edwards was born at Framlingham, Suffolk on 6 January 1823, son of Charles Edwards (1787-13 February 1875), a banker of Bridgham Hall, near Attleborough, Norfolk, formerly of Framlingham, and his wife Mary Kersey (1798-1874), daughter of Thomas Kersey of Great Glemham, Suffolk, who married on 24 February 1817. Living at East Bergholt, Suffolk, Edwin was educated at Dedham grammar school and in 1845 admitted a solicitor. He built up a large practice in London as proctor, examiner in the Courts of Civil Law and of the High Court of the Admiralty at Doctors’ Commons and published law books 'Cases in the Prerogative Court with Respect to Wills' (1847), 'Treatise on the Jurisdiction of the High Court of Admiralty' (1847), and 'Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction' (1853). After a trip to the Tyrol in 1859, Edwards decided to give up his legal work, which provided him with a substantial pension, to follow his tastes as an artist and etcher. He worked initially in watercolours, but the example of the French painter Alphonse Legros (1837-1911), working on a plate at Edwards's house in Sunbury-on-Thames, inspired him to attempt the etching medium. In 1861 he made the acquaintance of Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904) and other French artists and commenced painting oil, some fifty of his works were exhibited at the Royal Academy including from Thames Bank House, Sunbury-on-Thames in 1861 'Under the Chestnuts, Burgate, Surrey, in 1862 etchings 'Durham, from "a top o' the banks"', 'Under the Willows, Sunbury-on-Thames', 'Mill Pond, Oakham, Surrey' and a drypoint 'Durham and exhibited until 1879 from 26 Golden Square, London 'Beer, Devonshire' also showing at the Paris Salon. As an etcher his works are numerous consisting of scenes in the London area, the cathedral cities, and of Cornwall and Suffolk. He married at Hendon on 11 August 1852, Elizabeth Ruth Escombe (8 September 1832-29 May 1907), daughter of William Escombe of the Bombay Civil Service. In 1870, Edwin and his wife, known as Ruth, visited Edward FitzGerald at his Little Grange home in Woodbridge, Suffolk and were frequent visitors over the coming years. Edwin Edwards died, without issue, at his home, 26 Golden Square, London on 15 September 1879, aged 56, and buried at Brookwood, near Woking. After the death of Edwin, his wife Ruth completed and printed the final part of Edwin's 'Old Inns of England'. He also illustrated the works of Longfellow and Wordsworth. A portrait of Edwin and Ruth, by Fantin-Latour is now in the National Gallery.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from Thames Bank House, Sunbury-on-Thames
1861 973 Under the Chestnuts, Burgate, Surrey
1862 921 Durham from 'top o' the banks - etching
         924 Under the Willows, Sunbury on the Thames - etching
         925 Durham - dry point
         926 Mill Pond, Ockham, Surrey - etching
1863 644 Lynmouth Harbour
         951 The Ship Canal, Exeter - etching
         955 Plymouth from Mount Edgecumbe - etching
         958 Kempton Park, Sunbury - etching
         1001 Devonport - etching
1864 195 The Lizard, from Kynance
         281 Boscastle Harbour
         282 Down to the Quay, Clovelly
         841 Pardwick, near the Land's End - etching
         847 Carn Kez, near the Land's End - etching
1865 306 By the Pond in Kempton Park, Sunbury
         340 Penbirth Cove, Cornwall
         433 Pardenick, Cornwall
         859 Study of Old English Poplars - etching
         863 Carn Mellyn, Cornwall - etching
         883 Study of Old English Poplars - Winter - etching
1866 1 Sunrise before the Rain, by the towpath, Sunbury on Thames
         401 Nightfall, Scilly Isles from Carn Morval
         814 From Greenwich Park - etching
         823 Botallack Mine, Cornwall - etching
         829 D'Un Balcon sur les Boulevards, Paris - etching
1867 70 The Druids, Oakley Park
         927 Rochester - etching
from 196 Piccadilly, London
1868 908 Four Etchings-Wells, Old Lowestoft, Blythborough:The Lookout, and Southwold
1869 92 The Hunter's Room
         440 The Song of the Sea
         1099 The Thames Embankment in Construction - etching
         1100 London, from the top of the London Observatory - etching
         1107 Bridge Building at Blackfriars - etching
1870 83 The Black Country, from the Battlements of Dudley Castle
         252 To the Lizard
         372 A Quiet Winter's Evening, Mullion Cove
         877 To the Lizard - etching
         885 To the Lizard - etching
         886 Lizard Lights: Winter Evening - etching
1871 521 The Old Trackway at Staventon: Winter
         825 Old Inns: The Tabard, Southwark
         826 Old Inns: The Green Dragon, Bishopsgate
         862 Old Inns: Riverside Taverns at Gravesend
         863 Old Inns: King's Arms, Warwick Lane
from 15 Cockspur Street, Pall Mall
1872 186 By the Deben
         1298 Old Inns: The Adam and Eve, Chelsea - etching
1873 263 Deep Corner, Ipswich
from 26 Golden Square
1874 1220 Back of the Dophin Inn, Higham, near Norwich - etching
1875 73 Gainsborough Lane
         1089 King's Head Inn, Chigwell - etching
         1104 Old Inns at Exeter - etching
1878 1018 Walberswick
1879 438 Beer, Devonshire

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Works by This Artist