GILLETT, Frank

1874 - 1927

Edward Frank Gillett was born at Worlingham, Suffolk on 23 July 1874 and baptised on 19 August 1874, son of Revd Jesse Gillett (1833-3 December 1893), curate of Worlingham, and his wife Eliza Marten née Duplock (1842-19 September 1908), who married at Crewe, Cheshire on 8 June 1864. In September 1875, his father Jesse was licensed to the vicarage or perpetual curacy of Aldeby, near Loddon, Norfolk and in 1881 young Edward was a 6-year-old living at The Vicarage, Beccles Road, Aldeby with his parents, 47-year-old Jesse and 38-year-old Eliza and his three siblings, Charles William 5, born Worlingham and Emily Harriett 3 and newly born Maud Elizabeth, both born at Aldeby. After schooling at Gresham School, Holt, Norfolk, Frank became a clerk at Lloyd’s, moving to London and, together with his older brother Frederick, who was also a Lloyd’s clerk, both lodging with Frederick Daniels, a law writer, at 56 Thornton Street, Stockwell, London. In 1891, an 18-year-old ‘clerk at Lloyds’, lodging at 56 Thornton Street, a position he retained until 1896 when he became a full-time illustrator on the staff of the 'Daily Graphic' 1898-1908, moving to 'The Black & White' 1908-1911 and 'The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News' 1910-1923. A painter, black and white artist and illustrator, elected to the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours in 1909 and in the same year he became a founder member of the Pencil Society and was also a member of London's Langham Sketching Club. He specialised in foxhunting and hare-coursing scenes, including his painting, 'Beccles–Coursing' exhibited at Wingfield Sporting Gallery, London also exhibiting at Fine Art Society; Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts; Walker Art Gallery; The Royal Academy and Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, from St Alban’s, Hertfordshire in 1909, London in 1911 and Beccles, Suffolk 1918. In 1901, an artist (painter), living at 23 Gayton Road, Hampstead with his widowed mother and six siblings. He married firstly at St Augustine’s Church, Highbury, London on 22 April 1903, Elsie Joanna Bastard (1870-4 January 1912) and secondly at Aldeby, Norfolk in 1914, Margaret Helen Mickelburgh (12 February 1891-1974) and they had one son, David born in 1915. After spending some time in London, he returned to Aldeby in 1916. Edward Frank Gillett was of Red Tiles, Northgate Street, Beccles, when he died at the London Hospital on 1 May 1927, aged 52, and after his death his widow remarried in 1948, William Morris. Sometimes known as Frank Edward Gillett.

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Works by This Artist