FOX, Buscall

1818 - 1887

Buscall Fox was baptised at Merton, Norfolk on 3 March 1818, son of Edmund George Fox (24 July 1791-1866), a farmer, and his wife Sarah née Buscall. A student at the Royal Academy and a pupil of John Frederick Herring (1795-1865) and of Harry Hall (c1814–1882). In 1841, an artist, lodging at West Street, Sturminster Marshall, Wimborne and Cranborne, Dorset, the home of Mary Harrington and her family, when he wrote about 'The Shapwick Monster'. He married at Chelmsford, Essex in 1853, Elizabeth Ann Marson of Stisted, Essex and had issue including George James Fox. In 1866 Buscall Fox advertised as an ‘animal, portrait, miniature, animal and landscape painter, gives lessons in oil and water colour painting...’ from Rose Cottage, Front Street, Barton Mills, Suffolk but by 1875 had moved to The Old Rectory in the same village. In 1881, a 63-year-old, portrait, animal, and landscape painter, living at The Street, Barton Mills with his 47-year-old wife Elizabeth, with three 'White' cousins and two 'Rough' a nephew and a niece, all under ten years old. He exhibited regularly at the Bury St Edmund's Fine Art Society, amongst others in 1880 'Portrait of a Gentleman' and a still life, in 1881 'The Old Mill Pond, Icklingham' and the following year an 'Equestrian Portrait' and 'Early Evening, Icklingham' also painting a number of horse and dog portraits, his attractive ‘A Grey Mare and a Dog in a Stable’ dated 1868 was sold at Bonham’s in 1985 and he also exhibited at the Royal Academy. Buscall Fox died at Glebe House, Barton Mills, Suffolk on 16 February 1887, 'after a long and painful illness', aged 68, leaving his estate to his widow but there was a sale of all his household and studio effects including oil paintings, at Glebe House on 6 October 1887. He is the artist of two still life paintings in the collection of St Edmundsbury Museums, dated 1876, which are listed as by 'B. Fox'.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from Barton Mills, Mildenhall
1867 63 Portrait of a Gentleman
1870 258 Lyon Levi, Esq.
1874 294 Portrait of a Gentleman

In 1831 he composed a poem with an illustration of
THE SHAPWICK MONSTER: -
Once on a time, some years ago,
A Fishmonger it happened so,
His fish to sell o'er common wide,
Was forced against his will to ride,
For Blandford folk (so says my tale), he
Had like his fish found rather scaley,
And trotting on, by fortune crossed,
One of his finest Crabs he lost,
This happened on his road to Bere
Near Shapwick town, in Dorsetshire.
'Twas eve, the sun was going down.
When from his work a country clown,
Trudging along in simple nature,
By chance, trod on the crawling creature.
He found it more with sudden start,
Against his bosom bumped his heart,
Whilst panic fear assail'd his mind
Sideways, like Crab, he crawled behind,
And horror-struck in every feature,
He gaped upon the wondrous creature.
So strange the monster did appear
He thought the Devil himself was there.
His hair erect stood bolt upright,
As if he'd really seen a sprite,
He stood and viewed it at a distance,
Then thought he'd hasten for assistance,
I'll run, qoph he, to Shapwick town,
And there I'll make the wonder known.

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Works by This Artist