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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.
THE BLACKPATCH HILLSIDE IN THE EARLY 1900s
Copyright Valerie Martin 2007
In November 2007, Peter Archbold in New Zealand emailed to say ."Dear Valerie, Have you got it yet??? Are you going to show it to all of us? Please!".
What is Peter talking about do you think? .... well, it was a watercolour scene of agricultural workers at Tolmare Farm below the Blackpatch hillside early in the twentieth century by Elliott Haigh Marten (exhibited at the Royal Academy and Dudley Gallery from 1886-1901). The artist's Christian name is often mis-spelt as "Elliot".
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Here's the full painting....
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The address of the artist, Elliott Haigh Marten, is often listed as Hawick in Scotland. He was, in fact, born in 1865 in Bolton near Bradford in West Yorkshire.
At first he worked in oils before taking up watercolours. He lived for a time in Cumberland and other areas before living in various parts of Sussex, including West Tarring and Arundel and I guess that is why he roamed the Sussex countryside and there are a number of paintings of this area.
click on photo to enlargeHere is the same scene in November 2007.... many decades after Elliott executed his watercolour. |
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on photo to enlargeA close up view of the Blackpatch hillside in November 2007. |
click on photo to enlargeBlackpatch hillside behind the Long Furlong Road, A280, in November 2007. |
click on photo to enlargeThe Blackpatch hillside from Cissbury Ring in November 2007. |
November 2007
Valerie.....What
a lovely painting! Peter Archbold, South Island, New Zealand.
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Some researchers say that Elliott Haigh Marten emigrated to Australia but if he ever did go there it might have been to visit his sister who emigrated there in 1880.
He finally moved to Kent where he died at Rochester in 1955.
| November 2007 Hi Valerie,
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In April 2008, I was pleased to receive the
following revealing email...."I came across your
fascinating website whilst making a “Google” search for paintings of my first
cousin twice removed, Elliott Haigh Marten.
I was interested in your website’s illustration of his watercolour of Tolmare
Farm below Balckpatch Hill. Some of the biographical details you have given for
him are incorrect as indeed they are on a number of other sites that have
illustrations of his work. In addition, his first name is often mis-spelt as
“Elliot”.
He was born in 1865 in Bolton near Bradford, West Yorkshire. He at first worked
in oils before taking up watercolours. He lived for a time in Cumberland and
other areas before living in various places in Sussex including West Tarring and
Arundel. He finally moved to Kent where he died at Rochester in 1953. He did not
emigrate to Australia and if he ever went there it might have been to visit his
sister who had emigrated there in the 1880s. I am in correspondence with his
son, now aged 89, who lives in Berkshire. He has a few of his father’s paintings
and I possess one.
By co-incidence, I lived for about fifteen years in Worthing, Findon Valley and
Angmering in the 1950s and 60s and therefore knew the area between Findon and
Arundel well.
Do you have any other details about the Tolmare Farm picture? Do you know who
owns it now?
Best wishes ...Rod Marten (Rodney Elliott Marten)."
Continue if you would like to see The Findon Nomad.
THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.
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E-mail: valeriemartin@findonvillage.com |
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