BAMFORD, Alfred Bennett

1857 - 1939

Alfred Bennett Bamford was born at Stanley Lodge, Eastern Road, Romford, Essex on 11 January 1857, son of Charles Bamford (30 March 1815-10 April 1913), a linen draper's assistant, and his wife Joanna née Bennett (c1824-29 September 1884) who married at Wirral, Cheshire in 1853. In 1861, Alfred was living at Belmont Place, Romford with his parents, 45-year-old Charles and 36-year-old Joanna and his two siblings, Eleanor Leason 5 and Mary 2. His father Charles, become manager of Kemsley's, auctioneers and estate agents, and lived for many years at Stanley Lodge, Eastern Road, Romford. Alfred studied at the Heatherley School of Fine Art but in 1883 was a lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade of the Essex Yeomanry being promoted major in the Suffolk Yeomanry in 1899. In 1901, Bamford was a 43-year-old artist/painter, living at 30 Compton Road, Islington but in 1905 he took a position as Second Master at Chelmsford School of Science and Art and in 1907 became the Art Master at the Chelmsford School for Girls. His main medium was watercolours, although he also worked in pen and ink and oils with most of his subjects, included buildings which he traced from original pictures and then reproduced several times, often bringing them up to date with modern additions such as bicycles. These works were often romanticised with people, unfortunately usually not very well rendered, wearing costumes from an earlier period. Bamford married at St Mary-at-the-Walls Church, Colchester, Essex on 23 December 1907, 37-year-old Alice Horry (6 January 1870-29 January 1959), daughter of William Smith Horry of Torquay and Romford, and they lived at 90 High Street, Chelmsford but they had no children. Bamford produced a diverse collection of sketches of Essex, including many of East Ham, Ilford, Barking, Dagenham, and Romford, these included drawings, watercolours, and book illustrations. He exhibited at the Royal Academy and was a member and exhibitor at the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1901-1928. Owing to ill-health, he retired from teaching in 1927 and in 1930 moved to 'Mayfield', Newton-by-Tattenhall, Cheshire when he donated 150 sketches to the town of Romford on condition that they should be exhibited. Other donations were made at various times to Chelmsford Museum, the Walker Art Gallery, Dudley Gallery and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and Ilford Libraries received a collection of around sixty watercolours and drawings via the Brand collection which was purchased in the 1930s. Barking and Dagenham also has a collection of Bamford drawings, which are now in Valence House Museum. Alfred Bennett Bamford died at 'Mayfield', Tarvin, Newton-by-Tattenhall on 21 October 1939 at the age of 82. His wife Alice died at 1 Cross Street, Port Sunlight, Cheshire on 29 January 1959, aged 88.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from Stanley Lodge, Romford
1883 1090 The Chapel of St Erasmus, Westminster Abbey - watercolour
1886 1193 The Chapel of St Nicholas, Westminster Abbey - watercolour
from 18 Bloomfield Terrace, Pimlico
1889 1851 Door of St Erasmus Chapel, Westminster Abbey - architectural
from The Bungalow, Romford
1893 1121 An Antiquarian Corner - watercolour
from 30 Compton Road, Romford
1900 1347 Shells of the Sea - watercolour
from 45 Canonbury Street, London
1902 1029 Holywell Street, London - watercolour
1904 593 Light Refreshment
from 20 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford
1913 97 An Arrangement in Blue and Green

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Works by This Artist