SMYTHE, Mary Emily

1856 - 1922

As Emily Smyth, and variously known as Mary Emily Smythe, Mary or Emily Smythe. She was born on 11 January 1856 and baptised at St James's Church, Bury St Edmund’s, Suffolk on 6 February 1856, younger daughter of artist Edward Robert Smythe and his wife Ellen née Burman (1827-1879), who married at Ipswich on 15 March 1848. In 1861, as Emily Smyth, a 6-year-old student, staying with her uncle, artist Thomas Smythe at 20 Bolton Lane, Ipswich but by 1871 had returned to live with her parents at Bury St Edmund’s. Taught art by her father or uncle as her oil paintings are in the style of the Smythe brothers such as barn and house interiors with horses and dogs. As Mary Emily Smythe she married at St John's Church, Bury St Edmund’s on 4 March 1880 as his second wife, John Sparrow, brigade surgeon. In 1891 Emily was living at 8 Adrian Square, Margate, Thanet, Kent with her now retired surgeon general 60-year-old husband John and children John Francis Morgan 15, born at Norwood, Surrey, Ethel Lillian 8, born at Ashton under Lyme and Mabel Constance (13 August 1884-22 April 1942), born at Sudbury Suffolk. Mary Emily Sparrow died at Southampton in 1922, aged 66.




Works by This Artist