REID, Amelia Maria

1821 - 1896

Amelia Maria Reid was born at Brightlingsea Lodge and baptised at Brightlingsea, Essex on 20 February 1821, sixth child of George Reid (c1778-25 January 1827), a West India merchant of Bunker's Hill and Friendship Estates in Jamaica and Watlington Hall, Norfolk, and his wife Louisa Oakeley (1786-1879), fourth daughter of Sir Charles Oakeley, 1st Bart. the former Colonial Governor of Madras, who married at St Mary, Marylebone, London on 6 November 1805. George Reid died at the Gibraltar Estate, St George's Jamaica on 25 January 1827, aged 49. Amelia's eldest sister Louisa Elizabeth, a still life artist, married at Wye, Kent on 17 June 1828, Revd John Louis Petit (1801-1 December 1868), a watercolour artist who brought back his work from his travels to all parts of the UK, Europe, and the Middle East for his architectural lectures. In 1851, Amelia was a 30-year-old annuitant, living at Lower Portland Place, Clifton, Bristol with her 64-year-old widowed mother Louisa, who was born in Madras. By 1871 Amelia, her mother and Amelia's 56-year-old sister Helena Catherine (Kate) had moved to 35 Montpellier Villas, Montpellier Grove, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire where their mother died on 22 January 1879. Amelia was a prolific watercolour artist as in 1888 over one hundred of her watercolours and sketches were stolen from her Cheltenham home when she 'noticed a few were missing'. A member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club in 1888 and exhibited from Montpellier Grove, three paintings 'Gloucester Cathedral', 'Shrubland Park' and 'Interior of Gloucester Cathedral'. In 1891 Amelia and her sister were still living at 35 Montpellier Villas, Montpellier Grove, Cheltenham and where Amelia Maria Reid died on 17 June 1896, aged 74 and she was buried in Cheltenham New Cemetery. Her brother, General Sir Charles Reid (1819-1901), left Amelia a legacy of £100 in his will, although he had attended Amelia's funeral in 1896.

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Works by This Artist