GODDARD, John Bedloe

1838 - 1896

John Bedloe Goddard was born at Tyneham House, Bridge Street, Christchurch, Hampshire on 13 November 1838, the eldest of the three artist sons of John Bryer Goddard (1 July 1811-5 November 1880), a surgeon, and his wife Eliza Bedloe (1813-1881), daughter of Joseph Bedloe of Fordington, who married at Fordington Church, Salisbury, Wiltshire on 23 January 1838. John studied under George Fripp (1813-1896) of the Royal Watercolour Society, and Goddard's forte was scenic painting in watercolours. In 1858 he joined HM British Consular Service, and the following year was a student interpreter at Hong Kong, being appointed third assistant at Tientsin in 1861 and promoted to Acting Vice-Consul at Taku, northeast China four years later. After his five-year tour in the Consular Service, John married at Lymington Parish Church, Hampshire on 28 April 1864, Emily Moore, eldest daughter of Edward Horatio Moore, a Lymington solicitor. Their first child, John Edward, was born at the British Settlement near Tientsin in 1866 and his second son, Frederick James in 1867, but he lived for only two months, his third son, Harry Bryer, born 1868, died from whooping cough at Christchurch, Hampshire, on 11 June 1870, aged 17 months another child Dora, died at Purewell, Hampshire on 3 May 1879, aged 15 months. Owing to his poor health, John had retired early from the Consular Service and returned home in 1871 and his premature return from China marked the beginning of a decline in the family circumstances. During his time in Hong Kong and China he spent many hours capturing the scenery on canvas, on paper and in his sketchbooks. The first evidence of him exhibiting, was at an exhibition by the Royal Society of British Artists in 1875, where he showed two paintings of Christchurch and at the Bury St Edmund's Fine Art Society in September 1882 he exhibited 'Salmon Run, Christchurch' which won first prize for the best watercolour and in 1883 he exhibited with the Nineteenth Century Art Society at the Dudley Gallery. Towards the end of 1880, the family had moved to The Shrubbery, Coddenham, Suffolk, the home of Frederic Gull, a surgeon, public vaccinator, and district medical officer from Ipswich, he was the husband of Bessie (Elizabeth), John Bedloe’s sister–in-law. The house, which was painted by Bedloe, was used as a base and the artist and his family travelled around the country while he painted, visiting Norfolk, Suffolk, the Wye Valley, Dorset, and Cornwall and the 1880s was his most prolific period. A member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1883-1895, and exhibited from The Shrubbery, Coddenham in 1881, five watercolours ‘Near Mudeford, Hampshire’, 'On the Solent', 'On the Stones near Bournemouth', 'In Kynance Cove, Cornwall' and 'Isle of Wight, from Chewton', in 1882 twelve works, in 1883 had fifteen works on show, in 1884 eleven works and 1885 eleven works, and continued to exhibit regularly. He also continued to exhibit at the Royal Society of British Artists until 1893, including ‘The Priory Church, Christchurch, Hampshire’ and ‘Ruins of Norman House and Castle Keep, Hampshire’ and at the Bury St Edmund's Fine Art Society his oil, 'A Suffolk Lane' was highly commended and in 1889 his exhibited several watercolours at the Woodbridge Art Exhibition at the Assembly Room at the Bull Hotel, Woodbridge. His youngest son, Frederick Bedloe, was born at Coddenham on 25 May 1885 and his final offspring, at the age of 49, Dorothy, was born at Christchurch in 1887, with his daughter Olive, continuing to live with the Gulls but now at 94 York Road, Ipswich. Bedloe also taught privately and at Christchurch School of Art. In 1890 Goddard lent some seventy of his paintings to The Mutual Improvement Society's annual conversazione at Bournemouth for the visit of the Prince of Wales and Prince George. John Bedloe Goddard's last recorded recognised exhibitions were in 1893 at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, the South London Art Gallery and at the Royal Society of British Artists. John Bedloe Goddard died at 11 Stour Road, Christchurch on 14 April 1896, aged 57 and buried in Christchurch Cemetery. His wife Emily died in straitened circumstances at 65 St Helen’s Gardens, North Kensington on 7 April 1915, aged 71. During his life he produced at least 100 pictures with eight in the Red House Museum, Christchurch and one in the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery, Bournemouth and two of his watercolours are held by Ipswich Museum.

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Works by This Artist