HARLAND, Lady Arethusa
Arethusa Vernon was born on 1 July 1777 and baptised at St Mary's Church, Bury St Edmund's on 1 August 1777, daughter of Henry Vernon, of Great Thurlow Hall, Suffolk, and his wife Jane, daughter of Sir John Cullum, 5th Bart. of Bury St Edmund's. She married at St James's, Piccadilly, London in 1801, Sir Robert Harland, 2nd Bart. (1765-1848) of Orwell Park near Ipswich and of 3 Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, London and through their forebears held many Suffolk estates including Wherstead, Nacton, Great Thurlow, Hundon and a dozen or so other parishes. An art pupil of Henry Bright during his London period 1836-1856 and was one of the many art pupils of her Suffolk friends that were trained by Bright including Lady Anson of Grundisburgh Hall, the Archdeckne family of Glevering Hall, the Campbell family of Birkfield, Ipswich, the Martin family of Hemingstone Hall, the Middleton family of Shrubland Hall, Ipswich and Lady Rendlesham and Miss Thelusson of Rendlesham Hall. Her portrait, at the age of 58, was painted by John Whitehead Walton (1815-1895) and her 'Commonplace Book 1827-1833' was edited by Dr John Blatchly and published in 1992 in which include her purchases of art materials 'I bought a small Shell of Gold for 1/- to be used by just taking a little water in your brush the same as you use Water Colours. The Sable Brushes are the best for a fine point. I bought a Munn's in Bond St. some Ox Gall which is good to use with your Colours for making them lay smooth'. Lady Arethusa Harland died at Wherstead Park, Ipswich on 30 March 1860 and buried in the family vault at Wherstead on 5 April 1860, she left no children and no near relatives and only a hand-written will for her considerable estates.