ROBERTS, Rosa

1841 - 1938

Rosa Roberts was born at Spital Ema Cottage, Clewer, Berkshire and baptised on 6 May 1841, daughter of William Walter Roberts (c1798-1875), a naval captain, and his wife Susan née James (c1818-1871). Together with her sister Clarinda Roberts, Rosa studied art, under William Robert Earl (1808-1880) at his studio at Shooter's Hill, Plumstead, Kent, during which time her mother moved to 2 Foundry Road Terrace, Thorpe next Norwich, Norfolk where she had three more children born between 1845 and 1851. Her mother was buried in Ipswich Cemetery on 28 January 1871 and in the 1871 census, with her sister Clarinda as 'head of household, Rosa was living at Rose Hill House, Ipswich with two other unmarried sisters, Frances Ann 23 and Charlotte 20 with their 74-year-old father William, who died at Norwich in 1875. Rosa exhibited at the Bury St Edmund's Fine Art Society in 1882 'Neglected Corner' and was a member of Ipswich Fine Art Club 1875-1933 and exhibited from Rose Hill House, Ipswich in 1883 three paintings 'Untitled', 'Fruit' and 'Four Seasons', two in 1884 'Autumn Fire' and 'Queen Blanchelys' and was a regular exhibitor. In 1921, she was still living at Rosehill House, Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, together with her 63-year-old sister Frances Ann. Rosa Roberts died at The Grange, New Buckenham, Norfolk on 5 February 1938, aged 95, she was unmarried.