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A History of St. Andrew`s Church, Charmouth |
Thomas Carter Galpin 1795-1850 |
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INSCRIPTIONS ON A TOMB AT HIGHGATE CEMETERY, LONDON STAFFORDSHIRE AND DORSET 81 Thomas Carter Gazévin, born in 1795, Sep. 27, at Bridport, Dorset, son of Richard Galpin and Mary, daughter of William Carter, of Beaminster. After his marriage to Ann Frances, daughter of John Hounsel, Bailiff of Bridport, 10th July 1819, he took up his residence at Charmouth, where he had inherited a small pro perty from the Chilcotts. He had also inherited another estate at Beaminster from his mother. Late in life, having disposed of his landed estate, he moved up to London, where he died 13th May 1850 and was buried in Highgate Cemetery. He had a decided taste for art and science from his boy- hood and showed considerable talent for painting and lead- pencil drawing. He invented a method of producing a rapid effect in sketching by using a broad lead-pencil cut so as to make both broad and fine strokes, for which he gained the Isis Medal of the Royal Society of Art. However, the value of the invention was undermined by the introduction of Photography, and Sketching gradually went out of fashion. He was one of the first to take an interest in the fossils of the blue lias of Lyme Regis and prepared and presented to the British Museum a specimen of an Ichthyosaurus which was exhibited there for many years until recently it was exchanged for a foreign specimen. He introduced lithography into England, many of his sketches being reproduced by that process. He illustrated several books and at one time became notorious through his comic and political cartoons, one of which representing the King George IV being carried off by Old Nick came near getting him into trouble, in fact, he had to go into hiding for a time. His portrait by Pickersgill was exhibited in the Royal Academy. He was a friend of Lord Lovat who, as head of the Clan Fraser, made him an honorary member of the clan and a ` daguerreotype portrait (a process then recently introduced) shows him wearing the tartan on the occasion of his initiation. He was also a friend of Coleridge and of the poet Words- worth, who wrote the following epigram on seeing his broad- pencil sketches when he was staying at Rydall Mount on a visit to the Poet Laureate: " Great Artist thy genius such is I Divines will against it protest |
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1828 Jury List for Charmouth |
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1833 |
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married Ann Hounsell in Bridport in 1821 |
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On Stone by A Picken from a drawing by Galpin.Charmouth Church Foundation Stone laid July 8th 1835 opened 1836 Architect Charles Fowler. Day and Hague Lithographers to the King |
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An Advert for a portrait of Dr.G.L. Roberts of Bridport painted by Carter Galpin in 1824. |
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A Drawing by Carter Galpin of the Charmouth Tunnel, soon after it was built in 1832. |
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The Wreck of the Unity 1824 |
This picture of the wreck of the Unity off Chat-mouth was drawn by Carter Galpin of that town (see note at p. xii under Page 95 above) and was evidently done in the ' new process of drawing in black lead' which he advertised, and for which he received the silver medal of the Society of Arts in 1826. The Unity was driven out of Lyme Cobb on the day of the great storm of 1824. The crew, lashed to the shrouds, were saved. Captain C, C. Beiiett, R.N., of Lyme Regis, whose name figures on the Plan of 1841, organized the rescue party and received from George IV. the Gold Medal of the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck. Out of this Institution the R.N.L.I. started in the following year. The Unity was refitted at the Lyme ship-yard and relaunched in 1825. The illustration is taken by permission from an original belonging to Mrs. Purvis of Whitshury, Lyme Regis. Mrs. Purvis is the great-grand-daughter of Captain Benett. |
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This picture of the Cobb was published in' 1825 by Carter Galpin of ('harmoufh. On the extreme right will be seen a vessel on the stocks in the shipbuilding yard, The figure in the foreground with her face to the sea and a geological hammer in her hand is probably intended for Mary Anning. Carter Galpin was a well known local draughtsman and printseller of the time. He is said to have been sell-taught and became the drawing-master of the district. |
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James Lethbridge Templer, who went at the age of six and later was Commander of the "Minerva", East Indiaman,he died 13th August 1838 aged 55 and was buried beneath 'the floor of the pulpit in the chapel which he had built. Galpin, drawing master made several sketches of the building in James`s time and reconstructed the doorway and windows as he imagined they had been before the alterations. |
Thomas Carter Galpin, born in 1795, Sep. 27, at Bridport, Dorset, son of Richard Galpin and Mary, daughter of William Carter, of Beaminster. After his marriage to Ann Frances, daughter of John Hounsel, Bailiff of Bridport, 10th July 1819, he took up his residence at Charmouth, where he had inherited a small pro perty from the Chilcotts. He had also inherited another estate at Beaminster from his mother. Late in life, having disposed of his landed estate, he moved up to London, where he died 13th May 1850 and was buried in Highgate Cemetery. He had a decided taste for art and science from his boyhood and showed considerable talent for painting and lead- pencil drawing. He invented a method of producing a rapid effect in sketching by using a broad lead-pencil cut so as to make both broad and fine strokes, for which he gained the Isis Medal of the Royal Society of Art. However, the value of the invention was undermined by the introduction of Photography, and Sketching gradually went out of fashion. He was one of the first to take an interest in the fossils of the blue lias of Lyme Regis and prepared and presented to the British Museum a specimen of an Ichthyosaurus which was exhibited there for many years until recently it was exchanged for a foreign specimen. He introduced lithography into England, many of his sketches being reproduced by that process. He illustrated several books and at one time became notorious through his comic and political cartoons, one of which representing the King George IV being carried off by Old Nick came near getting him into trouble, in fact, he had to go into hiding for a time. His portrait by Pickersgill was exhibited in the Royal Academy. He was a friend of Lord Lovat who, as head of the Clan Fraser, made him an honorary member of the clan and a ` daguerreotype portrait (a process then recently introduced) shows him wearing the tartan on the occasion of his initiation. He was also a friend of Coleridge and of the poet Wordsworth, who wrote the following epigram on seeing his broad- pencil sketches when he was staying at Rydall Mount on a visit to the Poet Laureate: " Great Artist thy genius such is I Divines will against it protest Thou hast certainly shown by thy touches That the Maud way may sometimes be best.� Hartley Colridge, Sep. 23, 1846. He was tall and handsome with dark hair and dark blue eyes. i He was exceedingly well informed and intelligent and his interesting conversation and agreeable manners made him a welcome everywhere. His wife died at Charmouth at the age of 41 years. The stables happening to catch fire the terrified horses by their excitement gave her a fright which brought on a fatal illness. ]oseph Galpin, architect, who wrote a book, long a standard work on architecture, in conjunction with his brother Charles built a large part of Bridport, Allington, the Manor House at Chideock, the Crescent at Weymouth, etc. Most of their houses can be distinguished by their iron railings of a special pattern with ivy leaves and berries. He built and owned Portville, between Bridport and West Bay, and lived there in a house now known as Belmont. He married first Sarah Green of Burton Bradstock, and had one daughter Sarah, who died at Bridport unmarried. He married as his second wife Sarah, daughter of Joseph Sprake of Allington buried at Allington), and third, Ann Swain. He died, aged 73, and was buried in the churchyard at Upwey, near Weymouth, in 1872. His third wife survived him and died in 1879, aged 76. (One daughter, Sarah Swain Galpin, born 26 March 18 3 3.) Ann Frances Hounsell, born Dec. 1800 and died 30 May , 1842 at Charmouth, was the daughter of John Hounsell of Bridport, whose father was also ]ohn Hounsell. Mary Hounsell, twin sister of Ann Frances, died 27 June 1 8 56, aged 55 years, buried at Highgate. Elizabeth, another sister, married Frank Slade of Powerstock. INSCRIPTIONS ON TOMB AT HIGHGATE CEMETERY, LONDON Sacred to the Memory of Thomas Carter Galpin born Sep. 27th 1795 died May 13th 1850 also to Mary jane daughter of the above born july ISC 1823 died Dec. 25th 1850 also Mary Hounsell died June 27th 1856 Aged 55 years. N0te.�She was twin sister to Ann Frances, wife of Thomas Carter Galpin. |
In March 1867 a letter containing a pebble was received by Dr. William Guybon Atherstone, a medical practitioner and amateur geologist, of Grahamstown, South Africa. The pebble, found by children on the veldt of the northern Cape Colony, thought to be a diamond by a farmer, Schalk van Niekerk, had been forwarded for identification and verification. Among those involved in the process of verification were- H.C. Galpin, Watchmaker and Jeweller, of Grahamstown, his eight year old son, Ernest and Galpin's working jeweller, J.S. Willcox. This stone was cut to 10.7 carats and became the Eureka Diamond. In 1966 the Eureka was presented by De Beers to the Houses of Parliament, Cape Town. The discovery of the diamond initiated the diamond industry of South Africa. Henry Carter Galpin, the Watchmaker and Jeweller of Grahamstown was born in Charmouth in 1820. He was the son of Thomas Carter Galpin and Ann Frances Hounsell of Bridport. When a young man, Henry suffered from exposure, having experienced shipwreck while on a ship belonging to his uncle. His health being adversely affected, Henry emigrated to South Africa and arrived there in September 1843. His place of business in Grahamstown was purchased by De Beers Consolidated Mines in 1978 and subsequently restored to its full Victorian splendour. It is now 'The Observatory Museum'. Another Galpin, Joseph, a surveyor/architect, and his brother Charles built the numerous large early Victorian villas seen today on the approaches to the original Borough; those between Palmer's Brewery and the Crown roundabout, the terrace houses south of the roundabout; the houses between East Bridge and East Road roundabout and the villas on the North side of West Allington. Apart from Downe Hall these houses were the beginning of the extensive urban developments which now surround the original town. The brothers also built extensively in Weymouth and worked on the Manor House at Chideock. Joseph Galpin died aged 73, in 1872 and is buried in the churchyard at Upwey, near Weymouth. |
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Portville, Bridport. |
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This engraving of Doctor Giles Roberts is from an original painting by Carter Galpin. |