Lawrence Herbert Beecraft and Dulcie J
Husband Lawrence Herbert Beecraft [14795]
Born: 1865 - Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom Christened: Died: 5 May 1951 - Woollahra, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1 Buried: 7 May 1951 - Eastern Suburbs Crematorium
Father: Joseph John Beecroft [14505] (1839-1906) Mother: Sarah Ann Lawrence [14793] (1838-1916)
Marriage:Events
• He worked as a Painter, Artist.
• Biography: http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/articles/1/3660/sdfsdfsfd
Retro: Sketchy history lesson
Profile by David Cliffe
Ye Historic Reading Calendar
IT IS still surprising what turns up in the Strongroom.
While searching for something else entirely, I found a calendar for the year 1898 between two books. It was headed 'Ye Historic Reading Calendar'.
The picture on it shows King Charles I, on horseback, turning from Broad Street into Minster Street, with Walsingham House on the corner.
The artist's monogram, 'H.B.', shows it to have been the work of Herbert Beecroft.
I already knew about his impression of Civil War troops marching up Southampton Street, past St. Giles's Church, which has had its spire damaged by artillery fire, but I didn't know about this artistic reconstruction. I was pleased, of course, to have rescued it from oblivion, and to have it published on the Retro page.
The life of Herbert Beecroft is an extraordinary one. He was born in Reading in 1864, the son of Joseph John Beecroft, a printer.
Herbert continued the business, but also possessed an extraordinary artistic talent. He specialised in portraits and caricatures, and for some years gave "sketching lectures and entertainments," in London and elsewhere, during which members of the audience were invited onto the stage to have their portraits sketched.
This was as well as more conventional portrait painting, in the studio, or in people's homes.
It is not entirely clear why he decided, at the age of 41, to emigrate to Australia.
He did much the same kind of thing there, making a good living, and it was there, in 1927, that he painted his most famous picture. He was a devout and life-long Methodist, and the story went that one day, after a time spent in prayer, he had a vision of the face of Christ.
This he set down in oils, and it was subsequently copied many times.
I can remember a copy of it hanging of the wall of my Sunday school superintendent, and finding it distinctly unnerving.
It had the caption: "And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter........and Peter remembered."• He appeared on the England census in 1871 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom. Name:
Lawrence H Beecroft
Event Type:
Census
Event Date:
1871
Event Place:
Saint Mary's with Holy Apostles, Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original):
St Mary, Berkshire, England
Sub-District:
St Mary
Enumeration District:
1
Gender:
Male
Age:
6
Occupation:
Scholar
Birth Year (Estimated):
1865
Birthplace:
Reading, Berkshire
Relationship to Head of Household:
Son
Relationship to Head of Household (Original):
Son
Affiliate Image Identifier:
GBC/1871/1278/0043
HouseholdRole Sex Age Birthplace
Joseph J BeecroftHead Male 32 Lowestoft, Suffolk
Sarah A BeecroftWife Female 33 Retford, Nottinghamshire
Annie E BeecroftDaughter Female 7 Reading, Berkshire
Lawrence H BeecroftSon Male 6 Reading, Berkshire
Hetty R BeecroftDaughter Female 3 Reading, Berkshire
Ellen LaurenceSister-in-law Female 26 Retford, Nottinghamshire
Emma F SheppardServant Female 10 Reading, Berkshire. • He appeared on the England census in 1881 in Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom. Name:
Lawrence Herbert Beecroft
Event Type:
Census
Event Date:
1881
Event Place:
Reading St Lawrence, Berkshire, England
Registration District:
Reading
Residence Note:
Market Place
Gender:
Male
Age:
16
Marital Status:
Single
Marital Status (Original):
Single
Occupation:
Booksellers Apprentice
Birth Year (Estimated):
1865
Birthplace:
Reading, Berkshire, England
Relationship to Head of Household:
Son
Page Number:
1
Registration Number:
RG11
Piece/Folio:
1305/94
Affiliate Record Type:
Household
Affiliate Image Identifier:
GBC/1881/4307393/00194&parentid=GBC/1881/0006194102
HouseholdRole Sex Age Birthplace
Joseph John BeecroftHead Male 42 Lowestoft, Suffolk, England
Sarah Ann BeecroftWife Female 43 Retford, Nottinghamshire, England
Lawrence Herbert BeecroftSon Male 16 Reading, Berkshire, England
Hettie Roberta BeecroftDaughter Female 13 Reading, Berkshire, England
Hester LawrenceWifes Mother Female 71 Fillingham, Lincolnshire, England
Ellen LawrenceWifes Sister Female 36 Retford, Nottinghamshire, England
Hettie LawrenceWifes Sister Female 32 Retford, Nottinghamshire, England
Edith Mary GheyNiece Female 9 Bath, Somerset, England. • He appeared on the England census in 1891 in Tilehurst, Berkshire, England. Name:
Laurence Beecroft
Event Type:
Census
Event Date:
1891
Event Place:
Tilehurst, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original):
Tilehurst, Berkshire, England
Event Place Note:
Shallow Corner
County:
Berkshire
Parish:
Tilehurst
Ecclesiastical Parish:
TYLEHURST
Enumeration District:
3
Registration District:
Bradfield
Gender:
Male
Age:
26
Marital Status:
Single
Occupation:
Lithographist
Birth Year (Estimated):
1865
Birthplace:
Reading, Berkshire, England
Relationship to Head of Household:
Head
Page Number:
36
Registration Number:
RG12
Piece/Folio:
989/ 59
Affiliate Record Type:
Household
Affiliate Image Identifier:
GBC/1891/0989/0121&parentid=GBC/1891/0007501096
HouseholdRole Sex Age Birthplace
Laurence BeecroftHead Male 26 Reading, Berkshire, England
Julia PearsonVisitor Female 26 Pelsall, Staffordshire, England
Sarah PearsonVisitor Female 57 Brierley Hill, Staffordshire, England
Fanny E ColgroveVisitor Female 23 Oxford, England
Willm A MortonBoarder Male 26 Birmingham, England
Helen LawrenceAunt Female 50 East Retford, Nottinghamshire, England
Ino ThorneAdopted Male 3 Tilehurst, Berkshire, England. • He appeared on the England census in 1901 in Lambeth, London, England, United Kingdom. Name:
Lawrence Beecroft
Event Type:
Census
Event Date:
31 Mar 1901
Event Place:
Lambeth, London, England, United Kingdom
County:
London, Middlesex
Civil Parish:
Lambeth
Ecclesiastical Parish:
Christ Church Gipsy Hill
Sub-District:
Norwood
Registration District:
Lambeth
Gender:
Male
Age:
36
Occupation:
ARTIST & SKETCHING LECTURER
Relationship to Head of Household:
Head
Birth Year (Estimated):
1865
Birthplace:
Reading, Berkshire
Schedule Type:
12
Page Number:
3
HouseholdRole Sex Age Birthplace
Lawrence BeecroftHead Male 36 Reading, Berkshire
Dulcie J BeecroftWife Female 36 Pelsall, Staffordshire
Alice A LangfordServant Female 20 Arborfield, Berkshire. • Immigrated: 11 Feb 1905, Australia. He arrived in Australia on the Ortona.
• Event: The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 Apr 1905. CENTENARY HALL.
Mr. herbert Beecroft, lightning sketch lecturer and caricaturist, made his first Australian appearance at the Centenary Hall on Wednesday evening last. During the evening Mr. Beecroft drew sketches of a dozen typical Londoners, and concluded the entertainment with a caricature of a member of the audience.• His obituary was published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 7 May 1951. BEECROFT.- The Relatives and Friends of HERBERT LAWRENCE BEECROFT are invited to attend his Funeral; which will leave St. Columbia Presbyterian Church, Nelson and Ocean Streets, Woollahra This Afternoon, after service commencing at 2.45 o'clock, for the Eastern Suburbs Crematorium.
JOSEPH MEDCALF, A.F.D.A,
172 Redfern Street, Redfern,
Phone MX2315 (2 lines).• His obituary was published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 7 May 1951. Beecroft, Herbert Lawrence - May 5, 1951, at his residence, 23 Roslyndale Avenue, Woollahra, relict of Dulcie Julia Beecroft, aged 86 years. At rest.
Wife Dulcie J [14796]
Born: 1865 - Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom Christened: Died: Buried:Events
• She appeared on the England census in 1901 in Lambeth, London, England, United Kingdom. Name:
Dulcie J Beecroft
Event Type:
Census
Event Date:
31 Mar 1901
Event Place:
Lambeth, London, England, United Kingdom
County:
London, Middlesex
Civil Parish:
Lambeth
Ecclesiastical Parish:
Christ Church Gipsy Hill
Sub-District:
Norwood
Registration District:
Lambeth
Gender:
Female
Age:
36
Relationship to Head of Household:
Wife
Birth Year (Estimated):
1865
Birthplace:
Pelsall, Staffordshire
Schedule Type:
12
Page Number:
3
HouseholdRole Sex Age Birthplace
Lawrence BeecroftHead Male 36 Reading, Berkshire
Dulcie J BeecroftWife Female 36 Pelsall, Staffordshire
Alice A LangfordServant Female 20 Arborfield, Berkshire.
Children
Death Notes: Husband - Lawrence Herbert Beecraft
23 Roslyndale Avenue
1
Online Australian Birth-Marriage-Death Index (http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/familyHistory.htm).
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