Sorry picture wasn’t shown in previous post. Now fixed.
The pictures were painted by Edward Gentle. Click on the picture to enlarge.
Jane Cooper has provide some information on Edward Gentle….Born 1823 Died 1910.
He was born in Spalding in a little shop where the Civic Centre now stands. His father was a butcher and auctioneer. Educated at Spalding Academy which was just beyond where Westlode Street School once stood.
On leaving school he went to be an apprentice to Mr Samuel Elsdale Albin who was a printer where Calthrops now stands. After 3 years there he went to sea. His many adventures included an appearance before Pasha at Alexandria for tapping an Eunuch on the head with an ear, for which he went to prison for one day.
He then returned to Spalding he became a printer again with his own business in the Sheep Market. In 1853 he went to London and became a traveller for Wilmer & Co and then went to Stephenson, Blake & Co.
In 1898 he came back to Spalding to retire following the death of his wife. He had a multitude of hobbies including photography and he became an artist of considerable ability. He was once offered by a famous General £100 for a perfect copy of Standield’s Zuyder Zee. He refused.
He gave £650 to the Spalding Gentleman’s Society towards the cost of the erection of a museum which was built in 1910 so the Society had a home of its own.
In celebration of the bicentenary of the founding of the Society and as a memorial to the founder Maurice Johnson “The Antiquary” . Edward Gentle attended the stone laying ceremony and laid one of the stones. His features are carved over the doorway of the museum.
He died on 26th December 1910 age 87 and was buried in Spalding.
He was described as one of the best known and most interesting personalities in Spalding until his final illness he had been hale and hearty energetic and with slight hearing loss.
My own father died on the same day as Edward Gentle 26th December and purchased two of his paintings at the old Corn Exchange sale in the early 1950s Edward Gentle’s father once had his shop here and Edward Gentle was born there so this turned a full circle!!
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