Left to right (back) Eric, Guy, Arthur, Dora, Jack (front) Donald, Lavinia, Christine and Ethel - c1888
Buried: Friends Burial Ground, Yoakley Road, Stoke Newington, London, England.
Signature:
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Lavinia Georgina Enock (née Hollis) (1841-1899). |
Date of marriage: Tuesday, 12th July, 1864.
Place of marriage: St Bartholomew's Church, Edgbaston, Warwickshire, England.
1839-February 1840 - Marlas, Pyle, Glamorganshire, Wales.
Marlas shown on the OS County Series: Glamorganshire 1876-1877 1:2,500. Taken from old-maps.co.uk
May 1841-June 1841 - Erdington Slade, Birmingham, England.
1843-September 1845 - 59, Stocks Street, Cheetham, Manchester, England.
House demolished in between 1958-1962. House stood where the Rothwell & Thomas is now located.
1847 - 17, Bath Row, Lee Bank, Birmingham, England.
Number 17 was located near to the Birmingham Canal.
1850-1853 - Stratford Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, England.
According to the 1851 census, the Enocks were seven entries away from the Angel Inn Hotel. By tying this information in with the 1889 OS town plan of Birmingham, the Enocks would have lived next-door to Ladypool School. The house was demolished to make way for St. Agatha's Church around 1898.
1853 - Balsall Heath Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, England.
1855 - 399, Bristol Road "Sussex Place", Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.
Demolished between 1956-1966.
1861-1862 - 30, Balsall Heath Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.
1862-1864 - 75 Ryland Road (Gothic Cottage/Gothic Lodge), Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.
1868-1871 - 13, Balsall Heath Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, England.
Approximate location.
1872-1874 - 62 (now 121) "Florence Villa", Pershore Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.
1875-1877 - Middleton Villas, Middleton Hall Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham, England.
Demolished in the 1960s/1970s.
1877-1879 - 10, Noel Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.
1879-1883 - "1, Park Place" (now 104), Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, England.
1883-1888 - "Hill Crest" (No. 28), Lickey Square, Lickey Rednal, Worcestershire, England.
1889-1890 - "Inglewood", Lower Contour Road, Kingswear, Dartmouth, Devon, England.
1891-1893 - "Coombeside", Castle Road, Kingswear, Dartmouth, Devon, England.
1893-1895 - "Dimora" (now Tudor Lodge), Higher Erith Road, Torquay, Devon, England.
1896-1898 - "Kingston Lodge", Victoria Road, Dartmouth, Devon, England.
Demolished by 1936.
1899-1906 - "Inglewood" (No. 15), Totnes Road, Newton Abbot, Devon, England.
1909 - "Belvoir" (No. 39), Powderham Road, Newton Abbot, Devon, England.
1910 - "Cromartie" (No. 12), College Road, Newton Abbot, Devon, England.
1911 - Valley Croft (No. 46), Kewferry Road, Northwood, London, England.
Lodging with Charles Reginald Enock.
1916 - Oak Tree Cottage, off Ivyhouse Lane, Froxfield, Hants, England.
Lodging with Charles Reginald Enock.
1861 - Commercial Clerk.
1871-1888 - Manager and Foreign Correspondant to a Brazilian Merchant.
Landscape Artist
“His recollection of his first efforts in painting go back to six years of age. His artistic capabilities were recognised by his parents, but the Society had no sympathy with the artistic profession.
Mr. Enock is quite self-taught. He says: “At school I drew pencil landscapes and animals, but never had any lessons in painting.” When about 22 years of age he commenced to paint in earnest as an amateur. Residing at that time near Birmingham, he had the opportunity of studying some of the best work of David Cox, and doubtless this study had a strong influence on his work. At this period he was the Manager and Foreign Correspondant to a Brazilian merchant, but the business not being an increasing one, he was able to arrange for spare time to devote to painting, and did much sketching on Cox’s ground around Bettws-y-Coed and Snowdon. At this time he had many commissions from some of the best private collectors in Birmingham, and was an exhibitor in the first Water-Colour Exhibition of the Birmingham Royal Society of Artists, and for 20 years afterwards.
Eventually he threw up his commercial appointment and took to Art as a profession, painting much around Worcester, Tewkesbury, Malvern and Bromsgrove, and at Kenilworth, Dudley and Warwick, and much in North Wales. His wife’s delicate health was the cause of his settling in Devon, and for many years he resided at Kingswear. It was whilst residing there that he became known as “The Artist of the Dart,” most of his subjects being found on that beautiful and picturesque river, which he has painted from its moorland birthplace to its confluence with the sea at Dartmouth. His first exhibit at the Royal Institue of Painters in Water-Colour was in 1888, with a picture of “Ely Cathedral and the River,” which was sold for 40 guineas, and since then he has been a continual and most fortunate exhibitor.
Mr. Enock has also exhibited in all the prominent provincial galleries in the United Kingdom, in Mexico, and at Durban and Hobart-town. Some three or four years since one of his drawings, “The Britannia and the River Dart,” was purchased by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. Mr. Enock has painted in both mediums, oil and water-colour, but of recent years has confined himself chiefly to water-colour. Sunlight and mist are his favourite effects, and a vivid memory assists him in portraying subjects that cannot be painted on the spot.” - Sixteenth annual spring exhibition 1906. Pictures of the West Country by Devonshire Artists at Elands' Art Gallery, Exeter."Mr. Enock's water-colour paintings of Devon scenery and effects - and indeed those of other parts of the country, for he was a wide traveller in Great Britain - were well known and admired. His intense love of Dartmoor, its rivers, gorges and tors, has been perpetuated in many fine works. The misty atmospheric effects, sunrises and sunsets, in which he was a master, have perhaps never been surpassed, and those who possess examples of his best work in this field - and they are many - are fortunate. One such, a drawing entitled "That Beautiful Dartmouth," hangs on the walls in Buckingham Palace, having been purchased by King Edward when Prince of Wales. Mr. Enock was an admirer of Turner and David Cox. but his "school" was an original and individualistic one, whose mains attribute was in an intensive appreciation and depicting of the poetry of Nature in its form and colour; and incident appealed less to him. It may well be that the value of his work will appreciate still more now that the hand which produced it has gone." - Written by Charles Reginald Enock - taken from Western Morning News - 23rd February 1917.
Arthur exhibited a total of 74 works (between 1869-1910) including:
Enock School of Painting
1888 - 26, Exchange Buildings, Stephenson Place, Birmingham, England.
1909 - 18, Courtenay Street, Newton Abbot, Devon, England.
Artworks
The following excerpts are from Charles' diaries which are held by the Imperial War Museum.
"On Sunday 7th, Guy came here and informed me that the dad had had another stroke of paralyses. I went up at 9:30pm, and found him wondering in mind and unable to sit up in bed. Dead old dad, it breaks my heart to see him so. I sat up all night, in the dining room of his place, going up every half hour to see him. Went again yesterday. He is rather better and more collected in mind, but quite incapacitated. Eric wired me this morning that he is a little better, but rather depressed. Must go up tomorrow (Concha in bed all day unwell). I think the dear old father will recover all his faculties again. Shall go up tomorrow."
"To think that an intelligent mind may, by the ills of the body, become debased is unspeakably painful to me, more so than the thought of any (?) ills.......I got the dads things here - the few poor "sticks" which were all of his personal property (his beautiful sketches of course).....I have been with him every day since his attack."
"Have been all day helping to arrange for the dear dad removal to a nursing home. Stayed with him from 4 to 7:30; read some favourite passages from his bible to him (103 psalm etc) and wiped away the tears he shed. But he lives to hear it. He is scarcely able to move, all hand is paralysed, his sight is very bad, and at times his mind wanders. Whether he will recover it is impossible to say."
"Last night was a terrible night: the worst I have felt since my mother died, that is when I had the news of her death. I saw the doctor and got his report upon the dad. It was a (?) one. He thinks he will never recover, but the worst to me is that his mind (?) to the doctors - will never regain its powers. He says that a man in that condition may do anything, mad things, indecent things, that the good become wicked and vice versa often under such condition.......dear old dad, it breaks my heart. There is a heavy load on my head......To think that an intelligent mind may, by the ills of the body, become debased is unspeakably painful to me, more so than the thought of any (?) ills.......I got the dad's things here - the few poor "sticks" which were all of his personal property (his beautiful sketches of course).....I have been with him every day since his attack."
"Enid and I went out to see the dear dad. He seemed exceedingly low and weak, but his mind was quite mad and he talked with understandably and asked me to read or say his favourite psalms, which I did (no one had been to him yesterday or today!) of the boys, Guy is still laid up with his serious hurt hip. Stayed from 3:15 to nearly 6. Should have stayed all night, as he asked me if I thought he was going to die? I resolved to stay but the nurse said his weakness was the (?) of the medicine, and that he was in no immediate danger."
"I am by the dear old dad's bedside, where his life is ebbing fast away. It is doubtful that he can last throughout the day. Yet he appears to have no pain I am thankful to say. I think the last words he understood were on Friday, when I said again to him the first line of his favourite Psalm "bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. His mercy is everlasting to everlasting". I cannot write. I would not keep him here. He is going to a better world. He deserves it. He was a good man, a noble and loyal heart, one of the most kind-hearted men that ever lived. When anyone was ill he could not do enough for them. His strong faith in his religion and his God never left him. His beautiful work has delighted and will delight many. His beautiful sketches and drawings."
"1-15 the dear dad has passed away - very peacefully, 1-15 by his dear old gold watch. I was alone by his bedside when he stopped breathing and passed away and knelt and prayed."
Funeral
"Yesterday, Concha and I went to the dad's funeral. We buried him in the friends burial ground at Stoke Newington. My feeling, and Concha's, was to have laid him to rest in old Wolborough in the dear mothers grave, in view of the Devon hills he loved so much. But it seemed difficult. Had I been in a position financially, I should have endeavoured to do it. However, there he rests in peace, though I deeply wish it were at Wolborough. I read a portion of the Church of England burial service at the meeting, those beautiful words, and paid tribute to his memory before the "Friends" as well as I was able. I said "he was not what you would call a "successful" man commercially, but he had throughout his life had done much beautiful work which had and would delight many. His faith was always a strong one: his Christian faith, and he ever looked forward to rest with his Heavenly Father, regarding this life as but leading to a life to come. I said also that he and I and some other of his children belonged to the Church of England and that "I hold it a privilege that he should rest in your quiet and peaceful burial ground. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your attendance here and your kind words. We were much attached to each other. But we know he is in a happier world." The Friends present liked these words and recognition of their kindness and the "elder" told me so afterwards. I read the service from his own dear old prayer book. Concha and the dear girlies have been very sad. It was difficult for me to read and speak at the meeting from emotion, but I was glad to have been able to do it. God rest him. He was a good man, one of the most kind-hearted of men. I cannot write anymore except to say that I read his will to the brothers after the funeral (at Guy's), and that today I went to Somerset House (with Enid) to see about the probate. The girls were not able to come up to the funeral, there is a God deal behind it though. On 31st I cabled Donald "prepare serious news dad reply". I did not like him to go on writing to a dear dad who had already gone. (I cannot forget that Guy was away "on business" when the dad died. How could he go out of town when he knew the end was at hand?)"
Arthur lived with his son Charles Reginald Enock between 1911 and 1916.
The following excerpts are from Charles' diaries which are held by the Imperial War Museum.
"The dad made a most enchanting discussion and unkind argument, and said that we "had persuaded him to come to an unsuitable place"."
"It is a grief to me that at his age he is so tactless. He has so many splendid qualities otherwise."
"I am greatly sorry for this disagreement, but it was better to speak out about it to him than always to be feeling annoyance at his ways, and, also, I want him to do himself greater justice in this or any neighbourhood."
"The dear old dad is quite feeble. He comes in frequently to see us and had tea with us yesterday. It is sad for us that at the close of his life he has so comparatively few resources. If he were well off he would have plenty of friends! Well we are doing what we can to entertain him."
"Dear old dad with his peculiar temperament. Great sadness comes over me at times about him. In his old age, practically alone, dependent upon others, in a strange home. He ought to have been well off and independent, with his own establishment. Still he seems not unhappy, for which I am thankful."
"He was a good man, one of the most kind-hearted of men."
Page updated 26th July, 2024.
