At some time during the middle of nineteenth century, the family of Reverend William Francis Burrows (WBM), vicar of Christchurch, Hampshire from 1830 until 1871, began to collect and compile a family album of works of art by several of the members of the family, and there were quite a few. When and why, the album was put together has not been established, but the fact that it contains pictures predating the time when Burrows was curate of Meonstoke and Corhampton (1823-1830), suggests that the family started early on to gather the works in a collection. These are mainly works of members of the Burrows family, but friends were also invited to contribute.
On the death of Rev. William Burrows in February 1871, pictured right, the album was passed to his son General George Burrows. His daughter Isabella (Bella) Heath inherited the album in due course, and it was the widow of a descendant of hers, also Mrs Heath, who eventually decided to dispose of it. In 1986, the album containing more than 250 original items including a number of photographic cart-de-visits and other portraits of the Burrows family, was put on sale at Messrs. Messenger, May and Baverstock's fine art sales room in Godalming, together with quantity of other paintings and art objects. The auction drew dealers from a wide area in southern England, one of them being Barry Keene from Henley-on-Thames. He spotted that among the sketches and paintings of considerable social interest but rather varied artistic quality, the album contained several much better watercolours by William Francis Burrows’ neighbours the Evans family.
Above: Maria Elizabeth Burrows, wife of the Reverend, this photograph was taken in Winchester
The research activities of Jane Barbour (of Winchester) eventually resulted in the involvement of Hampshire Count Council Museum Services which learned of the existence of the whole collection, including Evans drawings and purchased all in 1990. Another fortunate addition in the Burrows family saga came from Dr. E H Burrows, a retired radiologist resident in Southampton and a descendant of William Francis, through his youngest son, Edmund Poulter. In addition to several drawings and watercolors by several members of William’s family, he possessed various papers and a notebook where dates of birth of children and grandchildren were recorded, allowing to establish the extent of this large family and the relation between its members who had contributed to the collection.
Left to right: Harriette Elizabeth Burrows (1859-1912) and William Guy Burrows (1861-1912) in 1865; Amy Burrows (1863-1937) in 1865; and Vernon Burrows.
In the mid nineteen century, country rectors and vicars, mostly graduated at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, lived with their families in the large houses provided for them, helped by domestic servants; their sons tended to take Holy Orders, join the Royal Navy as cadets or seek to make their fortunes in India or the Colonies while daughters stayed at home waiting to marry and occupied themselves with drawing, painting, embroidery and social activities of many kinds. One kind of evidence of this way of life consists of albums and collections of family sketches and drawings that have somehow escaped both by fire and breakdown by dealers looking for attractive pictures to frame or sell.
Above: Vernon and Guy Burrows (person seated unknown)
The Burrows Collection contains works of thirteen members of the Burrows family and two of the Evans family, including drawings and watercolours of churches and parsonages, portraits, landscapes, Indian scenes and several humorous scenes. There were around 250 works in the initial Family Album, some were removed for sale by a dealer before around 145 of the works were donated into the collection. The largest contribution is from Rev William Francis himself (56), followed by Edmund Poulter (40) his eighth child, Ann Vernon (23), his third daughter, and George Reynolds Scott (22) his fourth son.
Left; Ann Vernon Burrows, Below; George Reynolds Scott Burrows
From the above, Surgeon Major Edmund Poulter, 1832-1886, who lived and served for 25 years in India, Abyssinia and Afghanistan, is considered the most talented artist in the family. George Reynolds Scott was an amateur watercolorist, with the skill to catch the movement of an animal or depict the expression of the human face, and some of his drawings are eye-catching. William Francis contributions to the album begin with scenes in the vicinity of Meonstoke (FA1991.1.20) and Druxford (FA1991.1.43) He drew pleasant rural sketches in pencil and some watercolours. George Reynolds Scott, who had a career spanning over 40 years in India made a distinctive contribution to the album with characteristic sketches of scenes such as soldiers in camp, staff housing and minutely observing the diversity of Indians around the military cantonment (FA1991.1.49-50) and (FA2006.17). Edmund Poulter was in many ways the most prolific and most interesting artist to contribute to the album. He followed his brother to India and from the evidence of his sketches he was sent to Bushire where he sketched an Armenian Church (FA1991.1.26). One unfinished of his works is of interest; a pencil and pen and ink drawing with unfinished watercolour detail, card framed showing a family picnic scene, strikingly similar to " Dejeuner sur l'herbe" by Degas (FA1991.1.71).
Above: two portraits of Charles Burrows (1872-1880) and, right, Vernon Burrows
Below: reverse of above photographs showing locations of photography businesses in India, Poona, and Madras
