Thread: William Butler Swansea Artist b.1824 Killamarsh

Trakker

I would be gratefull if someone could tell me how I can find out his address or whereabouts between 1844 and 1845. I have the following information:
- WB was born in Killamarsh in 1824
- He arrived at Swansea the year 1841 (17 years old) 1841 Census
- October 1843 : he was painting at Blackpill
- 1844 he painted Oystermouth Castle (20 years old) ¿What months?
- October 1845 : he was painting at Brecon engaged by the Eastern & Western Railway. ¿When did he arrive at Brecon?

I need this information to determine how he came to paint a view of the port of "Mejillones" (Chile, SouthAmerica) dated 1845. ¿Did he travel there at the end of 1844-beggining of 1845 or did he make the painting from a photograph taken by someone else?

Any help will be grately acknowledged.
Regards
Trakker.

Flood

Trakker, I was able to find this website:
www.swanseaheritage.net

It shows all of the paintings and drawing that William created, except the one at Mejillones.
I will dig further and see what else I can find.

Sally

Flood

Hello again Trakker. I found this info on the 1861 Census:
Name William Butler
Age 36
Estimated Birth 1825
Occupation Artist
Address Stockwell House
District Swansea, Swansea
Admin County Glamorgan
Birth place Kilsmarsh
Birth county Derbyshire

It also states that he was living with his mother, Sarah Butler 65, at the time.
I hope this info helps. Do you happen to know what his mother's maiden name was? If so it could help in finding out his address for the dates you need.

Sally

Trakker

Yes, his mother was Sarah Butler (nee Cowleshaw) married 1823 with George Butler. He also had a sister: Harriet (b.1825 or 1826)

It also might help to know if he was working with photography at 1844-45, or if he was somehow connected with :

businessmen/amateur photographers that travelled to Chile at that time:
Henry Bath
Charles Lambert
that might have given Butler a photograph of the place

and with the mariners:
Captain John Richard Williams Master Cert 73132
Captain John Griffiths Master Cert 25021
either probably the final owner of the painting.

or, did he travel to Chile somewhere between 1843-45

I'm sorry I send you so much information but in these kind of things one usually has more questions than answers.

Thanks

Trakker

Another detail, that I believe might be important. The painting shows a cargo train, along the horizon, delivering copper ore to the barques in the port. At those times railway development was beggining in South Wales and in the North of Chile, and in 1845 Butler was working for the Eastern & Western Railway probably drawing sketches for its developments.

gillian

It is just possible that there is something in the railway archives but I am puzzled by the 'Eastern and Western railway' - where did the name of the railway company come from?
Gillian

Trakker

I found it in a biography of William Butler written by Bernard Morris, apparently for the Swansea Museum (Royal Institution of South Wales)

Flood

Trakker, I found this website about Henry Bath and his Company. It might be useful.

www.henrybath.com

Click on the Company History link, it just might give you some clues as to what you're looking for.

Sally

Trakker

Thanks Sally, but the truth is I have gone through everything you can go through with the internet. Google gets the shivers when I open it. What I need is something that either: someone else knows through his own research, or can spare some of his/her time going through an archive or an intranet. In exchange I would be willing to do similar tasks over here. I appreciate your interest and willingness but the truth is the internet has a limit and I have already got there. I can't pay for library research or for browsing documents, and I can't take a bus to swansea, so I depend on the help of someone at swansea who is also researching his ancestors (maybe a cape horner) and who may benefit of this relationship.
Richard

Flood

It's hard, I know. Unfortunately I'm nowhere near Swansea.
Just thought I'd try and help anyway.

Sally