Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886) was born in Chester on 22 March
at 150
Bridge Street (now No 16) where today there is a plaqu
e to
commemorate him. His father, John
Caldecott,
was a Chester business man and an accountant of some note who was
married
twice and had 13 children. Randolph was his third child by his first
wife
Mary Dinah (nee Brookes). In 1848 the family moved to Challoner
House,
Crook Street and in 1860 to 23 Richmond Place at Boughton just outside
Chester. He spent the last five years of his schooling at The King's
School which, in those days, was in the cathedral buildings in the
centre
of the city. In his early childhood Randolph drew and modelled,
mostly
animals, and he continued drawing for the rest of his life. There is
a
small oil painting in Chester of his brother Alfred painted during his
school days. In the year that he left school, 1861, he first had a
drawing
published: it was a sketch of a disastrous fire at the Queen's Hotel
in
Chester and it appeared in the London Evening News together with his
account of the blaze.
For more information, and many examples of his work, see www.randolphcaldecott.org.u
k
| Married the Rev. William Gaskell in 1932 at Knutsford Parish Church. She is buried in the Unitarian Chapel yard at Knutsford. (Both she and her husband were Unitarians.) A booklet, Knutsford & Elizabeth Gaskell, has been produced by the Gaskell Society. It contains a map of the town that includes the many places referred to in Elizabeth Gaskell's novels. |
George Macdonald (1824-1905) Alderley Edge
Any additions please email : Rosemary Culley, Hon. Sec of
the Alliance of Literary Societies Thank you!
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