Sponsored by
Artistic ancestors help family paint a picture of their past
WHEN Debbie Rawley was growing up in New Zealand, her family would share stories about their artistic Yorkshire ancestors.
But until yesterday, Mrs Rawley had never travelled to South Yorkshire, where her great-great-great-grandfather painted and lived most of his life.
Abel Hold, was born in Alverthorpe, Wakefield, in 1815 and died in 1896, began his professional life as a house painter before turning his brushes to canvas.
He later moved to Cawthorne, near Barnsley and achieved fame with pictures painted in and around the village, which is now home to the borough’s Cannon Hall museum.
He was followed as an artist by his son Benjamin Hold, and many of their pictures are now displayed at Cannon Hall, where staff hosted Mrs Rawlings and her daughter Kirsty yesterday.
Mrs Rawlings said: “We had travelled to Reading for my maternal grandmother’s 100th birthday but decided to come to Barnsley to see the paintings.
“I have inherited one of the pictures and had some information about our Yorkshire connections, but only really started researching recently.”
Mrs Rawlings, who lives in Tokoroa on New Zealand’s North Island, said the countryside around Cannon Hall was “beautiful” and added that she hoped to return.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Leeds lose Ward to Palace: Is there anyone they can afford now?
- Sheffield Wednesday leaving it late to hijack Leeds United over Ward
- As Snodgrass dithers over Leeds, Warnock throws a lifeline
- Ball is in Leeds United’s court over contract - Snodgrass
- Police turning blind eye to Asian voter fraud, says MP
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.