Artistic ancestors help family paint a picture of their past

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.