Crawley Photographers
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Professional Photographers in Crawley, Ifield and Three Bridges
Thomas Antill - John Belchamber - George Parsons - Arthur Piper - John W. Slator - Harry Tullett
Thomas ANTILL (1849-1897)
Recorded as a photographer in New Town, Ifield in the Census of 1881
Thomas Antill was born around 1849
in Southwark, Surrey, South London, the son of Martha and William Samuel Antill
(1826-1894), a carver and gilder of London. By 1854, William Samuel Antill
had
established a picture-frame making business in Brighton, Sussex, but
his family continued to live in Newington, Surrey, South London. William Antill's wife and three children eventually joined him in
Brighton around
1858. Although William S.
Antill was primarily a carver and gilder, around 1864 he set
himself up as a photographer at his business premises at 57 Preston Street,
Brighton. From about 1867 onwards, William Antill was assisted in his
photography business by his two eldest sons - William Antill junior (born 1848,
Newington, Surrey ) and Thomas Antill (born 1849, Southwark). Towards the end of 1870, Thomas Antill married, and he and his wife Emma settled in Worthing. The couple's first child, Thomas Edward Antill was born in Worthing in 1872. A daughter named Emma Matilda Antill was born in Worthing in 1874. At the time of the 1881 Census, Thomas Antill, his wife, Emma, and their two children were living in New Town, Ifield. In the census return, Thomas Antill is recorded as a "Photographer", aged 31. By 1891, Thomas Antill had moved on to Barnet, Hertfordshire, where he worked as a self-employed photographer. Thomas Antill died towards the end of 1897, aged 48. His death was registered in the district of Barnet during the 4th Quarter of 1897. |
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John Thomas BELCHAMBER (born 1875, Brockham Green, Betchworth, Surrey)
Active as a photographer in Crawley from 1905 to 1911.
John Thomas Belchamber
was born in 1875 at Brockham Green,
near Betchworth in Surrey, the son of Mary Ann and John Belchamber senior,
a grocer and draper who ran the Post Office at Brockham Green. Picture postcards of Brockham were published by Belchamber & Son (presumably John Belchamber senior, and his son John Thomas Belchamber). It is possible that John Thomas Belchamber produced the photographs for these cards. There is evidence that Belchamber & Son were taking photographic portraits in Crawley as early as 1897. [See the cabinet card portrait of the Rice Family, illustrated below]. In 1905, John Thomas Belchamber married Annie Louise Botting. [The marriage of John Thomas Belchamber and Annie Louise Botting was registered in the Sussex district of Horsham during the 3rd Quarter 1905. Annie Louise Botting was born in Loxwood, Sussex, the daughter Louisa and Sydney Botting, a farmer of Loxwood Place, Wisborough Green, West Sussex. John Thomas Belchamber had a photographic studio at 22 Brighton Road, Crawley from around 1905 to 1911. Around 1913, John T. Belchamber took over the photographic studio of John Wheeler at 4 North Street, Horsham. John Belchamber and his wife remained in Horsham for just a couple of years. Mrs Annie Belchamber gave birth to a son named John Belchamber during the 3rd Quarter of 1914. By the time John and Annie Belchamber's next child (Mary Belchamber) was born in 1919, the family were living in the Westbourne area of West Sussex. John Thomas Belchamber died in the West Sussex District of Chichester during the 4th Quarter of 1951, aged 76. |
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[ABOVE] Cabinet portrait of James Rice and Family by Belchamber & Son of Crawley (c1897). At the time this photograph was taken, James Rice and his family were living in the Ifield area of West Sussex. The Rice family resided in Malthouse Road, Crawley. | ||
[PHOTO - Courtesy of Penny Kenton-Russ] |
George PARSONS (1854-1935)
Active as a photographer in Crawley from the 1890s to 1918.
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George Parsons - Professional Photographer at 113 High Street, Crawley Although he was clearly active as a photographer in Crawley during the 1890s, George Parsons is not listed as a professional photographer in Sussex trade directories until four years after the 1891 census was taken. George Parsons is listed under the heading of "Photographers" in the 'Trades Section' of Kelly's Sussex Directory, published in 1905. George Parson's business address is given in the 1905 Directory as High Street, Crawley. Later Sussex Directory listings, published between 1907 and 1918, give George Parsons' studio address as 133 High Street, Crawley.
George Parsons died in 1935 and is buried in Crawley churchyard.
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Arthur PIPER (born 1858, Maidstone, Kent - died 1933, Reading, Berkshire )
Active as a photographer in Crawley from 1895 to 1901.
Arthur Piper was born in
Maidstone, Kent, in 1858 the son of Rose and John Piper, a
customs officer. At the time of the 1881 Census, Arthur Piper was living
with his parents, together with his brother and sister, in Mistley, a
riverside village near Manningtree in Essex. Arthur Piper, then aged 22, was
already working as a photographer. Sometime before 1890, Arthur Piper met Hope Lilly Chapman, the daughter of Curtis and Rebecca Chapman of Lincoln. Hope Lilly Chapman had been born in Lincoln on 3rd November 1869. Around 1877, the Chapman family had moved to the Poplar district of East London, where Hope's father, Curtis Chapman died in 1878, aged 46. In 1881, twelve year old Hope Chapman was living at 24 Samuda Street, Poplar, Tower Hamlets, with her widowed mother, Mrs Rebecca Chapman, and three younger siblings. Around 1890, Arthur Piper married Hope Lilly Chapman By 1891, Arthur Piper and his wife were living in Cromwell Road, Redhill, Reigate. The 1891 census describes thirty-two year old Arthur Piper as a "Photographer & Diorama Exhibitor". Arthur and Hope Piper's first child, Mabel was born in Redhill, Surrey, around 1891. By 1895, Arthur Piper and his family were living in Crawley, Sussex, where their son, Arthur John Piper, was born. The couple's third child, a daughter named Nellie, was born in Crawley at the end of the following year. (The birth of Nellie Piper was registered during the 4th Quarter of 1896 ). In the 1899 edition of Kelly's Directory of Sussex, Arthur Piper is listed as a photographer with a studio in Crawley. At the time of the 1901 census, Arthur Piper and his wife were running a coffee house in Crawley's High Street, but Arthur Piper was still earning a living from his photography. In the 1901 census return, Arthur Piper is described as a "Coffee House Keeper & Photographer", aged 42. Arthur Piper and his family eventually moved to Reading in Berkshire. Arthur's wife, Hope Lilly Piper died in 1919, at the age of 49. Arthur Piper died in Reading in 1933, aged 74. |
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Frederick RUSSELL (born c1829, Crawley, Sussex - died 1888) - a Stationer & Bookseller who sold carte-de-visite views of Crawley and the surrounding area. |
Frederick Russell was born in Crawley,
Sussex, around 1829, one of 7 children born to Louisa and John
Russell, a hairdresser. In 1840, when Frederick was 10 years of age, his
father died. Thomas Russell (born c1821, Crawley), John
Russell's eldest son, took over the running of the family's hairdressing
business. Frederick Russell also began his working life as a hairdresser but
by the time he was 30 he was also offering his services as a "bird
stuffer" or taxidermist. The 1866 edition of Kelly's Post Office
Directory of Sussex lists Frederick Russell as a "hair
dresser, bird stuffer & news agent". By the mid 1860s, Frederick Russell
had acquired a shop in The Square, the commercial area of Crawley's High
Street. This distinctive building which occupied a central position in
Crawley's High Street was known as 'Russell's Emporium'. One of Russell's
trade labels which dates from the late 1860s describes him as a "Naturalist,
Stationer, Bookseller, Tobacconist". The same trade label also mentions
his role as a newsagent, printer and 'Fire & Life' Insurance Agent. Russell
also published annually the 'Crawley Emporium Almanack'. Frederick
also sold photographs in carte-de-visite format carrying his 'trade label'
but I have not found any evidence that he created the photographs he sold.
Frederick Russell lived with his widowed mother Mrs Louisa Russell (c1804-1872) until he married Hannah Bletsoe (born c1816) in 1865. The 1871 Census records Frederick Russell (described as a 42 year old "Naturalist" on the census return) living with his 55 year old wife at a house in Crawley Street, Crawley. By the time the 1881 census was taken, Mrs Hannah Russell was dead and Frederick Russell, a 52 year old widower, was running his stationery business in Crawley's High Street with the assistance of Isabella Russell, his 19 year old niece, and Julia Cawley, an unmarried woman who gave her age as 37. Later that year, Frederick Russell married Julia Cawley in London. [Julia Cawley had actually been born in 1838 at Bletchingley, Surrey, the daughter of Ann and William Cawley, a grocer and baker]. On 11th January 1888, Frederick Russell, who was then in his late fifties, died in Crawley. Mrs Julia Russell, Frederick's widow, took over the running of her late husband's stationery & bookselling business in The Square, Crawley, assisted by Isabella Russell (Frederick's niece). Mrs Julia Russell was still operating as a "Stationer, Newsagent & Tobacconist" in Crawley's High Street when the census was taken in 1901. |
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John William SLATOR ( born 1862, Long Sutton, Lincolnshire )
Active as a photographer in Three Bridges, near Crawley, from 1894 to 1911.
John William Bradley Slator was
born in Long Sutton, Lincolnshire in 1862, the son of Sarah Ann Smith and
William Slator (1835
-1868), an agricultural labourer. John's father, William Slator, died of
Bright's disease on 11th April 1868. Before the end of the year, John's
widowed mother, Mrs Sarah Ann Slator (born c1835 Long Sutton, Lincs.) had
re-married. Sarah Ann's new husband was William Crispin Corley ( born 1845, Hartismere, Suffolk
), also an agricultural labourer, and they married at Sutton St Nicholas,
Lincolnshire, on 20th December 1868. At the time of the 1871 Census, eight
year old John Slator was living with his mother and step-father at Sutton St
Nicholas in the parish of Lutton. In 1881, John Slator was in service, working as a gardener for Mrs Louise Bassett of 36 Sydenham Park, Lewisham, Kent.
In 1883, John Slator married Sarah Sargeant (born 1861, Forest Row), daughter of Elizabeth and Abraham Sargeant, and settled in Camberwell, London. In 1888, John Slator's wife gave birth to a son named William Bradley Slator [birth registered in the district of Camberwell during the 2nd Quarter of 1888]. Two daughters were born during the family's stay in Camberwell - Ethel, born around 1891, and Alice Slator, born on 27th July 1892. By 1894, John Slator and family were living in the Three Bridges area of Worth in Mid-Sussex. In that year, John Slator entered into partnership with Harry Tullett (see entry below) and together they established a photographic studio in the High Street of Three Bridges. John and Sarah's fourth child, Emily Ellen Slator was born in Worth in 1894 [birth registered 2nd Quarter of 1894]. A second son, Charles Henry Slator was born in the summer of 1896. From 1899 to 1911, John W. Slator is listed as a photographer in Three Bridges, near Crawley. Photographic portraits produced by John Slator carry the studio address of "Malvern Studio, Crawley Road, Three Bridges". The 1901 Census for Worth records John W. Slator as a "Photographer", aged 38. A new son, named George James Slator was born in Worth (Three Bridges) during the 2nd Quarter of 1902. Mrs Sarah Slator died in 1907 at the age of 46. Two years later, in 1909, John Slator married for a second time. (The second marriage was registered in the district of East Grinstead during the 4th Quarter of 1909). John Slator's new wife was Emily Jane Vince (born c1876, Bermonsey, London). Mrs Emily Jane Slator gave birth to a son named Frederick William Slator at the end of 1910. A daughter Margaret Slator was born a year later in 1911. Not long after the birth of his daughter Margaret, John William Slator closed his photographic studio in Three Bridges. John William Bradley Slator retired to Redhill in Surrey where he died on 3rd May 1934. |
[ABOVE ] The back of a Tullett & Slator carte-de-visite photograph (c1894). [PHOTO - Courtesy of Alison Graves]
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Cabinet Portraits by John W. Slator of Three Bridges, Crawley |
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[ABOVE] Portrait of a Young Woman by J. W. Slator, Artist & Photographer, Malvern Studio, Crawley Road, Three Bridges. Cabinet Photograph (c1898) | [ABOVE] The reverse of the cabinet portrait pictured on the left showing the trade plate of J. W. Slator, Artist & Photographer, Malvern Studio, Crawley Road, Three Bridges. (c1898) |
[ABOVE] The reverse of the cabinet portrait pictured on the right showing the trade plate of J. W. Slator, Photographic Studio, New Street, Three Bridges. |
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[ABOVE ] Portrait of two children by J. W. Slator, Artist Photographer, Malvern Studio, Crawley Road, Three Bridges. Cabinet Photograph (c1905). The reverse carries the inscripion "Joy & Doreen, 8 months & 5 yrs" | [ABOVE ] The reverse of a cabinet portrait by J. W. Slator, Artist Photographer, Malvern Studio, Crawley Road, Three Bridges.(c1905 ). |
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Harry TULLETT ( born 1867, Worth, Sussex - died 1941, Haywards Heath, Sussex)
Active as a photographer in Three Bridges, near Crawley, from 1894 to 1902.
Harry Tullett was born in
1867 in Worth, Sussex. (Harry was baptised in Worth on 7th July 1867). He
was the eldest son of Matilda Brooker and Henry Tullett, a blacksmith of Three Bridges.
In 1886, Harry Tullett married Alice Hoadley (born 1866, Horley, Surrey), the daughter of Elizabeth and William Hoadley, an agricultural labourer. The marriage took place in Seaford, Sussex, where the couple's first child (Charlie Tullett) was born in 1886. By 1892, Harry Tullett and his family were living in Worth, Sussex, where the birth of his daughter (Bertha) was registered during the 4th Quarter of 1892. Around 1894, Harry Tullett entered into partnership with John Slator ( see entry above ). The firm of Tullett & Slator was in business at High Street, Three Bridges for less than a year. By 1895, Harry Tullett was working alone at the Three Bridges Studio. In Kelly's Sussex Directory of 1895, Henry (Harry) Tullett of Three Bridges, Crawley, is listed under the heading of Photographers in the Trades Section. Harry Tullett is again listed as a photographer in Three Bridges in Kelly's Directory of 1899. The 1901 census for Worth, records Harry Tullett as a "Photographer & Grocer", aged 33. Harry Tullett's photographic portraits from this period carry an advertisement for Harry Tullett as a "Photographer & Frame Maker". Harry Tullett is not listed as a photographer in Three Bridges after 1902. Harry Tullett had moved his photography business to a new location in Haywards Heath. The 1903 edition of Kelly's Post Office Directory of Sussex lists "H. Tullett" as a photographer in South Road, Haywards Heath. During his time in Haywards Heath, Harry Tulllett was assisted in his photography business by his son Charlie Tullett (1886-1917). Harry Tullett is recorded as a "Photographer & Picture Frame Maker" at South Road, Haywards Heath until 1922. Around 1923, Harry Tullett sold his business in South Road to the photographer George Banbury. Harry Tullett died at his home in Haywards Heath in 1941 at the age of 74. |
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[ABOVE] Carte-de-visite portrait of an unknown man by Harry Tullett of Three Bridges (c1902). | [ABOVE] Details of the photographer Harry Tullett printed on the reverse of a carte-de-visite (c1902) |
[ABOVE] Portrait of a young woman by Harry Tullett of Three Bridges (c1898). | ||||
[ABOVE] Carte-de-visite portrait of a young child by Harry Tullett of Three Bridges (c1898). | [ABOVE] Details of Harry Tullett, Photographer & Frame Maker of Wilton House, Three Bridges. | [ABOVE] Carte-de-visite portrait of an unknown man by Harry Tullett of Three Bridges (c1898). |
Cabinet Card Portrait by Tullett & Slator of Three Bridges |
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
Thanks to Bob Parsons ( who is descended from Albert Parsons, a younger brother of George Parsons ), Lou Ann Glasgow ( who is descended from John Bradley Slator, the grandfather of John William Bradley Slator ) and Pat Brand ( who is descended from Mary Ann Slator, the sister of John William Bradley Slator ) for providing additional information on the family history of these photographers. A special thanks to Alison McLaughlin (Graves) and her mother Jean Graves (Slator) for permission to use the portraits of John William Bradley Slator and his wife Sarah Sergeant. Jean Slator's mother was Alice Slator, the third child of Sarah & John William Bradley Slator, the Three Bridges photographer. Thanks also to Chris Christian of Worthing for permission to use the carte-de-visite photograph by George Parsons of Crawley. |
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Roger Bastable (1950-2007) This page is dedicated to the memory of Roger Bastable, school teacher, local historian and author of several studies of Crawley including Crawley - A Pictorial History (1983), The Making of a New Town (1986) and Crawley: Then and Now (2003). Roger Bastable died in June 2007 at the age of 56. |
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