Figure 1.--This is a wonderful painting of a wealthy family on their Dorset estate by William Beetham. It is the family of the Reverend Nathaniel Bond and his family. The painting is a happy scene showing a prosperous family outside their country estate--Creech Grange. In the scene are the Reverend Bond and his wife Mary. There are five children: The eldest child is a girl, Leonora Sophia. The boys are: Johnnie (holding the saddle), Denis (playing with the dog), Nathaniel (holding the bridle ), and George (sitting on the pony). The eldest boy is Johnnie and the youngest is George. They are dressed in the fashionable clothes of the 1840s.

This is a wonderful painting of a wealthy family on their Dorset estate by William Beetham. It is the family of the Reverend Nathaniel Bond. The painting is a happy scene showing a prosperous family outside their country estate--Creech Grange. In the scene are the Reverend Bond and his wife Mary. There are five children: The eldest child is a girl, Leonora Sophia. The boys are: Johnnie (holding the saddle), Denis (playing with the dog), Nathaniel (holding the bridle ), and George (sitting on the pony). The eldest boy is Johnnie and the youngest is George. They are dressed in the fashionable clothes of the 1840s. The youngest wears a red dress but it is clear that the child is a boy. Reverend Reverend Bond married Mary Hawksworth (183?). He was Canon of Salisbury (a cathedral town) and rector of Steeple and Tyneham. At the time of the painting they lived at Creech Grange near Wareham in Dorset. Vicars even canons were not that well paid, Creech Grange had been inherited from his wealthy brother. The painting seems to have been commissioned to celebrate the completion of the renovations to the property. These had been started four years previously when the Reverend Bond inherited the property. The children are well dressed. The older boys seem to be wearing a school uniform where they presumably boarded. It is interesting that they wear their school uniforms at home. They appear to be happy and carefree. The children have ponies to ride, toys to play with, and pet dogs. The portrait not only provides interesting sociological insights into wealthy family life, but useful details about a range of different fashion styles and garments. While this was a wealthy family, we suspect that the fashions here were not dusimmilar to thise worn by children in a comfortable middle-class family.

Artist: William Beetham

This is a wonderful painting of a wealthy family on their Dorset estate by William Beetham. It waas a massive work, measuring 10 by 14 feet. Beetham made his name as a society portraitist. He exhibited at the Royal Academy (1834-53). Beetham had a society clientelle. He exhibited a fine portrait of the former Prime Minister, Frederick Robinson, Viscount Goderich (1843). Reverend Bond wanted his family to be depicted by a respected artist and he could afford it. He thus chose Beetham. A few years after painting the Bond family, Beetham emigrated to New Zealand (1855). He thus became one of the most accomplished artists in New Zealand in a relatively early stage of its colonial history. He was elected the first President of the Fine Arts Association in Wellington (1882).

Reverend Boyd (1804-89)

This is the family of the Reverend Nathaniel Bond. He was Canon of Salisbury (a cathedral town) and rector of Steeple and Tyneham. At the time of the painting they lived at Creech Grange near Wareham in Dorset. Apparently Reverend Bond wanteda record of the move to Creech and imprivements as well as a record of his happy brood. Notice how he is painted in profile looking approvingly over his happy Victorian family. The Reverend Bond's wealth was based on agricultural prosperity. The Reverend's income suffered when agricultural prices dropped and rents were reduced. The family owned what is now Bond Streetv in London and whivh wa naned after them. He died at the age of 85.

Creech Grange

The painting is a happy scene showing a prosperous family outside their country estate mannor house --Creech Grange. This was built by Oliver Lawrence (1540). It was a Cistercian farm. The Cisterians were a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monks and nuns. After Henryb VIII disolved the monastaries, Creech was sold to Sir John Horsey of Clifton. He immediately resold it for a quick profit to Lawrence, an important magnate who acquired several estates in south-east Dorset, including Creech, Affpuddle, Knowle and Steeple. He was appointed Collector of Customs in Poole, a lucrative post. The ground plan of the Lawrence house is similar to that of Parnham and other Dorset manor houses built during the early Tudor period. Lawrence family ownership ended (1691). It is at this time that possession passed to thevBond family. Denis Bond erecting a folly on top of the hill in the background of this painting. He re-faced the south front with stone from the Lutton quarry (1738-41). Rev. Bond's family is depicted outside the east porch of the ancestral home, Vicars even canons were not that well paid, Creech Grange had been inherited from his wealthy brother. The painting seems to have been commissioned to celebrate the completion of the renovations to the property. These had been started four years previously when the Reverend Bond inherited the property (1844). It was apparently painted to hang on the main staircase at Creech. An English reader writes, "Your post about the Rev Bond Family made me look up Creech Grange. The house and Folly still stand. I was interested as I hadn't heard of the House yet my daughter lives close by. It is apparently not changed significantly since Rev Bond made the alterations in the 1840s. The Folly still stands alothough the trees have grown and it can't be seen from the house any more. The folly is different from many Victorian ones, in that it is a gateway rather than a tower or similar building. It might have served as an additional gateway to the property if the owner had so wished."

The Family

The Reverend Bond and his wife Mary are painted together at the rightb of the painting with theur eldest daughtr Leoniora between them. Rev. Bond married Mary Hawksworth (1835). By all accounts it was a happy marriage. There were five children: The eldest child is a girl, Leonora Sophia. The boys are: Johnnie (holding the saddle), Denis (playing with the dog), Nathaniel (holding the bridle ), and George (sitting on the pony). The eldest boy is Johnnie and the youngest is George. They appear to be happy and carefree. The children have ponies to ride, toys to play with, and pet dogs. However after the painting there was family and financial tragedy.

Mary Hawkesworth (1815-81)

Rev. Bond met his wife Mary (1815-1881) on August 13, 1835. Apparently it was love at first sight. He proposed 19 days later at Forde Abbey. She was the daughter of Mr, J Hawkesworth, a landowner of Forest, Queen’s County, Ireland. She is painted her with her hair done in fashionable ringlet curls which were not just done for children. Her daughter has a much more plain hair style. Mother's deep blue dress is trimmed in lace. It has a voluminous look, presumably because of several petticoats.

The Children

There are five children: The eldest child is a girl, Leonora Sophia. The boys are: Johnnie (holding the saddle), Denis (playing with the dog), Nathaniel (holding the bridle ), and George (sitting on the pony).
Leonora Sophia (1837-62): Lenora was the eldest child. She was 11-years old here. She wears a white sprigged-muslin dress tied with a pink silk sash, with trimmed pantalettes (pantaloons) and black pumps. Notice how her mother has taken one of the blosmoms from her daughter's flower basket to decorate her décolletage. Sge married John Ramsey. Four years kater she was badly burned in a terrible tragedy. Itvall occurred when an elavirate ball gown caught fire. She died (1862).
John (1838-49): Johnnie was 10-years old and the oldest boy. He is holding the saddle. His prosture suggests a protective attitude toward his little brother on the horse. Johnnie was the Reverend's favourite son and know in the family as ‘dearest Johnnie’. He wears a short brown jacket, an open collar shirt and white long trousers, white stockings, and black shoes. This looks rather like a school uniform, cut like an Eton school uniform although h colors are different. Many schools at the time had comparable uniforms. If so we are unsure as to what school he attended. As his father was the canon in Salisbury, the school may hav been located there. Boys of this class generally attend public (private boarding) school. Preparyory schools for the younger boys were not yet founded. Wealthy boys migh be educated at home, but the outfits the two older boys are earing suggests that they may be attending school. Tragically, a year after the painting was completed he died from consumption (1849). We do not know if he was at home or at school. It sounds like a disease he may have contracted at school.
Nathaniel (1840- ): Nathaniel was 8-years old and is holding the bridle. Nathaniel is one of the two children who survived to have adult lives. Like Johnie he wears what looks like achool uniform. Only the collar looks a little dufferent, Nathinel's collar looks a little scalloped. Nathaniel married Selina Jane Scot. They had 14 children and with improving public healt and medical care in the late-19th century 13 of the children survived.
Denis (1842-63?): Denis was 6 years old. He is knneling and playing with the dog which is chewing with a white glove. We are not sure where they glove came from. He wears what looks like a dark green tunic suit with a lace collar and tassle. The outfit is completed with white pantalettes which are also called pantaloons. They seem to be different than the white pants worn by his older brothers as they are cut at ankle level. He also wears white stockings and black strap shoes. Denis died when he was a student at Oriel, College Oxford. This was another family tragedy. He died after only ‘a few days’ illness’, as reported in The Times. He had just celebrated his 21st birthday.
George (1844?-91): George is sitting on the horse. He seems to be comfortable in doing so. Children from landed families were taught to read at an early age. At Geirge's age he was pribably always led. We are notvsure how old he was,m probably 4-5 years old. He wears a bright red dress with a low-neckline as was still common for younger boys from well-to-do or even middle-class families at the time. He wears socks rather than stockings leaving his legs bare. This was only acceotable for very young children. He has anklet sicjs and strap shoes. Nathaniel and George were the only two of the children who lived to be adults. George was elected M.P for East Dorset (1886). He died in 1891.
John Lloyd (1856): The sixth child and final child, John Lloyd, was born in 1856 and is not pictured here. He died as an baby. Perhaps, for Nathaniel, the presence of the peacock standing on the stone gatepost assumed special significance, since in ancient times it stood as a Christian symbol of immortality and Christ’s resurrection.

Fashions

They family is dressed in the fashionable clothes of the 1840s. The youngest wears a red dress but it is clear that the child is a boy. The children are well dressed. The older boys seem to be wearing a school uniform where they presumably boarded. It is interesting that they wear their school uniforms at home. The portrait not only provides interesting sociological insights into wealthy family life, but useful details about a range of different fashion styles and garments. While this was a wealthy family, we suspect that the fashions here were not dusimmilar to thise worn by children in a comfortable middle-class family.

Dresses

Two of the children wear dresses. The youngest boy, George, wears a bright red dress with a low-neckline as was still commin for younger boys from well-to-do or even middle-class families at the time. Leonora Sophia was the eldest child. She was 11-years old here. She wears a white sprigged-muslin dress tied with a pink silk sash. It is cut very long, but just above the ankles. Her ankles are, however, covered by pantalettes.

Pantalettes

At least two of the children wear pantalettes, also called pantaloons. The portrait show some of the age abd gender conventions in the 1840s as well as different types of pantalettes. The girl wears a long drss, but you can see her trimmed pantalettes just covering her ankles. Denis wears what look like plain pantalettes with his tunic suit. Pantalettes were made from a light-weight material, lighter than that used for pants and trousers. Senis's pantakettes are the same color as the older boys' trousers, but were probably made in light-weight fabruc. We can not be sure about this, but it seems likely. We suspect that George also wears pantalettes, but as he is so young they are probably short and covered by his dress.

Shirts

We are not sure if the two oldr boys are wearing blouses or shirts. Presumably they are the shirts abd blouses they wore at school with the school uniform. The boys are dressed identucally, exceot ghat their collars look a little different. Johnnie's collar looks smooth while Nathanile's looks scalloped. It is a little hard to tell.

Tunic

We notice younger boys wearing tunics during the 19th century. Denis was only 6 years old, but older boys akso wore tunics, especually earlier in the century. He wears what looks like a dark green tunic suit with a lace collar and tassle. The outfit is completed with white pantalettes which are also called pantaloons. They seem to be different than the white pants worn by his older brothers as they are cut at ankle level.

School uniform

The two older boys seem to be wearing a school uniform where they presumably boarded. He wears a short brown jacket, an open collar shirt and white long trousers, white stockings, and black shoes. This looks rather like a school uniform, cut like an Eton school uniform although the colors are different. Many schools at the time had comparable uniforms. It is interesting that they wear their school uniforms at home. Perhaps they put them on just for the portrait.

Hosiery

The children all seem to be wearing white stockings exceot for George. What we can't tell is how long they were or even if they were all the same length. We have noted illustratiins showing children wearing striped stockings in the 1840s-50s. We have not ben able, however, to cinfirm this. White stockings seem much more common. Only George wears short socks. This was because he was so young that it was see permissable to have bare legs.

Footwear

The footwear includes black pumps for Leonora, black strap shoes for the two two younger boys, and low-cut black shoes for the two older boys. Low-cut shoes were standard in the early- and mid-19th century. We do not see the high-top shoes that became common in the late-19th century..

Hair Styles

We note all kinds of period hair styles in the portrait. The Rev. Bond has long sideburns. If they were a little wider we might call them mutton chops. His wife Mary has elaborate ringlet curls. Ringlers were not just for children at the time. Leonora has a center part with relatively short hair turned up at the side. It was a popular style we have seen in other portraits at the the time. All of the boys have short hair. The parts are well away from the side, some look almost like center parts. But if you look closely they are not straight down the middle which was seen as a girl's hair style.

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Created: 5:12 PM 7/29/2013
Last updated: 10:04 PM 8/1/2013