The Mysterious Mr STUBBS

[Daft Bat]

Tim has sent me a puzzle that I have not been able to solve and so am hoping that the super sleuths here can.

Tim says, "I’ve had this silhouette for some years but Mr R Stubbs is not recorded, only that he was in Doncaster...I’m guessing date wise the profile was drawn maybe 1830/1840....might be a tad earlier....so Mr Stubbs might have been born in the late 18th century ?
Of course he might not be from Doncaster but possibly that neck of the woods."

The back of the silhouette:



All help gratefully received.

 

[arthurk]

Stubbs isn't a particularly common name in the Doncaster area. In Yorkshire it seems to be most common in the Pickering-Scarborough area, though I was interested to spot a Randall Stubbs, who was a miller in the Snaith area (1834 directory - Carleton; 1853 newspaper death notice - Camblesforth). That's considerably nearer to Doncaster, and in my family I've found people moving around between the two.

Then I took a closer look at the image, and realised that Mr Stubbs was working in premises in Bennetthorpe (start of 2nd line). That's the name of one of the main roads out of Doncaster - about half a mile SE of the town centre, near the racecourse. So that's probably where we'd need to be looking, though my efforts so far haven't borne fruit.

But it also occurs to me (fancifully), given the location of his studio in Doncaster, could there possibly be some connection with George Stubbs, the renowned painter of horses?

 

[Londoner]

In Doncaster There was a marriage in 1871 of a Mary Jane Stubbs whose father was Ralph Stubbs, deceased, artist. also Ralph Rubens Stubbs baptised 1828 son of Ralph and Mary so possibly he is R Stubbs you are looking for. Ralph jnr was also an artist he died in 1879 and there is a lengthy tribute on Find a Grave

 

[Londoner]

from Stamford Mercury 10 Jan 1845: on Saturday last, age 71, Mr Ralph Stubbs artist of Hull, much respected.

 

[Daft Bat]

Thank you @arthurk and @Londoner Certainly some clues there!

 

[AnnB]

I got quite (well a bit) excited when I found mention of the Ralph Stubbs and his lengthy obituary which appeared in the Daily Gazette of the 2nd April 1879 and several other papers. However, there is no mention of Doncaster, no mention of his teaching art - and he seems to have concentrated on landscapes, no mention of portraits or silhouettes. Some of his work can be found on-line. I can’t find an obit for Ralph Stubbs the elder, only the actual notice of his death. There are a couple of examples of his work on-line and he also seems to have painted landscapes and seascapes, mainly around Scarborough.

I thought there would be an advert in a paper on similar lines to the inscription in the image, but I’ve failed to find one.

 

[Daft Bat]

Thanks for looking @AnnB

 

[arthurk]

From "Yorkshire Artists - A Short Dictionary" by Harry Turnbull (published 1976):

STUBBS, Ralph. 1774-1845
Landscape and marine painter. Lived in Hull.

STUBBS, Ralph R. c.1820-80
Painter of coastal views, mainly in oils. Born in Hull, probably related to the above Ralph Stubbs. According to one account, however, he was the son of a retired military officer. Lived for a period in York and Scarborough and later settled at Paul, a small fishing village near Hull. Exhibited at the R.A. and Suffolk Street between 1856 and 1873 and showed regularly in local exhibitions. He painted many views of the Yorkshire coast, especially in the neighbourhood of Whitby.

 

[burt]

It looks fairly certain that Ralph Stubbs senior is your man.
The son Ralph Rubens is baptised twice it seems! Firstly at
Bridlington in 1826 and then at Doncaster in 1828 with a
date of birth of 1826! The other two children are baptised at
Sculcoates, which of course is Hull. So You can narrow this
down to them being in Doncaster at some period between
1826 and 1837, with a definite for 1828.

 

[arthurk]

The son Ralph Rubens is baptised twice it seems! Firstly at
Bridlington in 1826 and then at Doncaster in 1828 with a
date of birth of 1826!

And at both of these the father is named as Ralph, Artist

It does seem from the paper on the back of the silhouette that this was only part of his work. Mostly he draws attention to giving instruction in drawing etc, plus (at the end) picture cleaning and restoration.

 

[Daft Bat]

You lot really are good!

Thank you! I will pass the information on.

 

[burt]

Just to tidy this up a bit for your friend.....
The most likely birth For Ralph senior is
Stockton on Tees St Thomas
1774 Apr 28 STUBBS Ralph s Ralph & Ann

Ralph married Ann Mergantroy at Stockton in 1770 and they
had a raft of kids.

No connection that I can see to George Stubbs painter of horses.
He was born 1724 Liverpool.

And Ralph Stubbs Senior was buried at Holy Trinity Hull 1845 aged 71
listed as of Ayton. I presume East or West Ayton near Scarborough
was where he died, although he was registered at Sculcoates.

 

[Archie's Mum]

1851 Ralph Stubbs (Reuben) Bridlington Yorks, 26 years, married Artist- landscape. Wife Ellen 29 born Leeds.
1861 Artist. Wife Ellen.
1871 Artist wife Sarah.
Marriage of Ralph Stubbs to Mary Baron 5/7/1823. His residence Bridlington hers Catwick. Another marriage on FS has his age at 40 and hers at 21 and the date 14/7/23. The earlier date is probably banns.
Interesting because Ralph Reuben didn’t marry Ellen Brooks until 1863

 

[Daft Bat]

Thank you!

 

[arthurk]

And Ralph Stubbs Senior was buried at Holy Trinity Hull 1845 aged 71
listed as of Ayton. I presume East or West Ayton near Scarborough
was where he died, although he was registered at Sculcoates.

It's actually Myton, not Ayton, and nearly everyone on that page of burials lived there. The North Myton and South Myton wards covered a large area of the western side of Hull:

https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/ERY/Hull/HullMap

(Also, if he'd died near Scarborough his death would have been registered there rather than in Sculcoates.)

 

[Daft Bat]

Thanks @arthurk - there's also a Myton Street that still exists there.

 

[burt]

Thanks @arthurk - I was not happy with that for the reason you stated.
The only other thing is I cannot see either Ralph in the 1841 Census,
mainly to see whether Ralph senior said 'not born in County'. His wife
Mary and daughter Mary are at George Street. In 1851, daughter Mary
Jane is niece with what is meant to be Thomas Cook and wife Jane in
Leeds. In 1861 Ralph senior's widow, Mary, is with them and both Mary
and Jane are born Sledmere, where their baptisms are to be found in
1802 and 1799 respectively.

 

[arthurk]

The only other thing is I cannot see either Ralph in the 1841 Census, mainly to see whether Ralph senior said 'not born in County'.

I think I've found him in Perth (Scotland). The household transcript I've found includes Ralph Stobbs (sic) (67), Artist, and Robin Stobbs (15), plus two other men; all four of them born in England. The image can only be found at Scotland's People, for a small outlay.

 

[Daft Bat]

I think I've found him in Perth (Scotland). The household transcript I've found includes Ralph Stobbs (sic) (67), Artist, and Robin Stobbs (15), plus two other men; all four of them born in England. The image can only be found at Scotland's People, for a small outlay.

Brilliant. Thank you.