Thomas Earle (sculptor)

Thomas Earle (1810–1876) was a 19th century British sculptor.

Statue of King George IV in Trafalgar Square, London
Statue of Dr John Alderson at Hull Royal Infirmary

Life

He was born at Osborne Street in Hull in June 1810 the eldest of 12 children of John Earle (1779-1863) a sculptor. He was baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 5 December 1810.[1] His uncles owned the shipping company C & W Earle.[2]

He studied at the local Mechanics Institute. He was apprenticed under his grandfather, George Earle (1748-1827) but, showing much talent, was sent to London in 1830 to train under Francis Chantrey. He attended the Royal Academy Schools from 1832. In 1839 he received a gold medal for his group "Hercules Delivering Hesione".[3]

He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1843 to 1873 and at the British Institution from 1843 to 1865.

He returned to Chantrey's studio shortly before Chantrey's death and completed several of his works including the statue of George IV commissioned for Trafalgar Square. He left Chantrey's studio in 1842 and had his own studio by 1851 at Vincent street, Ovington Square.

He died suddenly in Hull on 2 May 1876 and is buried in Spring Bank Cemetery.[4] He is commemorated in Holy Trinity Church by a monument of his own design.[5]

A bombing raid on Hull in 1943 destroyed a large quantity of his work held in Hull Central Museum.

Family

In 1841 he married Mary Appleyard, daughter of builder Frank Appleyard.[6]

Artistic recognition

He was painted by Thomas Brooks around 1840, and the portrait is held by Hull Museum.[7]

Works

Grave Monuments
  • Sykes grave (1832) Kirk Ella west of Hull
  • Elizabeth Flavell (1833) Barsham in Suffolk
  • Monument to Ann Earle (1834) Holy Trinity Church, Hull
  • Mary Burland (1835) South Cave Yorkshire
  • Joseph Pease (1840) St Mary's Church, Hull
  • Charles Bamford (1845) St Mary's Church, Sculcoates
  • Sir Charles Anderson of Broughton (1846) Lea, Lincolnshire
  • Monument to mariner and alderman Thomas Ferres (1850) Holy Trinity Church, Hull
  • Monument to John Gray (1858) Holy Trinity Church, Hull
  • Charles Bamford Jr. (1860) St Mary's Church, Sculcoates
  • John Holmes (1860) St Mary's Church, Sculcoates
  • Monument to John Appleyard (an in-law) (1860) Holy Trinity Church, Hull

References


  1. ODNB: Thomas Earle
  2. http://museumshull.blogspot.com/2015/07/thomas-earle-18101876-hull-sculptor.html
  3. Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis
  4. The Times, 3 May 1876
  5. Hull Advertiser May 1876
  6. http://museumshull.blogspot.com/2015/07/thomas-earle-18101876-hull-sculptor.html
  7. https://shanejessp.wordpress.com/2015/09/22/the-hull-sculptor-thomas-earle-1810-1876/
  8. https://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib5_1217513726
  9. Literary Gazette 1844 p.483
  10. Art Union (journal) 1845 p.258
  11. https://www.rct.uk/collection/2069/queen-victoria
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