COLLECTORS
The objective of our 'collectors' files is to determine locations at which
JMW Turner's 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock,
Bristol', exhibited RA 1793, might have been abandoned. They also seek to
determine missing periods from the provenances of associated works in
connection with their identities and present whereabouts.
Explanatory
Index
November 2020
MRS ELLA KATHERINE HORNSBY-DRAKE (c1860-1930)
Mrs E.K. Hornsby-Drake's collection is of interest to the extent that she inherited works from the collection of her father,Sir William Richard Drake. Her collection was analysed to find out whether 'The Rising Squall...' was amongst pictures inherited. It has been confirmed definitely that JMW Turner's 'The Rye House...' (as one of a pair with 'A Woody Landscape' - see below) was inhereted from Drake. She married in 1887 and became Ella Katherine Hornsby-Drake and she died in 1930 aged 70. Her husband and one daughter, Ella B.T. (Hornsby-Drake) Bailey b.1889 m.1913, survived her. The sale of her collection took place on 11th March 1932 and 'The Rising Squall' was not in the catalogue. It is not clear whether or not she inherited Oatlands Lodge, Weybridge, Surrey (Drake Family)
1860 Ella K Drake was born in Ireland as Ella K Hillas. Her father was
R.W. Hillas of Doonecoy, c. Sligo. [Kelly's]
She was adopted by her uncle, Sir William Richard Drake (43 in 1860)
and his wife, Katherine Stewart (Forbes).
Married Alfred Weston Hatchall Hornsby (1845-1932)
in September 1887
1874 Address of Drake family:
1880 Her mother, Dame Katherine Stewart Forbes-Drake died. [Mausoleum in Brockwood Pales, Woking Surrey]
1887Before her marriage Ella Katherine (Hillas) Drake appears to have lived with her adoptive parents:
1887 Ella K Drake, age 27, married Lt.-Col. Alfred Weston Hatchell Hornsby, age 42, in September 1887 three years before her father died. She became Mrs. Ella K Hornsby-Drake. We have no address for them at this time. However, Sir William was widowed and aged 70. His houses at 12, Prince's Gardens and Oatlands Lodge were both large family houses and it seems likely that Ella and Alfred lived at one or both of these addresses.
1888 Ella and Alfred's first daughter was born, Katharine Ella Dora Hornsby-Drake. The family appear to be resident at 12, Prince's Gardens.
1889 Ella and Alfred's second daughter was born, Ella B T Hornsby-Drake. The family appear to be resident at 12, Prince's Gardens.
1890 At age 30, Ella inherited the (unsold part of the) collection on the death of her father. It appears likely that she and Alfred were living with her father and inherited the properties on his death.
1897 Hornsby-Drake address: Wotton House, Aylesbury but no London
address. Kelly's
Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes for 1897 The
Hornsby-Drake family; Alfred, Ella and their two daughters.
In Boyle's directory 'Sir William Drake FSA' is still listed in 12
Prince's Gardens, South Kensington, London SW (7 years after his death);
no Hornsby-Drakes are listed. So who is living at 12 Prince's Gardens? It
could be let. (Later, in 1905, AWH Hornsby-Drake is shown living at 36
Lowndes Sq.; in 1897 Boyle's shows this address occupied by Mrs Jelf.).
1899 Hornsby-Drake address: Wotton House, Aylesbury but no London address. Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes
1899 Miss 'Kitty' Hornsby-Drake was a bridesmaid at a wedding in
Knightsbridge, London. [Truth
Magazine; April 1899, page 1087]
This is clearly Katharine Ella Dora age 11.
1903 Their elsest daughter Katharine Ella Dora died age 15; probably at
an institution in Alton,
Hampshire. Alton, Hampshire is around 30 miles from Oatlands Lodge,
Weybridge
The Hornsby-Drakes had left 12 Prince's Gardens because Boyle's
(1903) shows a Lord Lennox living there. The same Boyle's volume shows 36,
Lowndes Sq. occupied by Lady Dalton Fitzgerald. There are no
Hornsby-Drakes in Boyle's 1903. We therefore have no London address for
Ella K, Alfred and their younger daughter, Ella B T, for the year that
Katharine Ella Dora died.
It appears that the family moved to Alton
Kelly's Handbook to
the Titled, Landed and Official Classes Thedden Grange, Alton,
Hampshire
1905 Lt.-Col. AWH Hornsby-Drake is resident at 36 Lowndes Sq, London SW. Three entries [Loyd, Hornsby, 36 Lowndes Sq.] in Websters 1905 show two families at 36, Lowndes Square, London SW. (1) E Henry Loyd and the Hon. Mrs. (Loyd) and (2) Lt.-Col. AWH Hornsby-Drake; there is no mention of Mrs E K Hornsby-Drake or daughter, Ella B T but Websters usually listed only the person recognised as 'head of household'. However, it is a bit odd to find the Hornsby-Drakes in a shared house; I wonder if they had separated (due to the stress of the loss of their daughter perhaps) or AWH used it as some sort of business address. In the catalogue of her 1932 sale it is stated that Ella K lived at 42 Belgrave Sq. London SW. at the time of her death. In 1905 this address was occupied by James and WH Bishop.
1911 Two London addresses are listed in Kelly's. It is not clear whether they were consecutive but one could be a business address:
1913 Ella K (Mrs. Hornsby-Drake) contributed four miniatures to the
Burlington Fine Arts
Club Exhibition. No contributor's addresses are listed.
Her daughter, Ella BT Hornsby-Drake married Mr. Bailey early in 1913.
1915 One address is found for Col. Alfred Weston Hatchell Hornsby-Drake
1916 Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes shows two addresses for the Hornsby-Drakes: ,
1923 Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes for Ella K and husband Alfred WH Hornsby-Drake.
1927 The Hornsby-Drakes have one, London, address
1930 Ella died. Her address on the executor's sale catalogue:
Surviving family members were:
Bequests were made to:
Titles of Pictures and Watercolour-Drawings Not in 1932-03-11 or Bequeathed:
HER COLLECTION
DEFINITELY INHERITED FROM SIR WILLIAM RICHARD DRAKE
JMW Turner;
View of the
Gatehouse at Rye House, (The Rye House...); 10¾" x 7½";
watercolour-drawing, 1793; lot 69 at Christie 1932-03-11
This watercolour was sold at Sotheby's 19th November 1987 sale, lot
94. The provenance confirmed descent from
Sir William
Drake followed by a sale by [estate of] Mrs E.K. Hornsby-Drake
(London Christies 11 March 1932
lot 69, one of a pair).
'The Rye
House...' and 'River
Scene, View on the Dee' appear together in the
Burlington
Exhibition of 1871, page 74. River Scene, View on the Dee, sold at
Drake 1891 sale
was originally owned by Rev. Robert Nixon; 'The Rye House...' was not
(otherwise Burlington would have said so).
At 11th March 1932, lots 49 to 91 were the property of Hornsby-Drake. 'The Rising Squall' is not in this sale.
The two drawings at 11th March 1932 sale lot 69 were 'A Country Mansion' and 'A Woody Landscape with Cattle at a Stream'. So if 'A Country Mansion' was in fact 'The Rye House' (from Sir William's collection), what was 'A Woody Landscape'. Nothing in Burlington 1871 comes close.
Follower of Raffaello Sanzio, called Raphael; The Madonna and Child
with Saint Anne and the Infant Saint John the Baptist; 19½" x 16½";
oil on panel, after 1518; lot 86 at Christie 1932-03-11
The provenance for this panel is from Sotheby's sale of 24th April
2008. Said to be by Bartolommeo da Bagnacavallo.
FROM HIS COLLECTION AND POSSIBLY PASSED TO ELLA K
BOUGHT BY ELLA K HERSELF
none found yet
Mrs Hornsby Drake (without the EK) is listed as a contributor in Burlington 1914. (1913 inside!) These are miniatures
Jean Dumont; No 45; Portrait of Jean Dumont
Antoine Vestier; No.84; A Maid of Honour of Marie-Antoinette
François Dumont ?; No. 85; Portrait of a Lady
François Dumont ?; No. 86; La Princesse de Lamballe
None of these appear in her sale of 11th March 1932
Ella K Hornsby-Drake Birth Record
From an 'ancestry' website taken as a screenshot so there is no note of
the site itself.
It is known that she died age 70 in 1930. Therefore her birth was in
1860 and this appears to be her record, thus indentifying the husband.
Note that it states that Ella was born in Ireland which therefore
places Sir William Richard Drake in Ireland in 1860. He had assets in
Dublin at his death in 1890.
This record also indicates two daughters, Ella Dora Hornsby and an
unknown.
Ella K Hornsby Drake
Record of Marriage September 1887
Registered at St. George, Hanover Sq. London
Ella K Hornsby-Drake
Ella K Hornsby-Drake Death Record
Registered July-Sept 1930 at St. George, Hanover Sq. London
Age 70
Ella K Hornsby-Drake
The sale of her pictures took place on 11th March 1932 at Christies:
The catalogue was supplied by NGA on 30th September 2020
3. From the provenance of 'View of the Gatehouse at Rye House, Hertfordshire' sold at Sotheby's 19 November 1987 lot 94.
Drake Sale
