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J.M.W. TURNER
Events Recorded by Miller for 1792-1793 - Background Information

7. Both Miller and Joseph Hogarth should have been aware of John Burnet's article in The Art Journal of January 1852 which stated that Turner's first oil was in the possession of Dr Hering (who, incidentally, was living at 38 Mortimer St. Cavendish Sq. just a short walk up Regent St. from Haymarket where Hogarth's premises were situated).
Dr. Hering was in possession of this picture before Turner's death. It was housed in London not far from Joseph Hogarth's studios and it is possible that Miller or Hogarth actually saw the picture and wrote the footnote as a result of that visual inspection. The short title 'Rochester Castle' later given at auction does not preclude a picture with fishermen, boats, and a gale of wind. The longer version of the title in the Nephew's letter, 'Rochester Castle and the Adjacent Ground', however, does not reconcile at all with the description in Miller's footnote. Looking at (The Art Journal, January 1852 page 47) Burnet's comparison with 'Loutherbourg and Wilson' and the fact that Burnet also spelled Dr. Hering's name incorrectly (as "Mr. Herring") casts doubt on Burnet's description; so Burnet in 1852 may have simply copied from an earlier source. ('View of Rochester', the first oil (originally in the possession of Rev. James Douglas) was offered for sale at Christies on 14th May 1860 lot 168 as 'Rochester Castle' and again on 29th June 1872 lot 91).

8. Another claim to the possession of JMW Turner's first oil painting was made in 1845 by Rev. Dr. Francis Russell Nixon, Bishop of Tasmania in the catalogue of the Hobart Town (Tasmania) 1845 Exhibition and subsequent press reviews. The claim was in respect of a picture known at the time as 'View of Snowdon, North Wales' and later as 'The Country Waggon, Snowdon - Early Morning'. However, Miller, whilst being aware of the claim, may not have been aware of the picture to which the claim related. This claim was made on the Bishop's understanding that the picture was painted for his father, the Rev. Robert Nixon.
Rev. Robert Nixon resided at Foots Cray between 1784 and 1804. Robert had been an early patron of Turner but in 1854 Miller may not have known the extent of Robert's patronage because auctions of works from his collection had not yet taken place (auction of Dr. Nixon's oil, 'The Country Waggon, Snowdon - Early Morning' was at Christie's on 9th July 1864 lot 151 then again in the sale of Sir William Richard Drake on June 27th 1891 lot 88)

1. Although commonly referred to as 'Miller' this book was the creation of Joseph Hogarth from Walker's engravings and Miller was described as the 'editor' not the author. It was pubished in 1854. It is assumed that Miller wrote the text.

2. In 1854 general knowledge of JMW Turner's early years was sketchy. The timing of the two Kent tours described by Miller was not properly established until the publication of 'The Life Of J.M.W. Turner ' by A J Finberg in 1939.

3. There were a number of obituaries published at the end of December 1851 and early 1852. Miller would have been familiar with these.

4. The locations of Rochester and Foots Cray would have been familiar to Miller. Thus he would have known that Foots Cray was closer to London than Rochester and if events took place in Rochester before Foots Cray the direction of travel would have been towards London ie: the return journey of the tour.

5. In January 1852 The Art Journal published Turner's obituary and stated, "... in 1793 he exhibited his first oil picture." Both Miller and Hogarth would have been aware of this. In the 1850's and 1860's there was general consensus that Turner first exhibited an oil in 1793; almost all art writers of this era agreed that the exhibited oil was 'The rising squall, hot wells, from St. Vincent's rock, Bristol'

6. Miller was writing in 1854; the Nephew's Letter of 1857 and Archer's article in Once A Week (1862) had not yet been written. However, even if it was not public knowledge, in 1854 the confrontation between Dr. Hering and Turner later reported in Once A Week must have been fairly well known to artists and dealers (and of course must have taken place before Turner's death in 1851).