Antique Artworks via Australia!

previous item | up | next item

These images and the following text appeared as an article in Local History Bulletin No. 11, based on photographs supplied Mr & Mrs Cook of Australia via Mick Stancer of Bishop Wilton:

Mick Stancer was manning the Post Office in the summer of 2004 when an Australian visitor and his wife arrived with an album of photos of artworks depicting scenes in and around York. The visitors kindly left copies of two relating to Bishop Wilton with Mick. David Walker then brought them to a Local History Group meeting at which they created quite a stir of excitement, dating as they did from the mid to late 1800s, and there was much discussion about where the artist must have been to capture the scenes.

One of the artworks (the second one above) has writing in the bottom right corner saying ‘B. Wilton Church’. It shows the windmill that used to exist on the lane to High Belthorpe with what is probably Mill House just beyond. The remains of the base of this windmill can still be seen in the grounds of Mill House. Bishop Wilton Church can be seen in the distance, nestled in trees, with Beechwood Farmhouse (now Flat Top) on the higher ground behind. The precise vantage point for this scene has not been located but it is in the region of High Belthorpe or a track a bit further south.

The first artwork (above) took longer to locate. It was painted from the approximate point of the existing track to the [old] Village Hall [now demolished] which we know was gated in the early 1900s and provided access to what became the Show field behind. Because of the angle with the road, it is possible that the thatched dwelling and/or the attached building just behind the bushes is associated with the current stable building in front of the Village Hall. This building has a similar angle with the road and its stone built end wall is of some antiquity. Over the fence in the foreground we can see the village green with grazing livestock. Beyond the village green, No. 57 (Walgate House) stands out with just a portion of what must be Cliff Farm visible to its left.

Luckily for us, a name and address in Australia had been written on the back of the photos so we were able to write to John & June Cook to request further information. They have about 150 paintings, of which a half are of Yorkshire. John Cook acquired them from his Great Aunt, Miss A. Cook, who worked for a Mrs Carr who was a volunteer teacher of drawing, painting, woodwork and carving to the wounded from the First World War. The paintings are the work of this Mrs Carr and her mother. John’s family, the Cooks, had lived in York from 1780 and he was born there in 1934. His mother, whose maiden name was Hutchinson, was born at Fangfoss and she moved to Millington as a small girl.
John and June spent 8 weeks in the UK in 2004 catching up with family and friends as well as attempting to locate the places depicted in the paintings so that they could take photographs to accompany them. They hope to visit again in the future and bring some of the paintings with them.