The Hampshire Family Historian | Vol.49 No.3 | December 2022

Local Group Programmes

Gosport Meetings are normally held on the second Wednesday of each month in the Scout Hut, Clayhall Road, Alverstoke, Gosport, Hants, PO12 2BY from 7.30-9.30.

Contact: Janet Heath Tel: 02392 522 827 Email: gosport@hgs-online.org.uk

Reports by Elayne Kenway I am catching up on earlier reports (Editor) that were omitted from the previous issues of the journal. (April) A Family of Sculptors and Engineers – Rob Hamilton Since his childhood Rob had grown up with stories about the Sculptors and Engineers in his family but he did not understand how they linked together. Rob set about sequencing the stories and knowledge coherently. Going back seven generations he introduced us to his famous sculptor and engineer ancestors. Descended from farmers, John Francis, married to Mary Evetts, was the first ancestor recognised for showing the sculpting talent when he created an impressive replica of Nelson’s funeral carriage. Having rescued a lady from the Serpentine, he was introduced to the Duke of Sussex which led to royal patronage and commissions. John Francis took on several apprentices including Thomas Thornycroft, who, like John Francis, showed an aptitude for carving since childhood. Thomas and Mary Francis, John’s daughter, both flourished under her father’s tuition. Thomas and Mary married and enjoyed successful careers as sculptors. Thomas completed numerous statues including ones of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and also Queen Boadicea and her daughters riding a chariot. This is located on the Embankment adjacent to the House of Parliament. Mary was commissioned to create life sized statues of all Queen Victoria’s children. These are on view in Osborne House and elsewhere. Thomas and Mary had seven children, including Rob’s great grandmother. In 1859 Thomas helped his teenage son build the steam launch ‘Nautilus’ that was the first boat able to keep up with the Oxford and Cambridge boat race. Shortly after, Thomas sent his son to Glasgow University to study engineering. Here he met another student, John Donaldson, who later became his brother-in-law. As partners they developed the “John I Thorncroft” shipbuilding business at Chiswick. It moved to Woolston around 1900. John I’s sons and grandsons became directors of the firm as did John Donaldson’s eldest son. The engineering gene continues to this day in John Donaldson’s great grandson, Rob and three of his 2x great grandsons. Thomas Thornycroft’s other son, Hamo, was responsible for some of London’s best-known statues. He assisted his father with the statue of Boadicea and went on to create the statue of the young King Alfred that stands in Winchester today. His other works include: General Gordan of Khartoum, Oliver Cromwell, Dean Colet at St Paul’s School, the Gladstone Monument in the Strand. Hamo Thornycroft married Agatha Cox, who Thomas Hardy used as one of his models for his character Tess of the D’Urbervilles. The sculpting gene continued to manifest itself in John Donaldson’s daughter Isobel and his grandson John Hamilton who, as architect in residence during the building of

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