Weather ◊ Travel ◊ What the Papers Say ◊ Leisure
Site search
Web search


Home What's new History Our Area Districts Photo Gallery Features Memories Genealogy Webshop Advertising Miscellany Business Links

Genealogy & Family History

 

Thomas Allport (1804-1879)

Thomas Allport, self-portrait Thomas Allport, a Botanical and Landscape Artist, was born in Lichfield and came to Rotherham in the 1830s. He married Sarah Thickett 8 Jan 1849 at the Parish Church Rotherham . Three children were born to this couple:

Here are some reports about Thomas (He also had a twin brother John, who was also an artist.)

This first one is when he boarded in Sheffield. Thomas advertises in the "Sheffield Iris" and lives on Glossop Road Sheffield.

Mr Thomas Allport, Miniature and Botanical Painter, Drawing Master &c. (Three years emplyed by the late William Roscoe, Esq. in the Botanical Gardens at Liverpool). Most respectfully informs the Nobility Gentry and Public in general, of Sheffield and it's vicinity, that he has lately arrived from London, and intends residing in Sheffield, where he hopes to merit the favours of those Ladies and Gentlemen who may honour him with their attention.

TERMS
Likenesses on Ivory £3 3s to £5 5s and upwards
Likenesses taken on bristol board, in pencil &c 1s and upwards
INSTRUCTIONS in DRAWING
Private Pupils, Flower Painting in Water Colours &c Six Lessons £1 1s
Private Pupils do, do, per quarter £2 2s
Schools and classes do, do, per quarter £1 1s.

Mr Allport ventures to hope that the Conductors of Ladies and Gentlemen's Schools, particularily, will find his miniatures and Flower Paintings &c worthy of notice. Specimen's may be seen at Mr. Eadon's, 91 Fargate at the Independant Office and at his rooms, Mrs Knowles, Cheney Place, Glossop Road.

Sheffield Daily Telegraph 2 Dec 1930

"Our picture this morning will interest our readers from Rotherham. It is described as 'A View of Rotherham Yorkshire' taken from Bromley Sands, and drawn from nature and on stone by T. ALLPORT. The date is 1850. We don't know who T. Allport was, or whether he had any Rotherham associations, or was merely an artist picking up pictures where he found them, nor can we say to what extent the sketch is a faithful reproduction of the town as it was eighty years ago. But it makes in it's way a rather fine picture and our Rotherham readers will be interested to see how things have changed since it was drawn.

Sheffield Daily Telegraph 4 Dec 1930

AN OLD VIEW OF ROTHERHAM from 7 Clifton Bank- Rotherham
" Sir- In Tuesday's issue of your paper "Current Topics" publishes a view of Rotherham taken from Bromley Sands, dated 1850, by T. ALLPORT. 'Current Topics' comments upon the interest of this view and at the same time disclaims all knowledge of Mr Allport's connection with Rotherham. Mr. Thomas Allport, was not a native of Rotherham but came here in his early youth. He was I believe, an ardent Wesleyan and stayed for a time with Mrs. Blackmoor of Dun Close Rotherham, who had been converted by John Wesley of Epworth . Whilst staying there, Mr. Allport painted miniatures of Mrs. Blackmoor and her daughter, which are still in the possession of my Great Aunt.
Later he married, and went to live in the Masbro' district. The Sheffield and Rotherham Directory of 1856 gives him as T. Allport, artist, Princess Street. (now known as Prince's Street)
Mr. Allport did a considerable amount of work as a lithographer and many of his interesting views of Rotherham and district were owned by his son, who inherited his artisitic ability and became a designer at Yates, Haywood and Co. Ltd. He retired some years ago, and died comparatively recently. The drawing you publish is a fairly accurate rendering of Rotherham in 1850 and compares favourably with the 1853 Ordnance Survey map.
Yours- etc. Dorothy GREEN from 9, Royal Crescent Leeds Road Harrogate

 

Sir In reference to the picture 'A View of Rotherham Yorkshire' in Tuesday's issue page 4, taken from Bromly Sands, and drawn from Nature , and on stone, by T. Allport, date 1850, in White's 1845 Sheffield, and 12 miles Round Directory on page 342, I find the name and address of ALLPORT Thos. miniature painter, etc, and drawing master,Clifton Terrace, Rotherham.

In the same author's 1849 edition page 324, the name and address of Allport Thos, artist at Wellgate Rotherham, is given. And in White's Directory 1860, Sheffield General Directory, mention is made on p 466 of Allport Thos. artist and poor rate collector, Prince's Street Masboro'; and in the same authors 1861 edition, the above named is carrying on as artisit and rate collector, Henley Grove, Masboro'; after that I cannot trace. As regards above- named description of Bromley Sands, I wonder, if this is a misprint for Bramley, one mile east of Wickersley. Could any local reader oblige? Yours etc. John A BARTON

Sheffield Daily Telegraph 5 Dec 1930

A PICTURE OF OLD ROTHERHAM- from 9 Westfield Terrace Rotherham
Sir- The letter's following your reproduction of the dainty engraving 'Rotherham from Bromley Sands' are particularily interesting but the query of your Harrogate correspondent, as to whether Bromley should not be Bramley, can be answered in the negative.
Bromley Sands is correct. The spot is a part of the banks and bed of the River Don, on the Rotherham side of Messr's Steel Peech and Tozer's works, just at the back of St Peters Church, Ickles.
I remember it as one of the regular bathing places close on fifty years ago and Ex- Alderman George Gummer, refers to the fact in his Reminisciences of Rotherham, which describes the district over 60 years past. These pictorial dips into the past are keenly welcomed and the feature is one upon which hearty commendation is bestowed. Yours etc. Fred TURNER

 

Mrs E Neville Jackson "Silhouette: Notes & Dictionary 1938"

ALLPORT: practising in 1830. He cuts portraits in olive green paper, painting in grey and bronzing.

 

Watercolours of Delphiniums and GooseberriesThomas ALLPORT painted the Botanicals for William Roscoe's book "Monandrian Plants" in Liverpool from 1822-1828. William Roscoe noted in the book: '...lastly, I have to notice Mr Thomas ALLPORT, a meritorious young artist who by his commedable dillgence has obtained a considerable degree of Excellence in botanical delineation; and furnished from the living plants a great proportion of the drawings for the work, all of which have been engraved and coloured, under the care and direction of Mr. George Graves Jnr. of Peckham.nearly all the drawings were made from plants growing in the Botanic Gardens, or in private conservatiories, near Liverpool...' .

 

Liverpool Academy

Thomas Exhibited 5 Botanical Drawings at the Liverpool Academy:

Source:Index of Artists exhibiting in Liverpool 1774-1867

1841 census

(Boarding house)

Living at Dun Close Reg. District Kimberworth
Thomas Allport age 35 living with (who owned the House)
Blackmoor, Ann of Dun Close, Kimberworth. Aged 45 years.
Blackmoor, Mary of Dun Close, Kimberworth. Aged 70 years.

1851 census

Living at Wellgate, Rotherham Yorkshire .
Thomas Allport Head married age 47 born Lichfield
Sarah wife married age 37 born Wickersley
James son unmar. age 4 born Rotherham
Sarah Ellen dau unmar age 1 month born Rotherham
Sarah Moorhouse servant unmar. aged 16 born Bramley

1861 census

Living at Henley Grove Masbrough Rotherham
Thomas Allport Wid aged 56 born Lichfield flower painter
James son aged 11 born Rotherham
Sarah E dau aged 10 born Rotherham
John brother Wid aged 56 born Lichfield portrait painter
(dau Mary Ann lived in Lichfield with her Aunts.)

1871 census

Piece No. RG10/4706 Folio No. 119 E.D. 12
ALLPORT Thomas age 66 born Litchfield. living Kimberworth
ALLPORT James age 21 born Rotherham YKS. living Kimberworth.
ALLPORT John age 66 born Litchfield living Kimberworth.

Thomas ALLPORT Date of burial: 1 Aug 1877 Age at death: 73 Calculated year of birth: 1804 Place of burial: Kimberworth Dedication: St Thomas

Source: Family

Thomas Allport Watercolours & Oil Paintings

Refer also to Interesting find at Rotherham Church

Notes &queries

Index