Edward Pinnington
Encyclopedia
Edward Pinnington was a Scottish art historian, biographer and journalist
. He is mainly known for his authoritative biographies of Scottish artists but he also wrote several articles on Robert Burns
and his family.
, Perthshire
in 1846, though no birth records are available to confirm this. His father was John Hardman Pinnington, a Excise Officer, and his mother, Ann Fishwick. The family seems to originate from Lancashire
, England
and they lived in various parts of Scotland, namely, the 1841 census: Rose Street, Dundee
; and the 1851 census: Logie in Clackmannanshire
. The family eventually settled in the Rowans, Cupar Road, Auchtermuchty
. Pinnington married Margaret Forbes (1861–1936) on 21 October 1885 in Edinburgh. They subsequently had three sons John Noel (1886–1917), Edward Forbes (1888–1939) and Donald Stanley (1891–1976). Edward Pinnington died in Thornton, Fife on 22 June 1921, aged 75.
artist, George Paul Chalmers
. Only a hundred copies of this massive tome were printed in 1896, and it is likely that Pinnington was commissioned to write and edit it. Between 1896 and 1912, he produced a formidable stream of books and articles and was an art critic for several Scottish newspapers. It appears that around 1912, the family moved to Argentina
. At any rate, his wife and two elder sons are recorded as incoming passengers from Buenos Aires
arriving at Liverpool on 22 October 1914. Pinnington himself presumably returned separately. According to his obituary, the family settled in Auchtermuchty
at the family home, around 1914. Pinnington seems to have published nothing thereafter, though extracts from his unpublished biography of Sam Bough
were published in The Carlisle Journal in 1922, after his death (for details see below).
(1820–1892) have survived. They are held in the Royal Scottish Academy
's George B. Simpson
Collection. These cover the period from 9 March 1891 to 29 September 1891. They mainly concern Pinnington's research into George Paul Chalmers
though there is also mention of Pinnington's articles on Robert Burns
In the Good Words, ed. by Donald Macleod, published in London by Isbister & Co. Ltd:
In The Art Journal
, New Series, published in London by H. Virtue & Co. Ltd:
In The Carlisle Journal, 1922
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He is mainly known for his authoritative biographies of Scottish artists but he also wrote several articles on Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
and his family.
Life
According to census records, Edward Pinnington was born in BlairgowrieBlairgowrie
Blairgowrie is the name of several places in the world:* Blairgowrie and Rattray, United Kingdom* Blairgowrie, Victoria, Australia* Blairgowrie, Gauteng, South Africa...
, Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
in 1846, though no birth records are available to confirm this. His father was John Hardman Pinnington, a Excise Officer, and his mother, Ann Fishwick. The family seems to originate from Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and they lived in various parts of Scotland, namely, the 1841 census: Rose Street, Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
; and the 1851 census: Logie in Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
. The family eventually settled in the Rowans, Cupar Road, Auchtermuchty
Auchtermuchty
Auchtermuchty is a town in Fife, Scotland, situated beside Pitlour Hill nine miles north of Glenrothes. Until 1975 it was a royal burgh, established under charter of King James V in 1517. There is evidence of human habitation in the area dating back over 2,000 years, and the Romans are known to...
. Pinnington married Margaret Forbes (1861–1936) on 21 October 1885 in Edinburgh. They subsequently had three sons John Noel (1886–1917), Edward Forbes (1888–1939) and Donald Stanley (1891–1976). Edward Pinnington died in Thornton, Fife on 22 June 1921, aged 75.
Career
According to his obituary, Pinnington began his working life as a journalist in the United States and was for a number of years the editor of "Scotch American". However, there is as yet no corroborating record of this part of his life, though his style of writing suggests a training in journalism. In 1881, he was living in Edinburgh and by 1891 he had settled in Montrose, living with his spinster sister, Mary Ann, while his wife and family lived with her parents in Glasgow. It seems that his interest in art history began when he researched and published the life and work of the MontroseMontrose
-Places:Scotland* Montrose, AngusAustralia* Montrose, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart* Montrose, Victoria, a suburb of MelbourneCanada* Montrose, British Columbia* Montrose , neighborhood in Edmonton, Alberta* Montrose No...
artist, George Paul Chalmers
George Paul Chalmers
George Paul Chalmers was a Scottish painter.He was born at Montrose, and studied at Trustees Academy in Edinburgh under Robert Scott Lauder . He turned to landscapes later in his career, instead of the portraits which formed his earlier work...
. Only a hundred copies of this massive tome were printed in 1896, and it is likely that Pinnington was commissioned to write and edit it. Between 1896 and 1912, he produced a formidable stream of books and articles and was an art critic for several Scottish newspapers. It appears that around 1912, the family moved to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. At any rate, his wife and two elder sons are recorded as incoming passengers from Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
arriving at Liverpool on 22 October 1914. Pinnington himself presumably returned separately. According to his obituary, the family settled in Auchtermuchty
Auchtermuchty
Auchtermuchty is a town in Fife, Scotland, situated beside Pitlour Hill nine miles north of Glenrothes. Until 1975 it was a royal burgh, established under charter of King James V in 1517. There is evidence of human habitation in the area dating back over 2,000 years, and the Romans are known to...
at the family home, around 1914. Pinnington seems to have published nothing thereafter, though extracts from his unpublished biography of Sam Bough
Sam Bough
Sam Bough was an English-born landscape painter who spent much of his career working in Scotland.Born in Carlisle, Cumberland, England he was self-taught and worked as a theatre scenery painter in Manchester and Glasgow. Encouraged by Daniel Macnee to take up landscape painting he moved to...
were published in The Carlisle Journal in 1922, after his death (for details see below).
Unpublished Letters
Twenty one letters and a postcard written by Pinnington to George B. SimpsonGeorge Buchan Simpson
George B. Simpson was a Scottish art collector, connoisseur and patron of Scottish painters. He financed his interests through his wealth acquired as a linen manufacturer and jute merchant in Dundee, Scotland. He is "Dundee’s Forgotten Maecenas" according to a recent academic paper.- Life :George...
(1820–1892) have survived. They are held in the Royal Scottish Academy
Royal Scottish Academy
The Royal Scottish Academy is a Scottish organisation that promotes contemporary Scottish art. Founded in 1826, as the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts, the RSA maintains a unique position in Scotland as an independently funded institution led by eminent artists and...
's George B. Simpson
George Buchan Simpson
George B. Simpson was a Scottish art collector, connoisseur and patron of Scottish painters. He financed his interests through his wealth acquired as a linen manufacturer and jute merchant in Dundee, Scotland. He is "Dundee’s Forgotten Maecenas" according to a recent academic paper.- Life :George...
Collection. These cover the period from 9 March 1891 to 29 September 1891. They mainly concern Pinnington's research into George Paul Chalmers
George Paul Chalmers
George Paul Chalmers was a Scottish painter.He was born at Montrose, and studied at Trustees Academy in Edinburgh under Robert Scott Lauder . He turned to landscapes later in his career, instead of the portraits which formed his earlier work...
though there is also mention of Pinnington's articles on Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
Art Books
- The Art Collection of the Corporation of Glasgow. Glasgow: T. & R. Annan & Sons, 1898
- George Paul ChalmersGeorge Paul ChalmersGeorge Paul Chalmers was a Scottish painter.He was born at Montrose, and studied at Trustees Academy in Edinburgh under Robert Scott Lauder . He turned to landscapes later in his career, instead of the portraits which formed his earlier work...
, R.S.A., and the Art of his Time. Glasgow: T. R. Annan & Sons: Glasgow, 1896. - Sir David Wilkie and the Scots School of Painters, Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson and FerrierOliphant, Anderson and FerrierThis Edinburgh book publishing firm produced many hundreds of books mainly on religious and biographical themes, especially during its heyday from about 1880 to 1910. It is probably best remembered for its memorable ‘Famous Scots Series’ with their distinctive red and gilt covers. Forty-two of...
, 1900, ("Famous Scots Series")- Sir Henry Raeburn R.A . London : Walter Scott Publishing Co Ltd, 1904
- Montrose Public Library by Edward Pinnington.
- A Catalogue of Thirty-Two Paintings by William McTaggart
William McTaggartWilliam McTaggart was a Scottish landscape painter who was influenced by Impressionism.-Life and work:...
, R.S.A. with a preface by Edward Pinnington. Edinburgh: Scottish Gallery, 1901.- Projected but unpublished: Life of Sam Bough
Sam BoughSam Bough was an English-born landscape painter who spent much of his career working in Scotland.Born in Carlisle, Cumberland, England he was self-taught and worked as a theatre scenery painter in Manchester and Glasgow. Encouraged by Daniel Macnee to take up landscape painting he moved to...
RSA. (Apart from the extracts published in The Carlisle Journal in 1922.)
Published Articles
In the Burns Chronicle and Club Directory, published by the Burns Federation, Kilmarnock:- 'Burns Ode for Washington'sGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
Birthday.' No. IX, Jan. 1900, pp. 51–65. - 'The Two Jeans.' No. XIV, Jan. 1905, pp. 96–102.
- 'In the Nursery of the Burneses.' No. XVII, Jan. 1908, pp. 16–23.
- 'Honest Allan.' (Part I), No. XIX. Jan. 1910, pp. 78–89.
- 'Honest Allan.' (Part II), No. XX. Jan. 1911, pp. 62–76.
- 'The Politics of Burns.' No. XXI, Jan. 1912, pp. 75–95.
In the Good Words, ed. by Donald Macleod, published in London by Isbister & Co. Ltd:
- 'Sam BoughSam BoughSam Bough was an English-born landscape painter who spent much of his career working in Scotland.Born in Carlisle, Cumberland, England he was self-taught and worked as a theatre scenery painter in Manchester and Glasgow. Encouraged by Daniel Macnee to take up landscape painting he moved to...
, R.S.A. 1897, pp. 597–604. - 'JadeJadeJade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
'. 1898, pp. 166–173. - 'A GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
Art Collection' (first paper). 1898, pp. 247–252. - 'A GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
Art Collection' (second paper). 1898, pp. 324–329. - 'A Study of Old DundeeDundeeDundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
'. 1898, pp. 744–751. - 'Finlaystone'. 1898, pp. 823–829.
- 'William McTaggartWilliam McTaggartWilliam McTaggart was a Scottish landscape painter who was influenced by Impressionism.-Life and work:...
, R.S.A.' 1899, pp. 750–756. - 'The National Gallery of ScotlandNational Gallery of ScotlandThe National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is the national art gallery of Scotland. An elaborate neoclassical edifice, it stands on The Mound, between the two sections of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens...
' (first paper). 1901, pp. 445–452. - 'The National Gallery of ScotlandNational Gallery of ScotlandThe National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is the national art gallery of Scotland. An elaborate neoclassical edifice, it stands on The Mound, between the two sections of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens...
' (second paper). 1901, pp. 532–540. - 'A Night on a Scots Salmon River'. 1901, pp. 669–674. [The river North EskRiver North EskThe North Esk is a river in Angus and Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is formed by the meeting of the Water of Mark and the Water of Lee , and enters the North Sea four miles north of Montrose. It forms the boundary between Angus and Aberdeenshire at certain stages in its course...
near MontroseMontrose-Places:Scotland* Montrose, AngusAustralia* Montrose, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart* Montrose, Victoria, a suburb of MelbourneCanada* Montrose, British Columbia* Montrose , neighborhood in Edmonton, Alberta* Montrose No...
]
In The Art Journal
The Art Journal
The Art Journal, published in London, was the most important Victorian magazine on art. It was founded in 1839 by Hodgson & Graves, print publishers, 6 Pall Mall, with the title the Art Union Monthly Journal, the first issue of 750 copies appearing 15 February 1839.Hodgson & Graves hired Samuel...
, New Series, published in London by H. Virtue & Co. Ltd:
- 'George Paul ChalmersGeorge Paul ChalmersGeorge Paul Chalmers was a Scottish painter.He was born at Montrose, and studied at Trustees Academy in Edinburgh under Robert Scott Lauder . He turned to landscapes later in his career, instead of the portraits which formed his earlier work...
, R.S.A.' 1897, pp. 83–88. - 'Statues of Robert BurnsRobert BurnsRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
'. 1897, pp. 238–242. - 'Robert BroughRobert BroughRobert Brough was a Scottish painter born in Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty.He was educated in Aberdeen, and, whilst apprenticed for over six years as lithographer to Messrs Gibb & Co., attended the night classes at Gray's School of Art...
, Painter.' 1898, pp. 146–149. - 'Robert Scott LauderRobert Scott LauderRobert Scott Lauder was a Scottish mid-Victorian artist who described himself as a "historical painter". He was one of the original members of the Royal Scottish Academy.-Life and work:...
, R.S.A. and his Pupils.' 1898, pp. 339–343 & pp. 367–371. - 'A Scot's Memorial ReredosReredosthumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
.' 1901, pp. 282–284. [Found in a Montrose church.] - 'Hugh Cameron, R.S.A.' 1902, pp. 17–20 & pp. 297–300. [Born in Edinburgh in 1835.]
- 'Sir Noel Paton, R.S.A.' 1902, pp. 70–72.
- 'Alexander FraserAlexander Fraser (painter)Alexander Fraser was a Scottish landscape painter and the biographer of Horatio McCulloch. He is also known as Alexander Fraser the Younger as his father, Alexander Fraser , was also a Scottish painter. According to Edward Pinnington's biography of him, he was brought up on the coast of Argyll. He...
, R.S.A.' 1904, pp. 375–379. - 'Tom ScottTom Scott (painter)Tom Scott RSA was a Scottish, painter, primarily a watercolourist, born in Selkirk in the Scottish Borders.Known as the 'Borders Painter', his historical paintings reflect his lifelong interest in the archaeology and history of the area...
, R.S.A.' 1907, pp. 17–21. - 'Mr. George PirieGeorge Pirie (artist)Sir George Pirie was a Scottish artist who was associated with the Glasgow Boys in the 1880s, though he was not in much sympathy with the theories of these artists. He was born in Campbeltown, Argyllshire, on 5th December 1863. His father was John Pirie, a physician and surgeon, and his mother was...
.' 1907, pp. 364–366.
In The Carlisle Journal, 1922
- 21 extracts from his unpublished biography of Sam BoughSam BoughSam Bough was an English-born landscape painter who spent much of his career working in Scotland.Born in Carlisle, Cumberland, England he was self-taught and worked as a theatre scenery painter in Manchester and Glasgow. Encouraged by Daniel Macnee to take up landscape painting he moved to...
were published from 20 January 1922 to 16 June 1922. The biography was to have been published by T & R Annan & Sons, Glasgow.
Sources
- Births and deaths information available at the General Register Office for Scotland, Scotlands People Centre in Edinburgh, and also at http://scotlandspeople.gov.uk.
- Cenus information available at www.ancestry.com.
- 'The Late Mr. Edward Pinnington.' Unattributed obituary in The Montrose Standard. Information supplied by the staff of Montrose Public Library. There is also a short obituary in The Glasgow Herald, Friday, 24 June 1921, p. 9, but it is only a paraphrase of parts of the Montrose Standard obituary.
- Access to bound volumes of the Burns Chronicle and Club Directory, Good Words and The Art Journal, courtesy of the Mitchell LibraryMitchell LibraryThe Mitchell Library is a large public library and centre of the public library system of Glasgow, Scotland.-History:The library was established with a bequest from Stephen Mitchell, a wealthy tobacco manufacturer, whose company, Stephen Mitchell & Son, would become one of the constituent members...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.