William Stanford
Encyclopedia
William Walter Tyrell Stanford (1839 – 2 June 1880) was an Australia
n sculptor.
Stanford was born in London
, England
, son of Thomas Tyrell, contractor, and his wife Frances, née Trevor. As a youth Stanford was apprenticed to a stonemason.
Stanford came to Victoria
in 1852,probably as a ship's boy, and for a time worked on the gold diggings at Bendigo. In 1854 he was found guilty on a charge of horse-stealing and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment at HM Prison Pentridge
, near Melbourne
. After serving nearly six years he was released on ticket of leave. On 1 May 1860 Stanford was found guilty on two charges of highway robbery and one of horse-stealing, and was given sentences amounting to 22 years. Stanford afterwards declared he was quite innocent of two of the charges, and that in the third he was not the principal in the act but was assisting a fellow ex-prisoner. Stanford was again placed in Pentridge, became one of the most insubordinate of all the prisoners and apparently become thoroughly hardened.
One day the prison chaplain noticed some drawings Stanford had made on a slate, which appeared to have merit. The chaplain was afterwards shown a carved figure which the prisoner had fashioned out of a bone with a knife which he had somehow procured. This was shown to Colonel Champ, the governor of the prison, who obtained a promise from Stanford that he would behave himself if he were allowed to cultivate his talent. The chaplain also obtained permission to allow Charles Summers
to give Stanford some elementary lessons in modelling. Later Stanford submitted a design for a fountain and obtained permission to execute it, but no better material could be given him than the local bluestone
from the prison quarry. Stanford worked for four years on it and became exemplary in his conduct. Summers told his friends about it and many appeals were made for the release of the prisoner. Stanford was "discharged to freedom by remission" in October 1871, the fountain was set up in the triangular piece of ground between Parliament House and the treasury building, and there Stanford gave it its finishing touches. It is an excellent piece of design, amazingly successful when the conditions under which it was produced are considered.
Stanford became a monumental mason at Windsor
, a suburb of Melbourne. There he married and was respected and liked by his neighbours. His business was successful and he made a reputation for his carved headstones. One of these may be seen on the main drive of the St Kilda
cemetery not far from the gate. Another example of his work is on his wife's grave at the Melbourne cemetery. Stanford died of 'ulceration of the stomach' on 2 June 1880 at Prahran, partly from the effects of inhaling the fine dust while working on the fountain.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n sculptor.
Stanford was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
, son of Thomas Tyrell, contractor, and his wife Frances, née Trevor. As a youth Stanford was apprenticed to a stonemason.
Stanford came to Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 1852,probably as a ship's boy, and for a time worked on the gold diggings at Bendigo. In 1854 he was found guilty on a charge of horse-stealing and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment at HM Prison Pentridge
HM Prison Pentridge
HM Prison Pentridge was an Australian prison built in 1850 in Coburg, Victoria. The first prisoners arrived in 1851. The prison officially closed on 1 May 1997....
, near Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. After serving nearly six years he was released on ticket of leave. On 1 May 1860 Stanford was found guilty on two charges of highway robbery and one of horse-stealing, and was given sentences amounting to 22 years. Stanford afterwards declared he was quite innocent of two of the charges, and that in the third he was not the principal in the act but was assisting a fellow ex-prisoner. Stanford was again placed in Pentridge, became one of the most insubordinate of all the prisoners and apparently become thoroughly hardened.
One day the prison chaplain noticed some drawings Stanford had made on a slate, which appeared to have merit. The chaplain was afterwards shown a carved figure which the prisoner had fashioned out of a bone with a knife which he had somehow procured. This was shown to Colonel Champ, the governor of the prison, who obtained a promise from Stanford that he would behave himself if he were allowed to cultivate his talent. The chaplain also obtained permission to allow Charles Summers
Charles Summers
Charles Summers was an English-born Australian sculptor, creator of the memorial to the explorers Burke and Wills.-Early life:...
to give Stanford some elementary lessons in modelling. Later Stanford submitted a design for a fountain and obtained permission to execute it, but no better material could be given him than the local bluestone
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
from the prison quarry. Stanford worked for four years on it and became exemplary in his conduct. Summers told his friends about it and many appeals were made for the release of the prisoner. Stanford was "discharged to freedom by remission" in October 1871, the fountain was set up in the triangular piece of ground between Parliament House and the treasury building, and there Stanford gave it its finishing touches. It is an excellent piece of design, amazingly successful when the conditions under which it was produced are considered.
Stanford became a monumental mason at Windsor
Windsor, Victoria
Windsor is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Windsor had a population of 6394....
, a suburb of Melbourne. There he married and was respected and liked by his neighbours. His business was successful and he made a reputation for his carved headstones. One of these may be seen on the main drive of the St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
cemetery not far from the gate. Another example of his work is on his wife's grave at the Melbourne cemetery. Stanford died of 'ulceration of the stomach' on 2 June 1880 at Prahran, partly from the effects of inhaling the fine dust while working on the fountain.