Joseph Haslam Hawksworth (1827-1908) - A Sheffield Artist 

In June 2011 I acquired a collection of old Sheffield & District Family History Society booklets that went back to the mid 1990's. And in one of the first booklets there was the following letter to the editor 

Sheffield & District Family History Society autumn 1994 vol 15 no 3

"I am interested in tracing the work and life and family of Joseph Haslam Hawksworth, a landscape painter who worked in Sheffield during the second half of the 19th century. He painted in oils and watercolour and was of some repute. He collaborated for a time with a London portrait painter called Shannon. Some of his paintings are in the Mappin Gallery (Sheffield), some with Sheffield Museum and some in the Rotherham Gallery. As a boy he lived in Scotland Street but he was living in Crookesmoor Road in 1851 when he married Maria Jowitt, the daughter of Henry Jowitt, a scissor grinder. They had seven children, Joseph, Tom, Henry, Charlie, Margaret, Mary and Flora. Later he lived in Redcar Road, Mona Road and perhaps Bradley Street".

I knew nothing about Joseph but an on-line search revealed that he did have some status as a painter but not as much as the "London portrait painter called Shannon." I believe this Shannon to be Sir James Jebusa Shannon who according to one source "was one of the outstanding Society Portraitist of his day." If, as the writer suggests, he was collaborating with Sir James he must have certainly had a reputation as an artist. His paintings do appear on-line and are mainly landscapes with a bias towards local places of interest. I am not really an admirer of this genre of painting but was interested to find out more about Joseph and his family. There was scant information about Joseph either on-line or in print. In fact I can honestly state that there is very little about Joseph, and what there is junk! 

And so this article is based on the information contained in the letter and the C19th UK Census's. 

The 1851 Census notes a Joseph Hawksworth
Age 23
Estimated Year of Birth 1828
Relationship to Head of Household Son
Occupation Artist
Address 2, Scotland Street (it is Court 2 Scotland Street)
District Sheffield, Sheffield Parish Administrative County Yorkshire (West Riding) Birth Place Sheffield Birth County Yorkshire

There is also a reference in Whites 1852 directory for Sheffield to

"Joseph Haslam Hawksworth Landscape painter Yard 45 Scotland Street "

Ten years later Joseph and his father have moved to

Name Joseph Hawksworth
Age 33
Estimated Year of Birth 1828
Relationship to Head of Household Son
Occupation Artist Landscape Painter
Address Crookesmoor Road District Ecclesall Bierlow, Nether Hallam Parish Nether Hallam Administrative County Yorkshire (West Riding)
Birth Place Sheffield Birth County Yorkshire

 

Joseph Hawksworth	Head	81	Widower	Retired Silversmith	Sheffield Yorkshire
Joseph H Hawksworth	Son	33	Unmarried	Landscape Artist	Sheffield Yorkshire
Maria Jowitt	Servant	20	Unmarried		Sheffield Yorkshire

It is quite interesting on two counts. Firstly his future wife Maria was a servant for both his father and himself. In 1861 they still had not married but had moved to Crookesmoor Road. And secondly Joseph was now describing himself as a Landscape Artist rather than just an artist. the couple did get married soon after the census was taken for there is a record

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page Marriages Jun 1861 Hawksworth Joseph Haslam Sheffield 9c 434 Jowitt Maria Sheffield 9c 434

The father Joseph died at the age of 86 in 1867 - (Deaths Jun 1867 Hawksworth Joseph 86 Ecclesall B. Vol 9c page 143)  

In 1871 Joseph is now the head of the household

Name Joseph Hawksworth
Age 43
Estimated Year of Birth 1828
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Occupation Landscape Artist/Painter
Address 74 Crookesmoor Road
District Ecclesall Bierlow, Hallam, Nether Parish Hallam, Nether Administrative County Yorkshire
Birth Place Yorkshire Birth County Yorkshire

 

Joseph H Hawksworth	Head	43	Married	Landscape Artist/Painter	Sheffield Yorkshire
Maria Hawksworth	Wife	30	Married		Sheffield Yorkshire
Charles Hawksworth	Son	9		Scholar	Sheffield Yorkshire
Joseph Hawksworth	Son	7		Scholar	Sheffield Yorkshire
Mary Hawksworth	Daughter	5			Sheffield Yorkshire
Thomas Hawksworth	Son	3			Sheffield Yorkshire
Henry Hawksworth	Son	1			Sheffield Yorkshire

Four sons and a daughter in less than ten years - it seems as though Joseph was making up for lost time. It is also worth noting that he is now a "Landscape Artist/Painter".

The 1881 Census still has the family living at 74 Crookesmoor Road

Name Joseph Hawksworth
Age 53 Estimated Year of Birth 1828
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Occupation Artist Artist Landscape Painter
Address 74, Crookesmoor Road District Ecclesall Bierlow, Nether Hallam Parish Nether Hallam Administrative County Yorkshire (West Riding) Birth Place Sheffield Birth County Yorkshire

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
Joseph H. HAWKSWORTH Head M Male 53 Sheffield, York, England Artist Landscape Painter
Maria HAWKSWORTH Wife M Female 40 Sheffield, York, England
Charles HAWKSWORTH Son U Male 19 Sheffield, York, England Artist Landscape (Painter)
Joseph HAWKSWORTH Son U Male 17 Sheffield, York, England Bell Hanger & Locksmith
Mary HAWKSWORTH Daur U Female 15 Sheffield, York, England Scholar
Thomas HAWKSWORTH Son Male 13 Sheffield, York, England Errand Boy
Henry HAWKSWORTH Son Male 11 Sheffield, York, England Scholar
Margaret HAWKSWORTH Daur Female 9 Sheffield, York, England Scholar

Source Information:
Dwelling 74 Crookesmoor Road Census Place Nether Hallam, York, England
Family History Library Film 1342116 Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 4622 / 5
Page Number 2

But sadly his wife Maria only lived another eight years dying at the age of 48 - Deaths Dec 1889 Hawksworth Maria 48 Ecclesall B. 9c 217.

I do not know when the family moved from 74 Crookesmoor Road but the 1891 Census finds Joseph and what remains of his family living at 19, Bradley Street Crookes
Name Joseph Hawksworth
Age 63
Estimated Year of Birth 1828
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Occupation Artist Landscape Painter
Address 19, Bradley Street District Ecclesall Bierlow, Nether Hallam
Parish Nether Hallam Administrative County Yorkshire (West Riding) Birth Place Sheffield Yorkshire
 

Joseph H Hawksworth	Head	63	Widower	Landscape Artist/Painter	Sheffield Yorkshire
Thomas Hawksworth	Son	23	Single	Bell Hanger & Locksmith	Sheffield Yorkshire
Margaret Hawksworth	Daughter	20	Single		Sheffield Yorkshire
Flora Hawksworth	Daughter	9	Single		Sheffield Yorkshire

The 1901 Census proved problematical mainly due to the fact that the Census enumerator had listed Joseph as Thomas! But they were still living at  19, Bradley Street Crookes Sheffield

Joseph died eight years later - Deaths Dec 1908 HAWKSWORTH Joseph Har(s)lam 81 Ecclesall B. 9c 274  but for a few months I did not know where he or his family are buried. But in January 2012 I went to the Local studies library in Sheffield and found the following Obituary in the Sheffield Telegraph dated 23rd December 1908

WELL KNOWN SHEFFIELD ARTIST

There has just passed away in the person of Joseph Haslam HAWKSWORTH of Mona Road a man who was for many years prominently known in the artistic areas of Sheffield and district. As a landscape painter he had some considerable celebrity and many examples of his quiet pastoral scenes are much prized by their possessors He was fond of going to the Peak District for inspiration.... Millers Dale, Stoney Middleton. One of his pictures is in the Mappin Art Gallery and several of his works are in the collection of Mr Nightingale of Rotherham who presented them to the Rotherham Museum a few years ago

He was a Sheffield man and in 1874 was one of the founders of Sheffield Society of Artists... In his earliest days Mr Hawksworth was an excellent art teacher. He was 81 years of age. The funeral will take place at the General Cemetery this afternoon

This obituary appeared in the Yorkshire Telegraph and Star dated 26th December 1908 

Armed with this information I then checked the burial records for Sheffield's General Cemetery and was surprised and saddened with what I found

burial no: 27617
grave no: C3 80
death date: 20 Dec 1908
burial date: 23 Dec 1908
name: Joseph Haslam Hawksworth
age: 81
cause of death:
description: Pauper
birthplace:
residence: Ecclesall Union
minister: H. F. Kennedy
burial type: consecrated

In the same grave were the following people

Mary CUMMINGS Pauper, Fir Vale Union age: 80, buried: 12 Jan 1904

Joseph HAWKSWORTH Silversmith, Crookes Moors Lane age: 86, buried: 26 May 1867

Walter HAWKSWORTH Son of Joseph H Hawksworth, Artist, 74 Crookesmoor Road age: 1y 10m, buried: 9 Jan 1876

Mary HAWKSWORTH Daughter of Joseph H. Hawksworth, Artist, 19 Bates Street age: 17, buried: 11 Feb 1883

Maria HAWKSWORTH Wife of Joseph Haslam Hawksworth, Artist, 19 Padley Street age: 48, buried: 21 Nov 1889

Joseph Haslam HAWKSWORTH Pauper, Ecclesall Union age: 81, buried: 23 Dec 1908

So after a long life Joseph died a pauper in the Ecclesall Union Workhouse, a sad end for a well known and talented artist from Crookes. The grave of Joseph's family is no longer visible

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This page was last updated on 11/10/15 11:33