I recently browsed the British newspaper archives to see if my house has ever been mentioned in the newspapers that feature in the archive and discovered that a former resident, Charles Muirhead had died there 87 years ago. I was very keen to research him, especially after discovering I had unknowingly walked past his grave in St Peter’s churchyard, Formby that very afternoon!
Charles Muirhead was born in Liverpool in 1853 to William and Martha. He had a brother and 4 sisters. William described himself as a fishmonger, employing 20 men in 1861. The family lived in various good addresses in the City, such as Hardman Street and Leece Street. They always employed at least 3 servants. William clearly catered for “the gentry” judging by some of the notices and advertisements he placed in the local papers!
By 1881 William had died but the family firm was clearly thriving; they now employed 31 men. However his brother William is now running the business Charles is no longer a fishmonger. He is described as an “artist painter”
Charles is in Liverpool for every census from 1861 to his death in 1933. However, Census returns are conducted every 10 years and it seems he did spend time away from the city. He studied in Paris in 1882 and his work often depicts scenes from abroad. In 1887 he was living with a group of artists in Cornwall and in 1896 he had the honour of being chosen to exhibit at the Royal Academy. However in spite of his travels, Charles would remain a Liverpool-based landscape and figure painter.
Could this have been painted while Charles lived in Formby? It is the only painting of his that I have so far been able to trace.
Charles continued to paint and exhibit his work into the 1920s.
Charles never married. He lived at various times with his widowed mother or his sister, Gertrude in Halewood, , Crosby and finally, in the house I now occupy in Formby, where he died on 28 December 1937 aged 84.
I went back to see his grave, put some flowers on it and thanked him for his beautiful painting. I have been able to trace only one of his paintings. I hope one day maybe I’ll discover one that he did of our house or one of the lovely churchyard of St Peter’s, where he now rests in peace.
RIP Charles: ploughed your own furrow and followed your calling as an artist.
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