DUKE, Cecil Rashleigh

1870 - 1951

Cecil Rashleigh Duke was born at Salisbury, Wiltshire on 2 September 1870 and baptised on 9 October 1870, son of Revd Edward Duke (6 December 1814-11 October 1895), a magistrate & landowner, and his wife Jane Mervyn Medlycott (March 1836-19 December 1906), third daughter of Sir William Coles Medlycott, who married at Ven Church in Milborne Port, Somerset on 27 November 1860. In 1881, Cecil was a 10-year-old, living at Lake Mansion House, Wilsford and Lake, Wiltshire with his parents, 67-year-old Edward and 45-year-old Jane, with seven siblings, Harriet Jane 19, Mary Constance 17, Florence Mervyn 12, Audly Mervyn 8, Ethel 6, Mildred 3 and Basil Michael 1, all born at Lake, and they retained four indoor servants. Cecil was educated at North Marston, Buckinghamshire, and graduated at the London College of Divinity and University College, Dublin and, like his father, took holy orders being ordained deacon in 1895 and priest the following year. His first curacy was at St Matthew's Fulham which was followed by St Margaret's Ipswich and in 1901, a 30-year-old clergyman of the Church of England, boarding at 25 St Margaret's Green, Ipswich, the home of Joseph Godball, piano tuner, and his family. A member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1899-1902 and exhibited from St Margaret's Green, Ipswich in 1898, two watercolours 'Pond Hall, Gainsboro' Lane' and 'Where the Bee Sucks', four in 1899 'Mont Blanc, Savoy', 'Bucklesham Heath', 'The Red Lion, Martlesham' and 'Rival Reapers' and a further five watercolours in 1900. In 1900 he was inducted Vicar of Godmersham, Canterbury and in 1902 exhibited at Ipswich from Rosendale, Herne Bay, Kent four watercolours, 'After the Storm, Hampton, near Herne Bay', 'Pin Mill on the Orwell', 'A Kentish Seaport' and 'St Stephens Lane, Ipswich' and in 1903 had his three last exhibits at Ipswich. He also exhibited in the towns to where he was living including East Kent Art Society at St George's Hall, Canterbury from 1905. He married at Holy Cross Church, Sarratt, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire on 19 June 1907, Mildred Dorothy Ryley (11 October 1874-20 November 1966), daughter of Revd Edward Ryley and in 1911 Cecil was the 40-year-old vicar of Godmersham, Canterbury living in the local vicarage with his 36-year-old wife, and in 1915 was inducted vicar of Holy Trinity, East Peckham, Hadlow, Tonbridge and was later vicar of Willerby, near Scarborough. In 1939, rector of Fordwich, living at The Rectory, Blean, Kent with his wife Mildred. Cecil Rashleigh Duke died at his home, 14 Wordsworth Road, Salisbury on 27 August 1951, aged 80.

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Works by This Artist