FARLEY, William

1893 - 1964

Henry Edward William Farley was born at Craven Street, Northampton on 11 November 1893, son of Henry Thomas Farley (1861-28 August 1941), a bootmaker, and his wife Mary Ann née Crouch (1865-17 November 1929), who married at Northampton in 1886. In 1909, as Harry, he was a junior clerk in the employ of Heineman, Alsop & Co., leather merchants, living at 12 Holly Road, Northampton with his parents and siblings. In 1915, as H. E. William Farley, he left London sailing from Liverpool firstly to Ellis Island, New York, and then reputably studied at the Art Students' League, New York and in 1917 is living at 82 St James Street, Boston, Mass., USA. On 26 April 1917 he signs up at Hamilton, Ontario, for the Canadian Expeditionary Force, giving his full name, place, and date of birth, with a trade as bookkeeper, but on a later medical form he is recorded as 'student in NYC'. After the Great War, in 1920 he returned to the UK and studied at Heatherley School of Fine Art in London, making a living in designing book-jackets and magazine illustration. Known as Harry or William, as Harry Farley, artist, together with Clara Mills, teacher, both of Northampton, were before the court on 2 September 1922 for riding their bicycles without proper lights and they married at Northampton Registry Office on 28 December 1922, Clara Jane Mills (19 June 1889-23 November 1976), an elementary schoolmistress, when William was described as an artist painter, one of the witnesses was H. T. Farley, probably his father. In 1924 they came to Suffolk where William, the name under which he now worked, became friends with artist Alfred Richard Blundell. In 1939, William Farley, when his birth year is recorded incorrectly as 1891, was an artist living at School House, Hessett, Bury St Edmund's with his wife Clara Jane, a schoolmistress, who was born at Northampton. An equestrian, figure and landscape painter who exhibited at the Royal Academy he also showed at the Wertheim Gallery, London in 1935 and his other Suffolk titles include ‘The Suffolk Point to Point at Bradfield’. Successful in selling his works in Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, and New York as well as Salon d'Automne and in the United Kingdom. Henry Edward William Farley was of 31 College Lane, Bury St Edmund's when he died at 25 Hunt's Hill, Glemsford, Suffolk on 2 February 1964, leaving his estate to his widow Clara Jane. Clara Jane died at 31 College Lane, Bury St Edmund's on 23 November 1976, and their son Wilbur Henry Thomas Farley, who was born at Northampton in 1923 died at the same address in Bury St Edmund's on 3 November 1980. Several of this artist's works have been incorrectly attributed to a Charles William Farley of Richmond, Surrey and Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from Hessett, Bury St Edmund's, Suffolk
1936 671 Galloway Races at Buckingham
         705 The Double Riding Act
1937 441 Reminiscence: Horse Omnibus and Green Park
         577 Men, Women and Horses: Barnet Fair
1939 217 Sea at Southwold
from Studio, 30 Angel Hill, Bury St Edmund's
1942 268 The Duke of Grafton and Mr T. Cook, judging Suffolk Stallions
from J. Bourlet & Sons, London Gallery
1951 Musicians and Pine Tree: Royal Northumberland Fusiliers

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Works by This Artist