TURNER, Ethel

1856 - 1932

Ethel Turner was baptised at St Peter's church, Ipswich on 20 July 1856, eldest child of Edward Rush Turner (23 December 1823-10 February 1904), engineer & brass founder, and his first wife Charlotte Julia Randell (27 May 1832-13 July 1868), daughter of Henry Rump Randell, who married at Acle, Norfolk on 17 September 1853. In 1861, Ethel was a 4-year-old, living at 1 College Street, Ipswich with her parents, 36-year-old Edward and 28-year-old Charlotte, who was born in St Mary's Parish, Rotherhide, Surrey, and sibling sister Helen 3, born at Ipswich, a further sister was Jane Randall Turner and they were regular singers at Ipswich concerts. In 1875, Ethel exhibited at the Ipswich Fine Art Club a painting, 'Enoch Arden-A Rough Sailor Lad' and in 1876 two works, 'Spring' and 'Fruit' which seems to have been her only exhibits at the Art Club and after her marriage, as Lady Ethel Bedford continued to paint scenes in watercolour. She married at St Margaret's Church, Ipswich on 28 October 1880, Frederick George Denham Bedford, later Admiral Sir Frederick George Bedford. In 1891, Ethel was living at Southsea Terrace, Portsea Island, Hampshire with her two sons, Arthur Edward 9 and Frederick G. 8, both born at Greenwich. Her husband was appointed Junior Naval Lord in 1889 and Second Naval Lord in 1895 and knighted. In 1892 Lady Ethel Bedford accompanied her husband as Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station and in 1899 as commander-in-chief of the North America and West Indies Station and Ethel was mistress of Admiralty House in Halifax, Nova Scotia until June 1902. As Governor, on 4 June 1907 Bedford officiated at the opening of the Royal Fremantle Golf Club in Western Australia. In 1911, Frederick, now retired, and Ethel were living at Swiss Cottage, Oatlands Park, Weybridge, Surrey with their only daughter Ethelfreda, 26, born Paignton, Devon. Ethel, Lady Ethel Bedford died at 18 Blackheath Park, Greenwich, London on 9 June 1932, aged 76. The couple's son became Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Edward Frederick Bedford, KCB CSI (1881-1949), who married Miss Gladys Mort of Sydney, Australia.

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Works by This Artist