NURSEY, Claude Lorraine

1816 - 1873

Claude Lorraine Richard Wilson Nursey was born at The Grove, Little Bealings, Suffolk and baptised at All Saints' Church, Little Bealings on 10 May 1816, youngest son of Perry Nursey and his wife Anne née Simpson (1766-1844), his brothers included Revd Perry Nursey and Poussin Hazard Nursey. Claude was sent on probation to the Royal Academy, after which he entered the studio of Sir David Wilkie (1771-1840). In September 1834 his father, Mr Nursey sen., advertised in the Ipswich Journal 'with the assistance of his son, Mr. Claude Nursey, to give instructions in painting and drawing, and attend at Ipswich twice and Bury [St Edmund's] once a week.' Claude married at Bethnal Green, London on 20 March 1839, Anne Gedge and in 1841 living with his in-law family at Paradise Row, St Matthew, Bethnal Green, Middlesex. In 1843 they were living at New Street, St Matthews, Ipswich, and the following year a landscape artist living in Berners Street, Ipswich. In 1846, Nursey was appointed Master of Leeds School of Design and whilst there, helped establish a similar school at Bradford but in 1849 he was Government Inspector of the Schools of Design when he visited Barnsley and later the first Headmaster of Belfast School of Design. In August 1854 he was appointed Headmaster of Norwich School of Art but was also taking in private pupils from his home in Unthank Road, Norwich. In 1855, like his brother Perry Nursey, a Council Member of the Norfolk & Norwich Fine Arts Association and at that time was Hon. Secretary until at least 1857 and in 1870 he was secretary to its successor the East Anglian Art Union. An active Freemason in Social Lodge 110. In December 1859 he resigned his position as Head Master of the Norwich Government School of Art and on 1 February 1860, opened his house for art classes at St Andrew's Broad Street, Norwich, later named the Bazaar Exhibition Rooms, he later used the Lecture Hall in Thorpe Hamlet at the same time was drawing master at King Edward VI Commercial School in Norwich also instructed at King's Lynn in Norfolk. His paintings 'The Officers' of the Third Battalion' was purchased by the battalion in 1863 for presentation to Capt. Henry Staniforth Patteson and his 'Norfolk Volunteers at Gunton Park' was purchased for Lord Suffield, this was later engraved by Lynch of London. He exhibited at the British Institute; Society of British Artists and the Royal Hibernian Academy between 1844 and 1871. In 1872 Claude Lorraine Richard Wilson Nursey was living at Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich where he died on 2 January 1873, aged 68 and was buried in Little Bealings churchyard. A sale of his household effects and of several of his remaining paintings including 'The Gleaners at Rest', 'Punch and Judy' and 'Yarmouth Jetty', was held at his home on 19 February 1873.

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Works by This Artist