TAPP, Rosa Ellen
Rosa Ellen Tapp was born at Wandsworth, London in 1864, but not baptised at Beckenham, Kent until 29 June 1870, second child of Arthur March Tapp (21 June 1827-7 July 1916), an accountant & landowner, and his wife Caroline née Hunt (1829-13 February 1916), who married at Paris, France on 9 May 1855. In 1871, Rosa was a 6-year-old, living at Woodside, Beckenham with her parents, 43-year-old Arthur and 41-year-old Caroline with three siblings, Alfred 8, Catherine 4 and Annie 3 and the family retained a governess and three indoor servants. Rosa was educated at St Johns Ladies School at Patcham, Surrey and trained under (John Francis) Frank Spenlove-Spenlove (1868-1933) at the Yellow Door School of Art at 34 (later 80) Beckenham High Street. The family home was at 'The Gables', 14 Kingwood Road, Shortlands, Beckenham from where Rosa exhibited but she was rarely at the family home, roaming the countryside from 1881 and spending some time in France where she exbibited at the Paris Salon when in 1914 one of her works was purchased by the French Govenment. Elected an associate of the Society of Women Artist in 1905 and she exhibited at the Royal Society of Artists; Manchester City Art Gallery; Royal Cambrian Academy of Art, when she exhibited in 1914 'Incriminating Papers', and at the Society of Women Artists from Beckenham and in 1919 at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters from Woodbridge, Suffolk. In 1911, whilst her parents were living at Beckenham, Rosa was living with her 80-year-old unmarried aunt, Harriet Tapp, at 26 Hope Park, Bromley, Kent. She married in Paris 1916/20 Revd Frank Varley (1857-1933) and in 1924, as Mrs Rosa Ellen Varley was living at 'St Withburga', Church Street, Woodbridge, Suffolk when some of the Tapp family shares in the Great Western Railway were transferred to her. Rosa Ellen Varley was of St Withburga, 22 Church Street, Woodbridge when she died at Minehead & Somerset Hospital on 10 November 1930.