"In his sketches he is constantly seeking to record the world at first hand, building up a visual catalogue of the environment he experienced and man's interaction with it." Douglas Glendinning, 1997¹

William Henry Charlton was born in Newcastle on July 12th 1846, the son of a prosperous grain merchant. The family lived for a time at Causey House in Gosforth however little documentary evidence has been uncovered to verify details of his early life. It has been suggested he was educated both in Edinburgh and at The Percy Street Academy in Newcastle* - also known as Bruce's Academy. This school once stood on the site of the old Newcastle Breweries building, which in turn now forms part of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne campus and is home to the SINE Project.

Described as a 'Victorian gentleman artist' by Art Historian Douglas Glendinning², Charlton worked for the family business 'W. Charlton, Corn Merchants' until his father's death in 1875.

After this time he took over the reigns of the business until his retirement in 1882 aged thirty-six. Financially secure and with abundant leisure time he was now free to pursue his great passion in life – art.

 

Early Life
Artistic Career
North Shields Connection
A Distant Day...
View the William Henry Charlton Collection

---

¹ Marshall Hall, Artists of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne, Marshall Hall Associates, 1973

² Douglas Glendinning BA MA, A Consideration of the Life and Artistic Development of the Artist William Henry Charlton (1846-1918) Centred on the Collection of his Work in the Hatton Gallery, University of Newcastle upon Tyne – A paper in two volumes presented in the Department of Fine Art, University of Newcastle upon Tyne for the Degree of Master of Art, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1997.

 

suggestions / comments welcome
  go to the top