Laura Elizabeth Rachel Troubridge (1858 – 15 March 1929) was a British diarist, letter-writer, artist and illustrator. A professional artist from an aristocratic background, she was known for her portraits of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

and her family, and paintings of children and fairy subjects, generally in

watercolour Watercolor (American English) or watercolour ( Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting method"Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to the ...

and pastel. Her book illustrations were admired by

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

and Charles Dodgson. In 1966, her journals, giving an insight into Victorian life; and in 2000 correspondence with her fiancé during the period of their engagement, were published.

Life

Laura Elizabeth Rachel Troubridge was born in 1858 in

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district in West London, split between the London Borough of Hounslow, London Boroughs of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing, Ealing. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist Wi ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

, England and baptised on 16 September 1858 in Turnham Green,

Hounslow Hounslow ( ) is a large suburban district of West London, England, west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 14 metropolitan cen ...

. She was sister to Thomas Herbert Cochrane Troubridge, 4th Baronet and sister-in-law to

Lady Laura Troubridge Laura Troubridge, Lady Troubridge, (née Gurney; 1867 – 8 July 1946) was a British novelist and etiquette writer. She wrote almost 60 novels and many short stories. Life Lady Troubridge (née Gurney) was born in 1867 in London, England. Sh ...

and

Una Vincenzo, Lady Troubridge Una Vincenzo, Lady Troubridge (born Margot Elena Gertrude Taylor; 8 March 1887 – 24 September 1963) was a British sculptor and translator. She is best known as the long-time lesbian partner of Marguerite Radclyffe Hall, author of ''The Wel ...

. In 1867, her parents, Louise and Sir Thomas Troubridge, died within a few weeks of each other and as an orphan she and her siblings went to live at North Runcton Hall in

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

with their grandfather,

Daniel Gurney Daniel Gurney (1791–1880), was an English banker and antiquary from the Gurney family of Norwich. Life Gurney was born at Earlham Hall, near Norwich, on 9 March 1791, as the youngest son of John Gurney (1749–1809) of Earlham, Norfolk, and ...

. Her grandfather's sisters, one of them

Elizabeth Fry Elizabeth Fry (née Gurney; 21 May 1780 – 12 October 1845), sometimes referred to as Betsy Fry, was an English prison reformer, social reformer, philanthropist and Quaker. Fry was a major driving force behind new legislation to improve the tr ...

, had kept journals and it was these that inspired Troubridge to keep her own journals from 1873. Troubridge was an aspiring young artist and 1879 she wrote in her journal "To the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current di ...

…Met Tardy and went together to tea at Oscar Wilde's – great fun, lots of vague 'intense' men, such differs, who amused us awfully." She lived with her grandfather until 1880. In 1966, her journals were published as: ''Life Amongst the Troubridges: Journals of a Young Victorian, 1873-84''. She and Adrian Charles Frances Hope were engaged in 1884. But the young couple were not able to marry because of Hope's difficulties in finding a job that would support them both. They kept up almost daily correspondence. In their letters they wrote to each other about both public and private occasions in London and Norfolk and beyond. For example, after a dinner at Mary Molesworth's her fiancé writes to her "Mrs. Molesworth urged me to throw everything to the winds and marry you at once." Their correspondence was published posthumously as the book: ''Letters of Engagement, 1884-1888: The Love Letters of Adrian Hope and Laura Troubridge''. They were finally able to marry in 1888. From this time she was frequently referred to as Mrs. Adrian Hope. For the first years they were living in Bradgate House, Ratby. After St.Philip and St. James' Church was restored, they donated a 'handsome brass eagle lectern' and inserted three

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

windows in the chancel 'at the cost of Mr. Adrian Hope.' Hope secured a position as Secretary of

Great Ormond Street Hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS F ...

and in 1892 they purchased More House, 34

Tite Street Tite Street is a street in Chelsea, London, England, within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, just north of the River Thames. It was laid out from 1877 by the Metropolitan Board of Works, giving access to the Chelsea Embankment. His ...

, Chelsea, London which the Hope-Nicholson family continued to live in for a century. Tite Street was a hub of artistic and literary activity at the time. Residents included Oscar Wilde,

James McNeill Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834July 17, 1903) was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral a ...

Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti ( ; ), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator, and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brother ...

and

Edward Coley Burne-Jones Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August 183317 June 1898) was an English painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. Burne-Jones worked with William Morris as a founding part ...

. Troubridge and her husband eventually became the guardians of Oscar Wilde's two children with

Constance Lloyd Constance Mary Wilde (; 2 January 18587 April 1898) was an Irish writer. She was the wife of Irish playwright Oscar Wilde and the mother of their two sons, Cyril Holland, Cyril and Vyvyan Holland, Vyvyan. Early life and marriage The daughter ...

after his imprisonment for "

gross indecency Gross indecency is a crime in some parts of the English-speaking world, originally used to criminalize sexual activity between men that fell short of sodomy, which required penetration. The term was first used in British law in a statute of the ...

" in 1895. In a 1997 stage production at the Odyssey Theatre written by Ronda Spinak 'Oscar Wilde's Wife', Troubridge was played by Stacy Rukeyser. In 1898, she was witness during the trial of the death of Uzielli by Dr. Collins. Troubridge testified that Collins 'had once saved her life' and that she was the 'innocent cause' of Collins being accused of murder as Troubridge had introduced Uzielli to him. Uzielli had fallen pregnant and didn't want anymore children so she turned to her friend, Troubridge, who had known her intimately for almost two years. Troubridge, who had been a patient of Collins, suggested Uzielli consult him as he was well known in her circle as an expert abortion care provider. Troubridge wrote a note to Collins requesting an appointment for Uzielli. Collins induced Uzielli's

abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...

and fatal

peritonitis Peritonitis is inflammation of the localized or generalized peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and covering of the abdominal organs. Symptoms may include severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever, or weight loss. One pa ...

followed. Collins was put on trial for Uzielli's murder, but the jury found him guilty of manslaughter. Troubridge's husband died in 1904 after an operation for

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the Appendix (anatomy), appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and anorexia (symptom), decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these t ...

. They had two daughters. The following year their younger daughter, Esme, at the age of 7 died of

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...

. Troubridge and her older daughter, Jacqueline, were left in 'much reduced circumstances' so Troubridge let More House and relocated to Beaulieu, Hampshire where her brother and his family lived. In 1915, they moved back to More House where Troubridge lived for the remainder of her life. Her daughter married

Hedley Hope-Nicholson Hedley Hope-Nicholson (born William Hedley Kenelm Nicholson; 17 July 1888 – 18 July 1969), barrister and littérateur, was, with his wife Jaqueline, notable in English artistic and literary circles in the first half of the twentieth century. Ear ...

in London in 1916. Her interests and talents were not limited to drawing and painting. She was actively involved in amateur theatricals, as was her sister and daughter. In 1891, Troubridge and the Hon. Mrs. Sterling held a concert in the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

, with the aim of raising money for the Children's Hospital and Infirmary. 'The programme was long and attractive, and included, besides vocal and instrumental music, some clever recitations by the Misses Webling.' She wrote plays, such as ''The Enchanted Wood'', poems and manuscript music. She was on the Executive Committee and Dress Committee of the Chelsea Historical Pageant. In 1909 she and Lady Helen Forbes organised a matinee at the Court Theatre in aid of the All Saints Mission, Pentonville. The theatre programme included two plays written by Troubridge: ''The Orange Tree'' and ''The Cunning of Pat''. She died, aged 71, in Chelsea on 15 March 1929. Sometime after her death the houses on Tite Street were renumbered and the address of More House changed from number 34 to 52 Tite Street.

Career

Troubridge showed an early aptitude and passion for drawing and painting and became a well-regarded portrait painter and illustrator. Her success has been likened to be of a similar kind enjoyed by her friend,

Mary Louisa Molesworth Mary Louisa Molesworth, ''née'' Stewart (29 May 1839 – 20 January 1921) was an English writer of children's stories who wrote for children under the name of Mrs Molesworth. Her first novels, for adult readers, ''Lover and Husband'' (1869) ...

She was a professional artist from an aristocratic background; she had painted the children of the royal family, illustrated one of Mrs. Molesworth's books, and enjoyed a busy and fashionable married life. - Mary Sebag-Montefiore

Her works are attributed to, or by, her various names or a combination of those names: Laura Troubridge; Laura Trowbridge, Laura Elizabeth Rachel Troubridge; Laura Hope; Laura Elizabeth Rachel Hope; Laura Troubridge Hope; Mrs. Adrian C. Hope; and, Mrs. Adrian Hope.

Artist

She was a watercolour and pastel artist who exhibited at the principal London galleries. She was known for her portraits of Queen Victoria and her family, and, paintings of children and fairy subjects. On the reverse of two pastels by Troubridge, ''Margaret'' and ''Wanderers,'' was the same newspaper cutting.

The newspaper cutting on the verso states that she studied painting in London, being advised by
John Millais Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest s ...
, and working in Mr. Cope's studio, and exhibited at the New Gallery, the Dudley Gallery, and other exhibitions. It also states that she was a member of the Pastel Society and painted between 700 and 800 portraits, including two of the Queen of Spain as a child, the daughters of the Duke and Duchess of Connaught at
Osborne House Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Albert designed the house in the style ...
in 1891 for presentation to
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
, and two portraits of Queen Mary in 1903.

She was self-taught and a command to paint twenty-two of Queen Victoria's grandchildren instantly made her artistic reputation. During the years 1893 - 1901 she, exhibited at the

Dudley Gallery Dudley ( , ) is a market town in the West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically part of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. In the 20 ...

and the New Gallery, and, was a member of the

Society of Women Artists The Society of Women Artists (SWA) is a British art body dedicated to celebrating and promoting fine art created by women. It was founded as the Society of Female Artists (SFA) in 1855, offering women artists the opportunity to exhibit and sell ...

and the Royal Society Portrait Painters. At an exhibition and sale, in aid of three charities for women, held in 1896 at Reuben David Sassoon's house Troubridge contributed a pastel 'of delicate workmanship' called ''L'Enfant Prodigue.'' Reporting on an exhibition held in 1903 The Guardian comments:

In the Groves Gallery Mrs. Adrian C. Hope has a number of works in pastel entitled "Friends and Fancies." The friends are pretty children whose prettiness loses nothing in the hands of the artist. The fancies are mostly inspired by nursery rhymes, and they are touched with a neat and whimsical charm that enlivens their somewhat arbitrary drawing.

Her journals (1873-1884) record her designing decorative tiles and Christmas cards from early on. In 1882 the Magazine of Art reports "Christmas card publishers have produced some lovely specimens this year…Laura Troubridge uses a novel medium in her ''Japanese Designs'' with gold and colors on gelatine. Her ''Children in Wonderland'' is also quite good." In 1891 W.A Mansell & Co. announced that they were reinventing Christmas cards from being 'mere flimsy pasteboard with hackneyed quotations' to 'objects of design, skilled execution and literary style'. The following year

The British Trade Journal ''The British Trade Journal'' was a commercial journal founded in 1863 as ''Morgans' British Trade Journal, and Export Price Current''. It became ''The British Trade Journal'' in 1870 and changed its name to the ''British Trade Journal and Export ...

writes of the success of the new idea and that the "firm has spared no trouble and cost in procuring new designs by well-known artists…we notice a number of charming sketches by Miss Laura Troubridge printed in red and gold and in colours"

Illustrator

Oscar Wilde admired the talented 'Troubridge sisters' and in 1886 when Wilde wrote his second fairy story, '' The Selfish Giant'', he sent it to Troubridge in the hope she would provide the illustrations for it.

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...

too was impressed with Troubridge's talents. He wrote to

Emily Gertrude Thomson Emily Gertrude Thomson (1850–1929) was a British artist and illustrator. Biography Thomson was born in Glasgow. She was the daughter of the Rev. Alexander Thomson (1815–1895), a minister and professor of Greek language, Greek and Hebrew lang ...

Do you possess 'Little Thumb' illustrated by Miss Laura Troubridge? If not let me give you a copy. The child-figures are so lovely that I'm sure you would enjoy having it. – Lewis Carroll, 1893

Troubridge's 10 full-page line drawings had a taste of the

Pre-Raphaelite The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), later known as the Pre-Raphaelites, was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, ...

. The Anthenaeum described them as having 'a good deal of pretty taste and draughtsmanship' and

The Art Journal ''The Art Journal'' was the most important British 19th-century magazine on art. It was founded in 1839 by Hodgson & Graves, print publishers, 6 Pall Mall, with the title ''Art Union Monthly Journal'' (or ''The Art Union''), the first issue of 7 ...

said ''Little Thumb'' was 'elegantly illustrated.' In 1894 Carroll wrote to his publisher Macmillan extolling the virtues of Troubridge. After mentioning ''Little Thumb'' he writes 'Another is ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...

en'': that does not give so good an idea of her skill, as she has drawn the pictures twice over, and the published book is not the best set. The best set appeared in some Magazine (

English Illustrated Magazine ''The English Illustrated Magazine'' was a monthly publication that ran for 359 issues between October 1883 and August 1913. Features included travel, topography, and a large amount of fiction and were contributed by writers such as Thomas Hardy ...

)" In the same letter Carroll recommended Troubridge's unpublished pictures for ''The Queen of Hearts'', but Macmillan didn't publish them. Around this time Carroll borrowed a portfolio of work from Troubridge and showed it to his friends. Carroll wrote in his diary, 'Lily and Mabel Widdell, with their brother Chester, came to tea, and saw the drawings' and 'Mr. Toms dined with me and saw' her 'portfolio of drawings.' Troubridge's illustrations in ''The Child Elves'', a fairy tale founded on facts and on

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

, were described by The Guardian as testifying "to a graceful, dainty, and inventive fancy, although her drawing betrays little firmness of power."

Diarist and letter writer

Life Amongst the Troubridges, 1873-1884

Troubridge started her journal at the age of 15. She had an eye for the absurd which led to a splendid account of her life and her journals give a marvellous insight into Victorian life. She wrote about family life with rich portrayals of her relatives, governesses and tutors. Her journals recorded the beginnings of her career as an artist and she illustrated them with her own drawings. She described picnics and excursions, staying in country houses, visits to London and finally her engagement.

Letters of engagement, 1884-1888

The correspondence between Troubridge and Hope during their engagement are full of terms of endearment. Often including tokens of affection like pressed flowers, newspaper clippings, or drawings. But the couple were not always in agreement and they had two significant disagreements. One, when Hope's first cousin is arrested for his actions in support of the unemployed during the "Bloody Sunday" riot in Trafalgar Square in 1887. The second, when Hope, entrusted with some of Troubridge's illustrations to hand to a London publisher, leaves them in a taxi. They were never found. Troubridge collected their 'engagement letters' and arranged them in date order to form a continuous running dialogue.

Works

Books

* ''Little Thumb. A Fairy Story'', by Hans Andersen (Illustrated by Laura Troubridge), 1883 *''The Child Elves. A fairy tale'', by M. L. (Illustrated by Laura Troubridge), 1888 *''The Old Pincushion; or, Aunt Clotilda's Guests'', by Mrs. Molesworth (Illustrated by Mrs. Adrian Hope (Laura Troubridge)), 1890 *''The Little Mermaid. The Story of the Mermaiden.'' Adapted from the German of Hans Andersen, by E. Ashe (Illustrated by Mrs. Adrian C. Hope (née Laura Trowbridge)), 1891 * ''Eileen's Journey: History in Fairyland'' by Ernest Arthur Jelf (Illustrated by Mrs. Adrian Hope), 1896 * ''Daddy's boy'', by L. T. Meade (Illustrated by Laura Troubridge), 1898 * ''The Book of Cottage Hopton'', by Laura Troubridge Hope, 1904 * ''The Sparrow with One White Feather'' by Lady Ridley (Illustrator Mrs. Adrian Hope), 1905 * ''The Enchanted Wood: 'Little Comedy In One Act by Mrs. Adrian Hope (née Laura Troubridge) *''Life Amongst the Troubridges: Journals of a Young Victorian'', 1873–84, by Laura Troubridge, 1966 *''Letters of Engagement, 1884-1888: The Love Letters of Adrian Hope and Laura Troubridge'', 2000

References

External links

Works by Troubridge, Laura Elizabeth Rachel
at the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

Daddy's Boy by L.T Meade (Illustrated by Laura Troubridge)
at

George A. Smathers Libraries The George A. Smathers Libraries of the University of Florida constitute one of the largest university library systems in the United States. The system includes eight of the nine libraries of the University of Florida and provides primary support ...

The Old Pincushion, or Aunt Clotilda's Guests by Mrs. Molesworth (Illustrator Mrs. Adrian Hope)Works by or after Laura Elizabeth Rachel Hope
at

National Trust Collections The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter (civil servant), Robert Hunter and Hardwi ...

Eileen's Journey by Ernest Arthur Jelf (Frontispiece by Mrs. Adrian Hope)
at

The Enchanted Wood, by Mrs. Adrian Hope
at WorthPoint
Works by Troubridge, Laura, 1858-1929
at

Frick Art Reference Library The Frick Art Research Library (formerly known as the Frick Art Reference Library) is the art library of the Frick Collection in New York City. The library, founded at the Henry Clay Frick House in 1920 by Helen Clay Frick, offers access to mater ...

Laura Troubridge
at

Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital li ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Troubridge, Laura 1858 births 1929 deaths 19th-century English diarists 19th-century English painters 20th-century English painters 19th-century British illustrators 19th-century English women artists 20th-century English women artists 19th-century English women writers 20th-century English women writers 19th-century British letter writers 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights Artists from the London Borough of Hounslow Writers from the London Borough of Hounslow British women diarists British women illustrators Women letter writers People from Chiswick British pastel artists British women pastel artists Laura English watercolourists 19th-century British women painters