The following interesting Memoranda are taken from Wright’s MS. Book:—
“Bessy Fritch, at the Green Dragon, a pretty little girl of the delicate kind.”“Nancy Nudal, in the Full Street, a pretty little girl.”“Nancy Mellers, upon the Nun’s Green, against Haslam’s, a pretty middle-sized girl.”“Jno. Fletcher, of Osmaston, an old bald-headed man.”It is very probable that Fletcher sat to Wright for the six studies of an old man’s head which he painted, five of which were exhibited in the Derby Art Gallery in 1883.“Paid for Lottery Ticket, No. 26,815, £13 19. 0, half of which is for More, £6 19. 6—due to More on this account, £1. 0. 6. The Lottery Ticket came up a prize of £20, for which I got £19. 14. 0, half of which is More’s, £9. 17. 0.”“Paid for lottery ticket, No. 36,123. £15. 1. 0., half of which is for More, £7. 10. 6.”
“Bessy Fritch, at the Green Dragon, a pretty little girl of the delicate kind.”
“Nancy Nudal, in the Full Street, a pretty little girl.”
“Nancy Mellers, upon the Nun’s Green, against Haslam’s, a pretty middle-sized girl.”
“Jno. Fletcher, of Osmaston, an old bald-headed man.”
It is very probable that Fletcher sat to Wright for the six studies of an old man’s head which he painted, five of which were exhibited in the Derby Art Gallery in 1883.
“Paid for Lottery Ticket, No. 26,815, £13 19. 0, half of which is for More, £6 19. 6—due to More on this account, £1. 0. 6. The Lottery Ticket came up a prize of £20, for which I got £19. 14. 0, half of which is More’s, £9. 17. 0.”
“Paid for lottery ticket, No. 36,123. £15. 1. 0., half of which is for More, £7. 10. 6.”
“A Blacksmith’s Shop.—Two men forming a bar of iron into a horse shoe, from whence the light must proceed. An idle fellow may stand by the anvil in a time-killing posture, his hands in his bosom, or yawning with his hands stretched upwards, a little twisting of the body. Horse shoes hanging upon ye walls, and other necessary things faintly seen, being remote from the light.“Out of this room shall be seen another, in which a ffarrier may be shoeing a horse by the light of a candle. The horse must be sadled, and a traveller standing by. The servant may appear with hys horse in his hand, on wh. may be a portmanteau. This will be an indication of an accident having happen’d, and shew some reason for shoeing the horse by candle-light. The moon may appear, and illumine some part of the horses, if necessary.”The size of aKit-cat frameis 3ft. ¼″ × 2ft. 4″„a ¾is 2ft. 6″ × 2ft. 1″„an half-lengthis 4ft. 2″ × 3ft. 4″For a small whole length the frame should be cut 10 inches from ye bottom.A full-length straining frame,7ft. 10″ × 4ft. 10″A large full-length8ft. — × 5ft. —
“A Blacksmith’s Shop.—Two men forming a bar of iron into a horse shoe, from whence the light must proceed. An idle fellow may stand by the anvil in a time-killing posture, his hands in his bosom, or yawning with his hands stretched upwards, a little twisting of the body. Horse shoes hanging upon ye walls, and other necessary things faintly seen, being remote from the light.
“Out of this room shall be seen another, in which a ffarrier may be shoeing a horse by the light of a candle. The horse must be sadled, and a traveller standing by. The servant may appear with hys horse in his hand, on wh. may be a portmanteau. This will be an indication of an accident having happen’d, and shew some reason for shoeing the horse by candle-light. The moon may appear, and illumine some part of the horses, if necessary.”
From the same MS. book we learn that on one occasion Wright cleaned and restored several paintings for Lord Harrington. The account runs thus:—
For Lord Harrington.Went to Elvaston three times, one of wh. was there a whole day—Cleaning a full-length picture2.2.0A new straining frame hung to the picture of King Charles2.6Lining, cleaning, & repairing several damaged parts1.10.0Cleaning & repairing 2 Landskips12.0Cleaning four small pictures, retouching them10.0Cleaning do. two pictures of Venus & Cupid1.10.0Cleaning & retouching an historical picture of Paul Veronese.10.0Four Large Historical Pictures clean’d, repaired & varnish2.2.0
For Lord Harrington.
Went to Elvaston three times, one of wh. was there a whole day—
Other interesting items are:—
The following prices, etc., are copied from a priced catalogue of the sale of the effects of John Leigh Philips, Esq., sold at Manchester in October, 1814, and are useful in identifying sketches, etc., not named in the List of Pictures:—
Memd., 15th Sep., 1787.—Remains to be paid to me by Mr. John Milnes, on account of the picture of Gibraltar, two hundred guineas, and by right he ought to pay the Int. of that money from the time he has withheld the commission from me to replace two other pictures in the room of the two he has of Vesuvius & the Girandolo, agreeable to his own letters. He also owes me twenty pounds for my journey to Wakefield, according to his own agreement.J. WRIGHT.
Memd., 15th Sep., 1787.—Remains to be paid to me by Mr. John Milnes, on account of the picture of Gibraltar, two hundred guineas, and by right he ought to pay the Int. of that money from the time he has withheld the commission from me to replace two other pictures in the room of the two he has of Vesuvius & the Girandolo, agreeable to his own letters. He also owes me twenty pounds for my journey to Wakefield, according to his own agreement.
J. WRIGHT.
Mr. Hall.Mrs. Hall.Miss Hall.Mrs. Sikes.Mrs. Gosbal.Mrs. Rasdale.Mr. Rasdale.Mr. W. Rasdale.Mrs. W. Rasdale.Old Mrs. Rasdale.Mr. Stow.Mrs. Stow.Mr. St. Stow.Mrs. Hanway.Miss Pockleton.Mr. R. Pockleton.Mr. J. Pockleton.Ld. Robt. Sutton.Mr. Darwin.Miss Darwin.
Miss Craycroft.Miss Molly Craycroft.Miss Chadwick.Miss Peart.Miss Molly Peart.Miss Nancy Peart.Miss Nelly Peart.Mr. Wills.Miss Bromhead.Miss Monk.Mr. Monk.Mrs. Monk.Governor Thompson.Master Wilson.Miss Wilson.Mrs. Nevil.Miss Nevil.Miss Drewry.Master Drewry.
Captain Blunt.Miss Hurst.Mr. Thompson.Mrs. Thompson.Mr. Fydell.Mrs. Fydell.Mr. Lynton.Mr. Willby.Miss Ayre.Mr. Ishmay.
Lynn Simpson, Esq.Mrs. Simpson.Miss Simpson.Mr. Mason.Mrs. Mason.Mrs. G. Mason.Capt. Kirk.Mrs. Sutton.Mrs. Absonor.Mr. Judson.Mr. Sutton.Miss Inwood.
Mr. Pigott.Mrs. Pigott.Mr. Brooks.
Mr. Ellison.Mrs. Ellison.Mr. & Mrs. Ellison.Mr. Foster.Mrs. Foster.
Mrs. Carver.Miss Carver.Miss B. Carver.Mr. Carver.Mr. Peachall.
Brooke Boothby Junr. Esqre. Dr. to Joseph Wright Sep. 30th 1780.