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Biography
of N.J. McAuslan by Robert
Silverwood
Norman Jones McAuslan was born 31 December 1861 at Common Side, Belper, and is my great-grandfather. I do not know when he started his photographic business but it is thought in the family that he worked for Bemrose the printers in his early days. His father David Alexander McAuslan was a printer/compositor so there could be a connection there. In 1891 Norman married Louisa Adshead. In 1893 they lived at Maxwell Terrace, New Road, Belper and were still there in 1895 when Doris, my Grandmother was born. On Doris's birth certificate, Norman's occupation is given as manufacturing chemist. The Louisa McAuslan mentioned in Kelly's 1895 Trade Directory as having a shop at Brook Side, Belper was probably Norman's mother who was a widow by 1895. This theory is supported by the fact that in 1893 Norman's sister (another Louisa) died at Brook Side. The death certificate shows Norman as the informant, still living at Maxwell Terrace. By 1901, Norman and his family had moved to Derwent Villas, New Road, Belper and the census shows his occupation as photographer. This house was owned by the Adshead family and in her will, Elizabeth Adshead (Norman's wife's cousin) describes Derwent Villas as having photographic studios adjoining. |
![]() N.J. McAuslan's studio in Belper, Unknown photographer and date |
By 1902
Norman was suffering from
Tuberculosis and, although his diary
for that year includes a few references to photographic work, he left
Belper
in April to live in Bournemouth, in the hope that the sea air would
help
his condition. It did not, and in November he undertook the
seven
week journey to Australia, arriving in Sydney on Christmas
day.
In
1904, probably because she knew that Norman would never recover, Louisa
and the two girls aged nine and four, went out to Sydney to be with him
until he died in January 1905. After returning later that
year
they
lived at "The Laurels", as photographed by Harold
Burkinshaw in 1907. Notes by Brett Payne: Adamson (1997) shows Norman McAuslan as having taken over a studio in New Road, Belper, from J.W. Wayne in 1899, and operating it until 1900. His home address is given as Grove House, Derwentside, New Road, Belper. |
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Two
unidentified children by N. McAuslan, of Brook Side, Belper, Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1880s Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Notes by RS: It is interesting to note the incorrect middle initial of the stamp ("L."), removed on later examples |
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Norman
Jones McAuslan (1861-1905),
self portrait by N. McAuslan, of Brook Side, Belper, Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1880s Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Notes: |
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Norman
Jones McAuslan (1861-1905),
self portrait by N. McAuslan, of Brook Side, Belper, Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1880s Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Notes: |
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Louisa
Adshead (at right) with two
friends by N. McAuslan, of Brook Side, Belper, Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1880s Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Notes: Louisa Adshead (1861-1922) married photographer Norman McAuslan in 1891, probably at Maxwell Terrace, New Road, Belper |
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The
Pym brothers, Wilfred, Arthur and Edgar (Belper solicitors) by N. McAuslan, of New Road, Belper, Undated, but probably taken in the late 1890s Size: 109mm x 165mm Format: Cabinet Card Plain back Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Nothing
further is known
about this photograph
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Self
portrait of Norman McAuslan, with his wife Louisa and daughter Doris, taken by N. McAuslan, of New Road, Belper, c. 1897 Size: 107mm x 166mm Format: Cabinet Card Plain back, printing on mounting in red instead of the usual gold. Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Nothing
further is known
about this photograph
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Unidentified
woman by N. McAuslan, of New Road, Belper Undated, but probably copied c. 1898-1900 from an earlier photograph Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Notes |
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Unidentified
man by N. McAuslan, of New Road, Belper Undated, but probably taken c. 1898-1900 Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Notes |
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Louisa
McAuslan née Jones
(1828-1900), mother of Norman Jones McAuslan by N. McAuslan, of New Road, Belper Undated, but probably taken c. 1898-1900 Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Notes |
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Unidentifield
man by N. McAuslan, of New Road, Belper Undated, but probably taken c. 1898-1900 Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Notes |
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Self
portrait of Norman Jones McAuslan (1861-1905) by N. McAuslan, of New Road, Belper Undated, but probably taken c. 1898-1900 Size: 108mm x 167mm Format: Cabinet Card Plain back, corners of card cut off Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Nothing
further is known
about this photograph
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Unidentified
boy with
flag on bicycle,
by N. McAuslan, of New Road, Belper, Undated Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Diane Alton-Kaighin Nothing further is known about this photograph |
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Unidentified
subject,
taken by N. McAuslan, of New Road, Belper, Undated Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Samantha Smith Nothing further is known about this photograph |
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Unidentified
young woman
taken by N. McAuslan, of New Road, Belper, Undated, but probably taken in the late 1890s Format: Carte de visite Image © & courtesy of Stephanie Hitchcock Notes: |
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Unidentifield man by N. McAuslan, of New Road, Belper Undated, but probably taken c. 1898-1900 Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Notes![]() |
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Unidentified
young girl by Norman McAuslan, of Belper Art Studio, New Road, Belper Undated, but probably taken c. 1898-1900 Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Notes |
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Unidentified
elderly couple,
taken by Norman McAuslan, of The Belper Art Studio, New Road, Belper, Undated, but probably taken c. 1898-1902 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Lynne Ablard Nothing further is known about this photograph |
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Three
photos of
unknown subjects,
taken by Norman McAuslan, of the Belper Art Studio, New Road, Belper, Undated, but possibly in early 1902 Format: Cartes de Visite Images © & courtesy of Samantha Smith Nothing further is known about these photographs |
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One of these photos shows the Peacock Hotel (Prop. W.H. Brougham), another showswhat looks to be - from the platform scales next to the door - a railway station. Careful comparison of the men shown suggests that all three may have been taken on the same occasion, perhaps on an outing of some sort. |
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Group of
men outside
the Peacock Hotel
by Norman McAuslan of the Belper Art Studio, New Road, Belper Undated, but possibly in early 1902 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of John Bradley Although from a different source, this picture is very similar to and must have been taken within seconds of that shown above, at right. |
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Group of
men on a walk
by Norman McAuslan of the Belper Art Studio, New Road, Belper Undated, but possibly in early 1902 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of John Bradley From the same series as those shown above, the gentlemen are now out on a walk. |
Notes by Robert
Silverwood: (17 Jul 2004)
I was very pleased to see
that some more examples of the work of my great-grandfather Norman
Jones McAuslan have been added to Brett's web site. Sadly, I
cannot identify any of the people in the pictures but I did do a little
digging with regard to The Peacock Hotel. The proprieter's
name
appears to be W. H. Brougham not N. Brougham. This turns out
to
be William Hutchinson Brougham. He is to be found on the 1901
census (RG13/3260 Fol 62 Pg 7) as publican and farmer with his family
at The Peacock Inn, Owler Bar, Holmesfield [Map]
It appears from an
entry on Free BMD that he died in the second quarter of 1903.
The
middle name appears on the entry for his will in Mike Spencer's list on
the Wirksworth site. Did the sources or original owners of
these
group photos come from Belper as Norman did? It's quite a
long
shot, but up the hill opposite the Peacock Hotel are several ancient
stone circles - could these be the destination of the walking group? (21 Jul 2004) I think I may have come up with a better theory about the purpose of the group's outing. In Norman's diary for 1902 (in fact the last few months of his working life in the UK), he refers on two occasions to doing photographic work for municipal water companies. One is in connection with a break in the Bath supply pipe in Matlock, the other simply says "Photos for R.D.C. in connection with laying of water main". He was obviously doing some work quite different to the usual posed studio shots of people in their Sunday best. Looking again at the area in front of the Peacock Hotel on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch map for 1901, it shows that as well as the stone circles on the moors, there are two reservoirs and associated earthworks and connecting pipes belonging to the Chesterfield Water Company. This area would certainly be in range for viewing with binoculars from the front of The Peacock Hotel. From the general appearance of the group in the photographs, I would suggest that they might well be water company managers and/or local government officials on an inspection tour of the water facilities, with Norman there to record the day's events. Perhaps this might tie in with what John or Samantha may know about their relatives whose photos they have inherited? |
References
Images and information kindly provided by Stephanie Hitchcock, John Bradley, Samantha Smith, Diane Alton-Kaighin and Robert Silverwood |
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