![]() |
|
Robert Bull
was born c. 1839 at Ashbourne, Derbyshire, the third of six children
(and eldest son) of Robert Fletcher Bull senior (c. 1807-1886) and his
wife Helen (c. 1811-1857), a joiner, cabinet maker and builder from
nearby Compton. As a young man he followed his father - and
grandfather before him
- into the carpentry trade, and was listed with his younger brother
Henry as a "joiner
& cabinet maker"
in the April 1871 Census. By 1874 however, when Wright's
trade
directory gave the listing, "Bull Rt.
joiner and bldr, and newsagt, Sturston rd. Ashbourne",
they had
obviously opened up a shop. Adamson (1997) shows Robert Bull,
presumably Robert junior, working from premises in Sturston road from
1876 to 1878, so he seems to have started the photographic sideline in
1876. The April 1881 census and Kelly's trade directory listing for the same year (probably compiled in late 1880) also provide evidence of Robert Bull junior working as a photographer; he is shown as a photographer, general dealer, and a stationer. Although they were living at the Sturston road address, the premises of the shop are shown at "Railway station, Ashbourne". By this time, Henry Bull had begun the process of taking over the carpentry and building business from his father, although the latter was still working. Robert Bull senior died in 1886. Robert Bull junior remained unmarried and continued to live in Sturston road with his two elder sisters, both spinsters, until at least 1895. Between 1895 and 1899, they probably opened additional premises at Compton. Certainly by April 1901 they were living in Compton Street. One of the sisters, Elizabeth Bull (born c. 1837) is shown in successive censuses as a general shop woman (1881), a shop assistant (1891), and finally as a photographer's assistant in 1901. By April 1891 Henry Bull's eldest son, another Robert, had started working as an assistant in the photographic studio, as is demonstrated by the census record. Ten years later he was living in Friern Barnet (near Finchley) in Middlesex, where the census shows him working as a photographer bromide enlarger. By 1904, however, he had returned to Ashbourne and was working with his uncle. Post card portraits and directory entries (Adamson, 1997) for the period 1904 to 1913 show the business as "R. & R. Bull, Ashbourne", with premises at Victoria Square (1904-1908) and Victoria Studio, Butcher's Row (1905-1913), the latter previously operated by J.L. Hart from at least 1895 to 1900. |
Portfolio |
![]() |
Unidentified
woman by Robert Bull of Sturston Lane, Ashbourne Undated, but probably taken c. 1876-1878 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Jo Bevan Notes: |
![]() |
![]() |
Unidentified
man with beard by Robert Bull of Sturston Lane, Ashbourne Undated, but probably taken c. 1876-1878 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Jo Bevan Notes: |
![]() |
![]() |
Unidentified
woman and child by Robert Bull of "Adjoining the Railway Station" (Residence: Sturston Road), Ashbourne Undated, but probably taken in the mid- to late 1880s Format: Carte de Visite Size: Mount 63 x 104 mm Photo 54.5 x 91 mm Image © & collection of Brett Payne Notes: |
![]() |
![]() |
Unidentified
woman by Robert Bull of Ashbourne Undated, but probably taken in the early 1890s Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Martin Jackson Notes: |
![]() |
Unidentified
young woman by R. of Ashbourne Undated, but probably taken in the late 1890s or early 1900s Format: Carte de Visite, with bevelled gilt edges Size: Mount 64 x 106.5 mm Photo 58 x 89.5 mm Image © & collection of Brett Payne Nothing further is known about this photograph. |
![]() |
![]() |
Unidentified
couple by R. & R. Bull of the Victoria Studio, Ashbourne Undated, but probably taken c. 1905-1907 Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Martin Jackson Nothing further is known about this photograph. |
![]() |
Harriet
Elizabeth Barker (1908-1998) by R. & R. Bull of Ashbourne Undated, but probably taken in 1912 Format: Post Card Size: 85.5 mm x 134.5 mm Image © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock Notes: see Photo-Sleuth article |
![]() |
![]() |
Frederick
Lomas of Derby (1892-1934) taken by R. & R. Bull of Ashbourne Undated, but probably taken c. 1914-15 Format: Post Card Size: 86.4 mm x 133 mm Image © & courtesy of Derek Smith Nothing
further is known about this photo. |
![]() |
![]() |
Mary
Williams Bentley taken by R. & R. Bull of Ashbourne Dated on the reverse, July 1917 Format: Post Card Image © & courtesy of Rob Jennings Notes |
![]() |
![]() |
Unidentified
young woman reading From the Studio of R. & R. Bull, Ashbourne Undated, but probably taken in the late 1910s or early 1920s Format: Silver gelatin (?) print, mounted on large embossed card Size: Mount 190 x 232.5 mm Photo 100 x 145 mm Image © & courtesy of Jo Bevan Notes: |
![]() |
![]() |
George
Redfern Holmes (1898-1928) and
Annie Holmes with their daughter Irene Holmes (born 1921) probably attributable to R. & R. Bull of Ashbourne Undated, but taken in c. November-December 1921 Format: Postcard Image © & courtesy of Jo Bevan Notes: Inscribed on the reverse, "Wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year." The studio backdrop is identical to that shown in the photo shown above, from the same source, of a young woman reading, and was therefore almost certainly also taken by R. & R. Bull of Ashbourne. |
![]() |
George
Redfern Holmes (1898-c.1928) probably attributable to R. & R. Bull of Ashbourne Undated, but taken in late 1921, and possibly printed later from original negative Format: Mounted print Image © & courtesy of Jo Bevan Notes: This photo is an enlarged version of a portion of the post card print shown above. It was not copied from the above print, and was probably produced from the original negative, perhaps after the death of the subject c. 1928. |
![]() |
Probably
Annie Holmes probably attributable to R. & R. Bull of Ashbourne Undated, but probably taken in the mid- to late 1920s Format: Print Size: 80 x 125 mm Image © & courtesy of Jo Bevan Notes: Although it has no identifying studio marks, this portrait once again appears to use the same backdrop shown in two earlier portraits of this family by the studio of R. & R. Bull. JB believes this to be her grandmother Annie Holmes, slightly later than the earlier two photographs. |
References
Images kindly provided by Cynthia Maddock, Rob Jennings, Jo Bevan, Brett Payne, Martin Jackson & Derek Smith 1881 UK Census - online from the LDS church 1871, 1891 & 1901 UK Census - online from Ancestry.com FreeBMD Bagshaw (1846) History, Gazetteer and Directory of Derbyshire. Collection of Brett Payne. White, F. & Co. (1857) History, Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Derby. Transcribed by Neil Wilson. Harrison, Harrod & Co. (1860) Directory and Gazetteer of Derbyshire, London. Anon (1870) J.G. Harrod & Co.'s Postal & Commercial Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Staffordshire. - from University of Leicester - Digital Library of Historical Directories. Wright C.N. (1874) Directory of South Derbyshire, Third Edition, October 1874, Derby. Anon (1881) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co., London. Anon (1887) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co., London. Anon (1891) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Nottinghamshire, Kelly & Co., London. University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories Anon (1895) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co. Limited, London. Anon (1895) History, Topography, and Directory of Derbyshire, T. Bulmer & Co. - by kind courtesy of Sonia Addis-Smith Anon (1912) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire 1912, Kelly's Directories Ltd., London. Adamson, Keith I.P. (1997) Professional Photographers in Derbyshire 1843 - 1914, The PhotoHistorian, No. 118 Supplement, September 1997, ISSN 0957-0209. Courtesy of John Bradley. Craven, Maxwell (ed.) (1993) Keene's Derby, Breedon Books, Derby, pp. 200-202. - by kind courtesy of Sonia Addis-Smith |
|
|
|
|
|
If you have found the resources on this web site useful in your research, please support the maintenance of the site and the addition of new resources by using the GenDesk QueryBoard & Chat Room for your genealogy problems and brickwalls. |
|