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Derbyshire
Photographers' Profiles
by Brett Payne, of Tauranga, New Zealand Robert Kendal Peacock (1844-1893) of St. Peter's Street, Derby |
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| Robert Kendal
Peacock
was born in 1844 at Kirkby Malham, Yorkshire, son of William and Mary
Peacock.
He moved south to Burnley as a young man, where he married Ruth
Mitchell
(1843-1873) in early 1867. However, she died in 1873, shortly
after
the birth of their first surviving child, and he remarried two years
later,
to Mary Elizabeth Johnstone (1845-1894) from Birmingham.
Between 1883 and 1890, Robert K. & Mary E. Peacock moved to Derby, where they lived in a house at 95 Osmaston Road. Peacock is shown operating from premises known as the "Spot Studio" at 30 St. Peter's Street, Derby in an 1891 directory (Kelly), and must have taken over this studio from W.E. Swift in about 1889-1890. Craven (1993) states that he preceded George Gibson & Sons, who were shown at this address in 1895 (Kelly & Bulmer). However, his proprietorship of the studio must only have lasted three or four years, because Robert died at Derby in late 1893, and his wife a year later. It is interesting to note that in the April 1891 census, the eldest daughter Ruth Gertrude was shown as a "retoucher in photography", while in 1901 census, daughter Edith was working as a "photographer's assistant." |
| Portfolio |
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Sarah
Ann
Miller
née Bilson (1861-) by Robert K. Peacock of the "Spot" Studio, 30 St. Peter's Street, Derby Undated, but possibly taken in late 1891 or early 1892 Size: 110 x 170 mm Format: Cabinet Card Image ©
& courtesy
of Barry
Muir |
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| Notes from Barry: My maternal grandmother Sarah Ann Bilson was born on 31 Mar 1869 in Derby and was married to William Thomas Miller at Holy Trinity Church, London Road, Derby on 5 Dec 1891. It is thought that this photo could have been taken shortly after her wedding. You will note that she is making a good show of "flashing the ring" and I noted from a book on dating old photographs that this was a usual practice to denote having just been married. |
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Sarah
Ann
Williamson
(c1871-) by R.K. Peacock of the "Spot" Studio, 30 St. Peter's Street, Derby Undated, but probably taken c. 1891-1893 Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Martin Jackson Notes (MJ & BP): Sarah Ann Williamson was born in about 1871 at Wirksworth, Derbyshire (see Martin Jackson's web site for further details). |
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Unidentified
young woman by R.K. Peacock of the "Spot" Studio, 30 St. Peter's Street, Derby Undated, but probably taken c. 1891-1893 Format: Cabinet Card Image ©
& courtesy
of Martin
Jackson |
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Unidentified
young woman by R.K. Peacock of "Spot" Studio, 30 St. Peter's Street, Derby Undated, but probably taken c. 1891-1893 Format: Cabinet Card Image © & courtesy of Claire Casey Notes |
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| References
Image kindly provided by Claire Casey, Martin Jackson & Barry Muir 1841-1901 UK Census - online from Ancestry.com FreeBMD 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 Craven, Maxwell (ed.) (1993) Keene's Derby, Breedon Books, Derby, pp. 200-202. - by kind courtesy of Sonia Addis-Smith |
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