1991.1016.284.1

George Heywood Maunoir Sumner (author)

Letter from Heywood Sumner to Emery Walker, dated 31st August 1919 which mentions Gimson's death. Found inserted in the book, Local Papers by Sumner, Heywood, when acquired by the museum, shelf R49 (F) . Part of the Emery Walker Library.

Fordingbridge

1919-08-31 - 1919-08-31 1919 - 1919

Arts & Crafts

Letter from Heywood Sumner to Emery Walker dated 31st August 1919. Found in ‘Local Papers re Hampshire, Dorset and Wilts. Etc.’ by Heywood Sumner. CUCKOO HILL, SOUTH GORLEY, FORDINGBRIDGE. My dear Walker I am very sorry to hear of Gimson’s[i] death. He will be a great loss as you say. I have not seen him for many years, but only his admirable work; but quite recently I was hearing of him & of his workshops at Sapperton from Maresco Pearce[ii] who had just been staying there. I think Gimson had taken on Frank Debenham’s[iii] cottage building etc in the Piddle valley near Bere Regis – wh: was begun by Ricardo[iv], carried on by Gill[v], & then by Gimson. Your friendly wish, (wh: I appreciate), as to the appearance of my record of the Ashley Rails Pottery[vi] site demands an Apologia. I have endeavoured to combine local Topography & Archaeology in my local records round here, & have found by experience that ‘the mixture as before’, & as I make it, is only half acceptable to the Town Archaeologist. Well, I am an old buffer now, & my main desire is to produce such as I can in my own way – the form of which may be good or may be bad but I like it – Moreover, I know, also by experience, that the Archaeology of a locality is both more informing & accessible to the local student when issued as a separate publication, than it would be half the babe was honourably embalmed in a stately quarto of Transactions. Yr Ever Heywood Sumner[vii]. Aug. 31.1919 [Footnotes: [i]Ernest Gimson (1864 – 1919), furniture designer and architect. [ii] This is possibly the painter Charles Maresco Pearce (1874 – 1964) [iii]Frank Debenham was at one time head of the retail business of that name and also had estates in Dorset. [iv]Halsey Ricardo (1854 – 1928), architect [v]Macdonald (Max) Gill (1884 – 1947), brother of Eric Gill. Between 1914 and 1919 Gill and Ricardo worked together on the design and construction of cottages and farm buildings on the Debenham estate in Dorset. [vi]This pottery was located in Hampshire. [vii]George Heywood Maunoir Sumner (1853 – 1940), painter, illustrator and craftsman associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement. CAW]