English Mid 1800-1899 Shooting Watercolour with Historical Notes

English School Mid 1800-1899 Watercolour The Shooting Party unsigned but usefully inscribed verso, by the artist watercolour painting on stiff paper, unframed sheet: 7.2 x 10 inches From time to time a truly delightful little work of art falls into your hands which suddenly produces the story of the figures depicted within it. The image is of two English gentleman shooting on the edge of a traditional English village, their wives walking on ahead, under parasols. On the back it is inscribed in ink: watercolour of Hilston near Withernsea by Joseph Strapps. It also reads: Mrs Hutchinson, Mrs Strapps, Mr Hutchinson on horseback, Mr J Strapps shooting. So whilst this is unsigned to the front, we do get rather a lot of information. We have spent a little time researching the key figure, Joseph Strapps. First of all, Hilston and Withernsea are five miles apart on the north eastern English Coast, close to Hull. Joseph Strapps was born in 1819, son of Samuel and Ann. Joseph married Elizabeth Bradley in January 1847 in Hull. He was a pawnbroker, and his death is recorded in June 1876 (again, in Hull). As the notes on the back of this little painting refer to Mrs Strapps, his wife, then we can quite safely date this between 1847 (when they married) and 1876 (when he died). This also provides a historical document about the village church as the current church today in Hilston was only built in the 1950’s, replacing a church which was demolished by a World War II bomb in 1941. That church which had been struck by the bomb was only built in 1862, it replaced the original 12th century church on the site. condition report: sheet bears no tears or folds. The sky area, mainly upper right hand corner of the painting, bears pale foxing marks, you may be able to see these in the photos close to the church spire.