Born in 1901 at 58 Brooks Road, Plaistow, East London (since demolished), she grew up in a Public House at 183 Richmond Road, Ilford, which today is an off licence and general store with some of the original public house construction and glazed tile work still in evidence on the outside.
Eleanor's mother Alice (in front of Hearherlands House [see below]), a widow and daughter of James Burton a Cabinet Maker, married her father Arthur Dunham, a second generation East End 'Licensed Victualler' at Poplar, London in 1899. Eleanor lived in the pub with her younger sisters Marjorie and Phyllis, as well as her older half-brother Edward Henry and half-sister Ada May Trewella.
The picture of Alice was kindly sent to me by Eleanor's cousin Roderick, who recalls Eleanor was known as Eldor.
I am told she attended the London School of Art and used to draw birds in pastels when she was younger.
Eleanor married Frank Gissing in 1921, 14 years her senior, who I believe she met when she was at art school in London, and he was a Lieutenant message courier in the 4th Battalion of the Suffolk regiment, he was awarded the Victory Medal and British War Medal. Frank was discharged from the army, and became an antiques dealer. Frank in front of his shop on Crabbe St just off the High Street of Aldeburgh Suffolk.
It is interesting that Eleanor's father Arthur Dunham also dealt in furniture in London. More recent information from Julia Bellamy a decendant of Lewis Donaghy (Eleanor's cousin, see below), informs me that in fact Eleanor's father also had an antiques shop in Aldeburgh, which I would imagine Frank took over from his father in law. Julia also told me that Arthur was also an accomplished artist who had exhibited at the Royal Academy summer exhibition.
Eleanor had nine children Marguerite, Clifford, Graham, Michael, Barbara, Jean, Rosemary, Malcom, Sandra, sadly all of whom have since passed, and many grandchildren of which I Richard; am one.
In his younger years, Frank a farmers son, worked at Drift Farm which was his father Abraham's small scale dairy and pig breeders in Theberton Suffolk. His father Abraham is said to have had Jewish heritage, which was a family secret, it is said, that his father kept a photograph of either his father Isaac, or grand father Abraham in Jewish dress in his top draw. I was told this by my Aunt Barbara, she told me her little brother Malcom had been shown it in total secrecy, and had told her about it, as little brothers do.
Genealogy research appears to back this up and circumstantially show that if Franks blood line was in fact Jewish, that he most likely came from Spanish Jews who fled due to the Spanish Inquisition and ended up in the Netherlands via Greece, this idea is supported by family stories told to me by my mother and aunt that the Gissings (two brothers) came to the UK by rowing/sailing boat from the continent.
I am told my grandmothers family did not approve of Frank, not only because 'he had an interest in the horses', but also probably because he appears to have 'done the right thing' shortly before Eleanor's first child Marguerite was born.
It was always said that my grandmothers family were 'well to do' and the 1911 Census possibly reveals why, as Eleanor's cousin Lewis Donaghy in his early 20's is married and listed as living at Belvedere Villa, Wenhaston and being of 'Private Means', his grandparents came from Ireland and like Eleanor's father, operated a number of Public houses in the East End of London. After finding out this information, my aunt Barbara remembered that Eleanor was left Guilt Edged Securities in a will, and that she was sent weekly to her grandparents' house on the bus to collect a pound in relation to this (around £60 today).
Eleanor loved animals especially dogs, she told her daughter Barbara that she had had a pet mouse when she was a child and saved crumbs to feed it and that it curled up to sleep in her hand.
My aunt Barbara told me her mother would decorate wooden candle sticks with flowers and leaves at Christmas time. She often knitted but only for herself.
In about 1937 when my aunt Barbara was 12, I am told, Eleanor moved from the family home 'Westford' at 15 Fawcett Road, Aldeburgh, to look after her father who had had a stroke, and now lived at Heatherlands House, Aldeburgh Road, Aldringham. She never returned. Although never divorced, it would appear that this move, also signalled the end of her marriage to Frank.
I remember staying at Westford as a young kid with my bother and mother whilst visitng my grandfather Frank, we collected snails on the front porch and I was scared of the roll top bath, as it didnt have a plug hole like I was used to at home, just a big hole, with no grill and had a pipe that was placed in the hole to allow the bath to fill. Early version of an overflow I guess. I was too young to comprehend why my grandmother lived elsewhere.
After her father died, Eleanor lived in a cottage just off the sea front in Aldeburgh.
My Aunt Barbara told me that her mother was known to frequent pubs, not that surprising as she grew up in one, she told me she would be accompanied to the pub by her oldest daughter Marguerite, who was nicknamed 'ootsie' by her grandfather and I have always heard referred to as the 'Black Sheep' of the family, probably due to the fact that she appears to have taken her mother's side in the split. After Marguerite left the family home, I am told she had no contact with her siblings. Research shows she married Rudolph C Pye also from Suffolk and lived out her years with him in Preston, Lancashire.
My cousin Nicola recalls that Eleanor was dubbed Mrs Noah due to her living on a boat in Walberswick with her daughter Marguerite, and no doubt a number of animals. Nicola also remembers her saying that she had always wanted to live in Chelsea and never wanted to have any children. I can sort of remember a visit to my grandmother at her boat along with my mother, we never went on board, just met her there. Her cousin Roderick kindly provided me with a picture of her with a cat, location and date unknown.
Family life probably meant that Eleanor didn't have time to pursue her education in art, but was encouraged into taking up watercolour painting in her later years by my mother Jean, so that she had something to do with her spare time. My mother gave her a watercolour set, and I can remember my mother bringing home the wooden box, after her trip to Birmingham, it was so interesting, in deep reddish brown wood, with all its brushes, compartments and tubes of paint.
When I knew my maternal grandmother, she lived alone, and I can remember visiting her cottage at the end of Church Terrace in Wickham Market, which I beleive was bought for her by her daughter Rosemary and my uncle George to save her from her maritime existance. I can remember seeing her working at her easel in the front room with her face inches from the board so she could see what she was painting. For some reason I cannot remember she gave me her flat blade screwdriver with a yellow handle, which I treasured.
Her sister Marjorie lived within a short drive and ran a cattery in a very rural location. My aunt Barbara told me that Marjorie banned hunters from her property in order to protect foxes, and perhaps that is why foxes are a recurring theme in Eleanor's paintings.
Eleanor was artistic and quite bohemian, possibly too old to have been a hippy, but I remember during a family holiday in the late 70's, when it was fashionable for boys to grow long hair. We were on the pebble beach at Aldeburgh, near the wooden fishing boats. Her head scarf and my long hair was blowing in the wind, and she chastised my father by saying 'John! you are such a square' because he commented that I should have my hair cut to 'regulation short back and sides'.
A number of female cousins and my aunt Barbara have jokingly commented on Eleanor, possibly aspiring to be a 'femme fatale', with her red lipstick, which she immediately put on when the doctor was called ;)
I don't know if any examples of her early works exist, but when she restarted painting, she focused on wildlife, the detail in the pictures is all the more amazing for the fact that she had very poor eyesight and crippling arthritis in her hands, this can be seen in some of her lesser works, the majority are however exceptional, with incredibly fine brush strokes and immense detail.
She staged a couple of exhibitions at "The Deben Gallery" which at the time was at 26 Market Hill, Woodbridge, Suffolk. I remember going to one of them with my mother. When not holding an exhibition, the gallery usually stocked a number of her works.
Fiercely independent, in her final years, she eventually agreed due to failing health, to move from Suffolk to a cottage at 49 Horseshoe Road, Pangbourne, Reading to be close to her daughter Rosemary who lived nearby and could look out for her.
Eleanor passed away alone at home in 1987, and was found by Rosemary; when she came to check on her, in the same year that her eldest daughter Marguerite also passed away in Lancashire.
She usually signed her paintings using her maiden name E.A.Dunham, but there are a couple of her later works signed E.A.Gissing which appear to have been painted after she moved to Pangbourne. There is a family owned painting where she simply signed E.A.D believed to be an early work.
In her lifetime she painted watercolours for her children and grandchildren some of which she gifted but many of which were bought from her by family as well as selling them in the Debden gallery to supplement her pension.
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| "Fox" Painted for my mother now in my possession. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 30cm x 35cm | |
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| "Fox" bought by me Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 25cm x 30cm | |
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| "Fox" My grandmother said she wanted every one of her children and grandchildren to have a painting of hers, this was mine. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 15cm x 22cm | |
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| "Night Fox" I found this on eBay. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 23cm x 30cm | |
| There was damage on the snout which was expertly restored for me by Andrew Wheeler from Bristol, who very kindly also gave me an appropriate frame. He is highly recommended and very many thanks for an excellent service. Elenor's work was so fine that a magnified view will however show the restoration, but to the naked eye it looks so much better than it did when I got it, so I'm very happy with it and if you didn't know it had been restored you wouldn't see it. The restoration does show how very amazingly fine her work was. | |
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| "Red Fox" Given to my cousin Susan by my mother. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size ?cm x ?cm. | |
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| "Fox". In posession of my cousin Ivan, Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 26cm x 34cm | |
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| "Badgers". Signed E.A.Dunham. Size ?cm x ?cm | |
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| "Badgers". bought by me as a job lot. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 18cm x 22cm. | |
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| Note on back in pencil handwriting similar to the signature "Young Lions in Serengeti National Park £5" kindly given to me by Linda Gibson. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 22cm x 31cm. | |
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| "Cheetah" Kindly given to me by Linda Gibson. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 24cm x 33cm. | |
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| "Richard the Lionheart" Painted for me. This picture is signed E.A.Gissing. On the back Framed by Deben Frames 26A Market Hill Woodbridge, Suffolk Telephone 3216 Order number 21750, E.Gissing maiden name (Dunham) 49 Horseshoe Road, Pangbourne. Size 50cm x 30cm | |
| I remember my auntie Rosemary visting our house to deliver this painting, and a few others for my mother, it was past my bed time but I sneaked out on the landing to see, and that is why I know for certain it was painted for me as I heard my mother and aunts conversation. | |
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| "Polar bears". In posession of my cousin Ivan, Signed E.A.Gissing. Size 41cm x 25cm | |
| This is one of the paintings I saw from the landing that my aunt brought that evening. | |
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| "Lion Pride" family possession. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size ?cm x ?cm. | |
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| "Wild Cats" In posession of Eleanors cousin Roderick. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size ?cm x ?cm. | |
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| "Lynx" painted for my mother now in my brothers possession. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 20cm x 30cm. | |
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| "Lynx". bought by me, Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 25cm x 30cm. | |
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| "Lynx" family possession. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size ?cm x ?cm. | |
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| Seen on Internet auction before I started to collect. | |
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| "Owl" Bought by me. Size 26cm x 35cm. | |
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| "Barn Owl" Bought by my mother now in my possession, framed by The Deben Gallery. Unsigned but I can confirm provenance. Size 30cm x 35cm. | |
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| "Snowy Owl" Bought by my mother now in my possession, framed by The Deben Gallery. Unsigned but I can confirm provenance. Size 30cm x 35cm. | |
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| "Barn Owls" Given to my cousin Michael by my mother. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size ?cm x ?cm. | |
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| "Avocet" Bought as part of a job lot. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 40cm x 27cm. | |
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| "Black-headed Gull" Bought as part of a job lot. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 26cm x 35cm. | |
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| "Common Gull with chick" Bought as part of a job lot. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 26cm x 35cm. | |
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| "Nesting Gannets" Dont remember how I got this one. Unsigned. Sticker on back Deben Frames 26A Market Hill, Woodbridge, Suffolk, Telephone 3216 Order No. 27316. Handwritten note on back NOT FOR SALE Size 35cm x 28cm. | |
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| "White Ferret" bought by me as a job lot. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 23cm x 30cm. | |
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| "White Ferret" bought by me as a job lot. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 18cm x 22cm. | |
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| "Mouse" bought by me as a job lot. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 18cm x 22cm. | |
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| "Mouse" bought by me as a job lot. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 18cm x 22cm. | |
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| "Mouse with blackberry" bought by me as a job lot. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 18cm x 22cm. (Need to replace broken cover glass, hence the diagonal stripe) | |
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| "Hedgehog" bought by me as a job lot. Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 18cm x 22cm. | |
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| "Calf" bought by me, Signed E.A.Dunham. Size 24cm x 30cm. | |