James Ayton Symington

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James Ayton Symington (c. 1856 – 2 February 1939) was an English book and magazine illustrator from Leeds. He worked closely with the Leeds publisher Richard Jackson, but moved to London after his marriage in 1889.

James Ayton Symington
Bornc. 1856 (1856)
Leeds, England
Died6 February 1939(1939-02-06) (aged 82–83)
Epsom, Surrey, England
NationalityEnglish
Other namesJ A S
OccupationIllustrator
Years active1886–1914[note 1]
Known forIllustrating adventure stories
Notable workThe illustrations for the 1905 Dent re-issue of Robinson Crusoe

Early life

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Very little is known about his early life. Kirkpatrick notes that he did not appear in the census records until 1891, when he was 34 years old, and there is no record of his birth in the Civil Registration Birth Index.[2] The first public notice of Symington appears to be in the Leeds Mercury in April 1886, which announced that The Rivers of Yorkshire by George Radford would be published in October by Richard Jackson and would have 12 etchings by Symington, a Yorkshire etcher of rising popularity.[3]The book was published by subscription, with ordinary subscribers paying 10s. 6d. (half a guinea), 200 copies on Japan paper at a guinea (£1 1s.). and 25 proofs on satin at two guineas (£2 2s.).[4] The book was eventually published on 8 December 1886 with the revised title Rambles by Yorkshire Rivers.[5][6][note 2]

Symington illustrated a number of other books for Richard Jackson including Yorkshire by the Sea, another published by subscription volume by George Radford,[7] Jackson's New Illustrated Guide to Leeds and Environs (1889),[8] and Some Historic Mansions of Yorkshire and their Associations (1888),[note 3] by civil engineer and amateur antiquarian William Wheater (19 October 1840 – 30 December 1911)[10][11]

Marriage and middle life

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The 1891 census (5 April 1891) shows Symington with a wife Kate (18 January 1859 – 18 November 1944).[12][13] Kirkpatrick speculates that this was Catherine Tindall who married a James Symington at the Parish Church in Doncaster on 19 May 1889.[2][14] There are a number of facts that suggest that this is not correct:

  • In the 1911 Census (2 April 1911), Kate give the number of years married as 29, suggesting that their marriage took place between 3 April 1881 and 2 April 1882. Of course, errors in ages and durations in the census returns are not uncommon.
  • Secondly, the bridegroom gave his name as James Symington, rather than as James Ayton Symington, at a time when it was the normal practice to give one's full names for such formal occasions.
  • Thirdly, the James Symington that married Catherine Tindall in Doncaster on 19 May 1889 gave his occupation as a labourer, the son of John Symington, a painter. Catherine Tindall was the daughter of the late Henry Tindal, also a labourer. The couple were living together at 27 March Gate in Doncaster at the time of their marriage.[15]
  • Fourthly, both bride and groom gave their ages as 26,[15] which would have given them birth dates between 20 May 1862 and 19 May 1863, whereas Kate Symington was born on 18 January 1859,[12] and Symington was born c.1856.

In any case, Symington and Kate had one son, Arthur Ayton (30 Jan 1898 – 3rd quarter of 1955)[16][17] who trained as a civil engineer and was his mother's executor.[13]

The 1891 census found Symington and his wife living at 71 Cheverton Road, Putney, Wandsworth, London. They were still there in 1896, but 1901 found them living with their young son at 1 West Park Gardens, Kew Gardens, Kew, London. They were still at that address in 1912. Symington was granted permission to erect a house at Old Church Lane, Stanmore, Edgeware, North London in October 1912.[18] He seems to have built the house as, in 1916, the next-of-kin address on his sons enlistment papers gave his address as "Loidis" Old Church Road, Greater Stanmore.[19]

 
Leeds-city-museum

They were still in Church Lane in 1922, but had moved to Dale Cottage, Meadowside, Great Bookham, Surrey by 1927. and were still there ten years later. Although living in London, Symington maintained his connection with Leeds. His son was born in Leeds, and in 1934 Symington donated 7 black-and-white drawings of Yorkshire windmills to the Leeds Museum.[20]

Work

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Symington illustrated both magazines and books. He seems to have done almost no illustration from his late fifties, after the start of the First World War.

Magazine illustration

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Symington was a regular contributor to:

Symington also contributed illustrations to story papers, including

Thorpe notes that Symington was one of two regular contributor to the Sporting and Dramatic News who dealt especially with country subjects.[21] Symington often featured in the annual sales of the original art for the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News.[22][23][24][25][26]

Example of magazine illustration

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Illustrations by James Ayton Symington for "The Progress of Lawn Tennis" by Wilfred Baddeley in The Windsor Magazine. Volume 2: July to December, 1895, pp 179–184.[27]Symington illustrated a further three articles in that volume of the magazine.

Book illustration

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Kirkpatrick lists more than 90 book illustrated by Symington.[28] Symington illustrated three main types of books:

  • Adult Novels
  • Topographical books, featuring landscapes, cathedrals, and towns.
  • Children's adventure books, which formed the bulk of his book illustration work.

Based on the list by Kirkpatrick, [28] the authors whose work was illustrated by Symington include:

Example of book illustration

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The following 18 illustrations are a mixture of paintings (12) and pen-and-ink drawings (6) by J Ayton Symington for The Wonderful Wapentake. a collection of stories and essays by fellow Yorkshireman J. S. Fletcher, published by J. Lane, London in 1894. Although this book is a collection of short fiction and non-fiction than a guidebook, these landscape images are typical of Symington's work for topographical books. These images are, by courtesy of the British Library, from the on-line copy at the Library.[32]

Later life

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Symington seems to have stopped working by 1914. Kirkpatrick lists no book illustrations by him later than that year,[2] and Hoofe gives his active years as ending in 1908.[1]

Symington was living at Yewby, Yew Tree Gardens, Woodcote Side, Epsom, Surrey when he died on Epsom and Ewell Cottage Hospital on Monday, 6 February 1939. [33] He was buried the following Friday at Lawnwood Cemetery in Leeds.[34] His estate was valued at only £211, 2s and 6d, and his widow was executrix.[33]

Assessment

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Blewett considered that Symington's 16 colour and 45 black-and-white illustrations for the 1905 J. M. Dent edition of Defoe's Robinson Crusoe were on the whole superior to rival editions.[35] The Sheffield Independent offered this book as one of a set of six children's classics in a promotional offer in 1934.[36] The Scotsman referred to Symington's work for this book as tasteful coloured illustrations[37]

Notes

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  1. ^ Houfe suggests that he was active in 1890–1908, but he had already illustrated one book by 1886, and continued to do so until 1914.[1]
  2. ^ The British Library give the book a provisional publication date of 1880, as the book is not dated. However the press coverage and advertisements make clear that it was published in December 1886. Note that the 12 etchings in the British Library edition are not full page, but have large margins around them.[6]
  3. ^ This had 25 etchings in total, and Symington shared the work with Anthony Buckle and Stanley Medway, who had illustrated earlier books for Richard Jackson.[9]
  4. ^ Published by the Sunday School Union.
  5. ^ Another magazine published by the Sunday School Union.
  6. ^ He contributed to one issues in 1921, the only example of his work after the First World War,

References

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  1. ^ a b c Houfe, Simon (1978). "Symington, J. Ayton". Dictionary of British Book Illustrators and Caricaturists, 1800-1914. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club. p. 474. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The Internet Archive.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Kirkpatrick, Robert J. "J. Ayton Symington". The Men Who Drew For Boys (And Girls): 101 Forgotten Illustrators of Children's Books: 1844-1970. pp. 468–469.
  3. ^ "Literary and Art Gossip". Leeds Mercury (Wednesday 21 April 1886): 3. 21 April 1886. Retrieved 15 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Literature and Art". Nottinghamshire Guardian (Friday 30 July 1886): 11. 30 July 1886. Retrieved 15 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ Radford, George (1886). Rambles by Yorkshire Rivers. Retrieved 15 July 2020 – via The British Library.
  6. ^ a b "Publication: Richard Jackson's Publications for the season 1886-7". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer (Wednesday 22 December 1886): 6. 22 December 1886. Retrieved 15 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Personal". The Queen (Saturday 06 September 1890): 60. 6 September 1890. Retrieved 15 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ Jackson, Richard (1889). Jackson's New Illustrated Guide to Leeds and Environs. Leeds: Richard Jackson. Retrieved 15 July 2020 – via The British Library.
  9. ^ "Literary Notes: Humorous Poems". Brighouse News (Saturday 16 June 1888): 2. 16 June 1888. Retrieved 15 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "William Wheater". Find a Grave. 1912. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Obituary: A well Known Yorkshire Author". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer (Tuesday 02 January 1912): 5. 2 January 1912. Retrieved 15 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ a b National Archives (29 September 1939). 1939 Register: Reference: RG 101/1415B E.D. CNYL. Kew: National Archives.
  13. ^ a b "Wills and Probates 1858 and 1996: Surname Symington and the year of death 1945". Find a Will Service. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  14. ^ "Marriages". Yorkshire Evening Press (Friday 24 May 1889): 1. 24 May 1889. Retrieved 16 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ a b London Metropopolitan Archives (23 July 2020). "1889 Marriage Solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of Doncaster in the County of York: No.111: James Symington and Catherine Tindall". Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage. London: General Register Office.
  16. ^ National Archives (29 September 1939). 1939 Register: Reference: RG 101/1415A E.D. CNYK. Kew: National Archives.
  17. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  18. ^ "Highways and plans". Hendon & Finchley Times (Friday 25 October 1912): 3. 25 October 1912. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ^ War Office (2 October 1916). "British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 for James Ayton Symington: Descriptive Report on Enlistment". British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920. Kew: National Archives.
  20. ^ "9,642 Museum Visitors: More Gifts Acknowledged by Leeds Committee". Leeds Mercury (Tuesday 18 December 1934): 9. 18 December 1934. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ^ a b c d Thorpe, James (1935). "Other Illustrated Weekly Papers: Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News". English Illustration: The Nineties. London: Faber and Faber. pp. 63–64.
  22. ^ "Special Notice: Ninth Annual Unreserved Sale". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News (Saturday 31 May 1890): 41. 31 May 1890. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ "Special Notice: Eleventh Annual Unreserved Sale". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News (Saturday 28 May 1892): 47. 28 May 1892. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  24. ^ "Twelfth Annual Sale of a collection of very choice Original Drawings". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News (Saturday 17 June 1893): 45. 17 June 1893. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ "Thirteenth Annual Sale of a collection of very choice Original Drawings". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News (Saturday 23 June 1894): 40. 23 June 1894. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  26. ^ "Fourteenth Annual Sale of a collection of very choice Original Drawings". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News (Saturday 22 June 1895): 40. 22 June 1895. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  27. ^ Symington, James Ayton (1895). "Illustrations for "The Progress of Lawn Tennis" by Wilfred Baddeley". The Windsor Magazine. II: 179–184. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The Internet Archive.
  28. ^ a b Kirkpatrick, Robert J. "Checklist of Books Illustrated by J. Ayton Symington". The Men Who Drew For Boys (And Girls): 101 Forgotten Illustrators of Children's Books: 1844-1970. pp. 470–472.
  29. ^ Kemp, Sandra; Mitchell, Charlotte; Trotter, David (1997). "Kenyon, Edith C. (d. 1925)". Edwardian Fiction: An Oxford Companion. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 222.
  30. ^ Lofts, William Oliver Guillemont; Adley, D. J. (1970). The Men Behind Boy's Fiction. London: Howard Baker. p. 213. ISBN 0093047703. Retrieved 7 February 2020 – via The Internet Archive.
  31. ^ "Death of Mr. Charles Eyre Pascoe". Westminster Gazette (Tuesday 12 November 1912): 14. 12 November 1912.
  32. ^ Fletcher, Joseph Smith (1894). The Wonderful Wapentake. London: J. Lane. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  33. ^ a b "Wills and Probates 1858 and 1996: Surname Symington and the year of death 1939". Find a Will Service. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  34. ^ "Deaths". Leeds Mercury (Tuesday 07 February 1939): 4. 7 February 1939. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  35. ^ Blewett, David (1995). The Illustration of Robinson Crusoe: 1719-1920. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe. p. 154. ISBN 0901072672. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The Internet Archive.
  36. ^ "Another Chance: Make sure of our great book offer". Sheffield Independent (Saturday 25 August 1934): 5. 25 August 1934. Retrieved 14 July 2020 – via The British Newspaper Archive.
  37. ^ "Christmas Gift Books: Dent & Sons". The Scotsman (Thursday 26 November 1914): 3. 26 November 1914.
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