33:
227:
313:, was a successful antiquarian. In 1876, Francis made a generous bequest of his personal library, including art books, to the Swansea Public Library, while he was still alive. The Preface to a catalogue of the collection printed in 1887 introduces the donation in the following manner: 'In the year 1876, Mr. John Deffett Francis, desirous of promoting to the utmost of his power the study of Literature and Art in his native Town, determined to make a gift of his Library, consisting chiefly of Books on Art and subjects connected therewith, to his fellow townsmen.' In a subsequent catalogue statement dated 25 May 1887, the author of the Preface notes that:
242:. Deffett's watercolour portrait of Queen Victoria (pictured on the right), displays the monarch with her dog, Dash, bounding by her side. The young monarch stands in a garden, elegantly attired in a bonnet and shawl. The painting was executed in 1837, the year that Queen Victoria assumed the throne, which may account for her youthful appearance. The painting was engraved and printed by Frederick Christian Lewis in 1838, a year after its original completion, and is still held in the Royal Collection. Prints made after John Deffett Francis' figurative portrait paintings include:
325:
117:
99:
80:
64:
51:
296:
317:
364:
edition of 110 copies and is dated 30 June 1876. As this is the same year that
Francis made his generous donation of books to the Swansea Library, this may well be a playful response to this philanthropic incident, a reading that is supported by the poem itself, as the first-person narrator makes a series of joking 'bequests':
397:
As a whole the poem supports a view of
Francis as a dilettante with eclectic tastes. The poem also suggests that Francis suffered from poor health, was fond of women, ostentatious clothes, smoking pipes and often out of pocket. There is little information available about the author, Wyndham Lawrence,
363:
Surprisingly little is known about
Francis' personal life. However, some insights are suggested by a satirical poem written by Wyndham Lawrence in 1876, which cites Francis and some of his contemporaries then living in Swansea. The satirical poem entitled 'Will of J.D. Francis Esq.' was printed in an
333:
The
Library thus presented to the Burgesses consisted of between 600 and 700 volumes; but Mr. Francis was not satisfied to stop here. His object was the education of his fellow burgesses in Literature and Art, and in furtherance of that object he shortly afterwards gave a considerable collection of
278:
Aside from some notable portrait commissions, Francis' work did not attract significant patronage or commercial success. However, between 1837 and 1860 Francis exhibited one picture at the Royal
Academy, one at the British Institution and six at the Suffolk Street Exhibition including the painting
161:
in south Wales. He was the son of a
Swansea coach builder, John Francis and his wife Mary. According to the Welsh historian T. Mardy Rees, Francis demonstrated an early aptitude for painting and 'attracted notice by his designs and paintings in his father's workshop'. As he grew older, Francis
338:
Overall, the collection of artefacts that
Francis collected and donated to Swansea Public Library between 1876 and his death in 1901 totalled 7,000 books and 2,000 pictures and engravings. Subsequently, Francis became a committee member of Swansea Library and curator of the fine arts. This
343:
in 1887. As a whole the library contains books on a huge variety of science and arts subjects including anatomy, free masonry, antique art and botany. It acts as a monument to the eclecticism of his tastes as well as his broad learning and erudition.
491:
234:
Francis was most successful as a figure and portrait painter. During his artistic career he completed a number of portraits of well known societal and political figures including
334:
Drawings and
Engravings, many of them of great rarity and beauty; and he determined to make the Library and collection of Pictures mutually illustrative.
166:
and
Glamorgan, while he lived in Swansea. Later, he became a member of the Dolly Hunting Club and received commission for portraits from fellow members.
309:
Throughout his adult life, Francis was a devoted collector of rare books, prints and curiosities. This was also a family trait since his brother,
655:
210:
among others. It is also possible that
Francis was responsible for the name of the Society since 'it was he who presented the Club with the
678:
608:
Catalogue of the Deffett Francis Collection in the Reference Department of the Swansea Public Library Containing the Books Received
186:
whom he accompanied on expeditions to the slums, to help discover material for Dickens' books. While in London, Francis also met
673:
541:
32:
398:
save what is included in the poem itself: 'he's a good, sanctimonious youth,/ And gazes on Gin with abhorrence'.
226:
593:
207:
191:
178:
to develop his career as a portrait painter. While in London he befriended the artist and caricaturist
133:
portrait painter and art collector. He is particularly well known for his portraits of figures such as
598:
303:
203:
116:
98:
79:
50:
348:
63:
340:
339:
substantial holding also led to the establishment of a 'D.F.' Art Gallery and Library, opened by
199:
563:'Satirical Poem' by Wyndham Lawrence, 1877. National Library Wales, MS 2868E, recto, ll. 1-6.
162:
concentrated his energy on portraiture and executed several portraits of notable figures in
688:
683:
310:
198:, a literary gentleman's society, attending the society's first meeting in Drury Lane with
142:
110:
8:
649:
418:
637:
620:
351:. Francis also bequeathed a collection of 20,000 prints, drawings and books to the
324:
230:
Portrait of Queen Victoria by John Deffett Francis, print, stipple engraving, 1838.
588:
183:
352:
235:
146:
134:
667:
641:
179:
554:
MS 2868E, National Library of Wales, Satirical Poem, Wyndham Lawrence, 1876.
624:
130:
572:'Satirical Poem' by Wyndham Lawrence, 1876. NLW MS 2868E, recto, ll. 27-8.
239:
195:
187:
138:
163:
634:
The Savage Club : a medley of history, anecdote, and reminiscence
270:(1841), and form part of the bequest made to the British Museum.
211:
347:
The John Deffett Francis collection was later transferred to the
215:
158:
141:, and the bequests of his personal library and art collection to
92:
57:
218:
and other savage weapons that decorated the walls of the Club.'
175:
401:
Francis died on 21 February 1901 at Bellevue Street, Swansea.
295:
522:
510:
589:"Francis, John Deffett (1815 - 1901), painter and collector"
316:
472:
328:
Portrait of Robert Peel by John Deffett Francis, 1841
450:
448:
446:
444:
442:
440:
425:
221:
605:
528:
516:
498:
437:
302:, an oil painting by John Deffett Francis at the
290:
665:
460:
617:Welsh Painters, Engravers, Sculptors, 1527-1911
194:. In 1857, he became a founding member of the
283:, which received a favorable review in the
654:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
115:
97:
78:
62:
49:
31:
388:In the Name of Goodness Gracious! hereby
323:
315:
294:
225:
152:
368:'I J. Deffett Francis, of Swansea Town,
320:Artists Impression of Swansea, c. 1800.
129:(2 June 1815 – 21 February 1901) was a
666:
631:
478:
393:Make this my last Will and Testament.'
586:
542:"Swansea Library Operational Records"
466:
614:
504:
454:
431:
373:Archaeologist, A-thiest and Artist,
169:
13:
619:. Carnarfon: Welsh Publishing Co.
610:. Swansea: Swansea Printing Works.
285:Illustrated London News Supplement
14:
700:
378:Astronomer, Actor of some renown,
174:In the 1840s Francis traveled to
492:"British Museum catalogue entry"
679:19th-century Welsh male artists
566:
557:
548:
534:
383:Curiosity, Critic and Chartist,
260:Major General Sir William Nott,
222:Portrait painting and engraving
137:and the British prime minister
484:
411:
291:The Deffett Francis Collection
273:
1:
594:Dictionary of Welsh Biography
404:
208:William Bernhardt Tegetmeier
16:British artist and collector
7:
674:19th-century Welsh painters
358:
10:
705:
606:Library Committee (1877).
579:
599:National Library of Wales
304:National Library of Wales
204:Leicester Silk Buckingham
106:
88:
72:
43:
39:
30:
23:
349:Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
244:Madlle. Cerito: A Dancer
419:"Victorian Art History"
281:Autumn-Scotland-Evening
632:Watson, Aaron (1907).
615:Rees, T Mardy (1912).
529:Library Committee 1877
517:Library Committee 1877
336:
329:
321:
306:
231:
76:21 February 1901
587:Ellis, Megan (1959).
331:
327:
319:
298:
250:, lithograph (n.d.);
229:
153:Early life in Swansea
311:George Grant Francis
264:Captain Bowen Davies
180:Joseph Kenny Meadows
157:Francis was born in
127:John Deffett Francis
111:George Grant Francis
25:John Deffett Francis
330:
322:
307:
232:
481:, pp. 18–20.
341:William Gladstone
192:William Thackeray
124:
123:
47:2 June 1815
696:
659:
653:
645:
628:
611:
602:
573:
570:
564:
561:
555:
552:
546:
545:
538:
532:
526:
520:
514:
508:
502:
496:
495:
488:
482:
476:
470:
464:
458:
452:
435:
434:, pp. 47–8.
429:
423:
422:
415:
170:Career in London
120:
119:
102:
101:
83:
82:
68:
67:
66:
54:
53:
35:
21:
20:
704:
703:
699:
698:
697:
695:
694:
693:
664:
663:
662:
647:
646:
582:
577:
576:
571:
567:
562:
558:
553:
549:
540:
539:
535:
527:
523:
515:
511:
503:
499:
490:
489:
485:
477:
473:
465:
461:
453:
438:
430:
426:
417:
416:
412:
407:
361:
293:
276:
240:Sir Robert Peel
224:
184:Charles Dickens
182:and the writer
172:
155:
143:Swansea Library
139:Sir Robert Peel
114:
96:
77:
61:
56:
55:
48:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
702:
692:
691:
686:
681:
676:
661:
660:
629:
612:
603:
583:
581:
578:
575:
574:
565:
556:
547:
533:
521:
509:
497:
483:
471:
459:
436:
424:
409:
408:
406:
403:
360:
357:
353:British Museum
292:
289:
275:
272:
252:Fanny Cerito (
236:Queen Victoria
223:
220:
200:William Brough
171:
168:
154:
151:
147:British Museum
135:Queen Victoria
122:
121:
108:
104:
103:
90:
86:
85:
74:
70:
69:
45:
41:
40:
37:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
701:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
671:
669:
657:
651:
643:
639:
635:
630:
626:
622:
618:
613:
609:
604:
600:
596:
595:
590:
585:
584:
569:
560:
551:
543:
537:
530:
525:
518:
513:
507:, p. 49.
506:
501:
493:
487:
480:
475:
468:
463:
457:, p. 48.
456:
451:
449:
447:
445:
443:
441:
433:
428:
420:
414:
410:
402:
399:
395:
394:
390:
389:
385:
384:
380:
379:
375:
374:
370:
369:
365:
356:
354:
350:
345:
342:
335:
326:
318:
314:
312:
305:
301:
297:
288:
286:
282:
271:
269:
265:
261:
257:
256:W.C. Macready
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
228:
219:
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
167:
165:
160:
150:
148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
118:
112:
109:
105:
100:
94:
91:
87:
81:
75:
71:
65:
59:
52:
46:
42:
38:
34:
29:
22:
19:
633:
616:
607:
592:
568:
559:
550:
536:
531:, p. 2.
524:
519:, p. i.
512:
500:
486:
474:
462:
427:
413:
400:
396:
392:
391:
387:
386:
382:
381:
377:
376:
372:
371:
367:
366:
362:
346:
337:
332:
308:
299:
284:
280:
277:
267:
263:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
233:
173:
156:
126:
125:
18:
689:1901 deaths
684:1815 births
479:Watson 1907
300:North Wales
274:Other works
268:Robert Peel
266:(1844) and
196:Savage Club
188:John Ruskin
668:Categories
636:. London.
467:Ellis 1959
405:References
248:Emma Romer
164:Carmarthen
89:Occupation
650:cite book
642:680485440
505:Rees 1912
455:Rees 1912
432:Rees 1912
212:tomahawks
84:(aged 85)
359:In verse
262:(1845);
258:(n.d.);
246:(1858);
216:assegais
145:and the
625:8757746
580:Sources
254:1846);
159:Swansea
93:Painter
58:Swansea
640:
623:
176:London
113:
107:Family
95:
60:
131:Welsh
656:link
638:OCLC
621:OCLC
238:and
206:and
190:and
73:Died
44:Born
670::
652:}}
648:{{
597:.
591:.
439:^
355:.
287:.
214:,
202:,
149:.
658:)
644:.
627:.
601:.
544:.
494:.
469:.
421:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)
.jpg)