The signature in the bottom right corner appears to be "Simpson" with possibly the initials 'GP' or 'GF'. Does anyone know anything about this artist?
Written on the back of the canvas is "The Priory and Col. Mansell's House Broadway CAERLEON". This would date the scene to the last decade of the 1800s, though the clothes worn by the man and woman suggest an earlier date maybe.
The Colonel was Robert Henry Mansel of the 103 Fusiliers. He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1849 and educated at Rugby and Sandhurst College. In fact he was born with an unfortunate surname for someone who was to follow a military career – Coward. By 1875 he had changed his surname to Mansel, when he married Lilian Augusta Llewellin in St Cadocs Church, Caerleon (see our records section). Lilian was the only surviving child of Thomas Morgan Llewellin a solicitor based in Newport who had twice been elected the Mayor of the town (Newport).
Thomas Llewellin owned Broad Towers and his daughter and her husband lived there with him after their marriage. The couple had five children:
Lilian Llewelyn Mansel (1876 - 1955)
Robert Trevor Llewelyn Mansel (1878 - 1936)
Gwladis Llewelyn Mansel (1879 - 1936)
And twins Jestyn Llewelyn Mansel (1880 - 1914) and Ada Llewelyn Mansel (1880 - 1960)
Thomas Llewellin died in 1891 and the Mansel family continued living in Broad Towers. They moved to Maindiff Court, Abergavenny, around 1897 when Robert’s wife, Lilian, inherited the property. Her mother, Eliza Caroline (1817 - 1846), was from the Addams-Williams family. Thus Lilian’s grandfather was Samuel Trevor Addams-Williams of Llanhennock and it was through him that the family inherited Maindiff Court.
Captain Jestyn Mansel was killed in the First World War – missing presumed dead. His name is among those on the Le Touret Memorial. (Link to account?)
Below is a photograph of the family in the garden of Broad Towers. |
