Well known Authors and Artists conected to Burnham and the Dengie Hundred
The character of this area has inspired many artists and authors. Listed below are some of the better known artistgs and authors connected with this area.
Authors
Robert Barnard
Born
as Jerry Bauer on 23 November 1936 he grew up in Burnham-on-Crouch
before leaving for a University education which launched a glittering
career as an author.
As
Robert Barnard he is the author of 36 novels featuring the characters
Perry Trethowan, Charlie Peach and Oddie.
Samuel Levy Bensusan
Samuel Been ( b.1873 -d.1958) lived at Asheldham and St Lawrence . He
became famous for novels centred on a fictitious village called
Maychester which were affectionate portrayals of life in the Essex
Marshes.
Click here
for details of the Bensusan archive
Daniel Defoe
From 1724-1726 Author Daniel Defoe travelled the Country recording his trek in " Tour through the whole island of Great Britain". His remarks on Burnham and the Dengie 100 were limited to ' the strange decay of sex' with an explanation that many men had numerous wives who they took from the uplands but the wives rarely survived in the fog and damps of the marshland and died within a year or so at which the men just went back to the uplands and got another wife
Martyn Lambourne
Click here to visit Martyn's homepage
H G Wells
In
his classic book War of the Worlds HG Wells used the area as a setting
for his Martian invasion.
"
Then far away beyond the Crouch, came another striding over some stunted
trees, and then yet another still farther off wading deeply through a
shiny mud flat half way up between sea and sky. By midday they passed
through Tillingham, which strangely enough seemed silent and deserted,
save for a few furtive plunderers hunting for food. Near Tillingham they
suddenly came into sight of the sea, and the most amazing crowd of
shipping of all sorts that it is possible to imagine."
Artists
Mick Cawston
PAINTER
Mick
Cawston was born in 1959 at Dagenham, Essex he moved to a farm cottage
in Burnham on Crouch in about 1983 and sold his paintings in local
markets. By 1987 he became an established artist recognised as the No1
Dog and Horse painter in the country. Mick has had many exhibitions and
his works hang in Galleries all over the world.
Some
of his painting is still to be found enlivening homes in Burnham and a
fine example of his work is often admired by patients visiting the
surgery of the much respected GP Dr Latif.
Click here to learn more about Mick Cawston
Born
1865 Died 1930
Alice Fanner was a renowned painter specialising in marine landscapes.
She
was tutored by Julius Olsson and exhibited paintings at many galleries
including the Royal Academy. She lived in St Ives, Cornwall and London
but in 1914 she moved to Burnham on Crouch where she painted the
landscape and the yachting scene. She ws married to Australian
businessman Arhtur Edward Taite.
He
paintings include The Seaside, Provenance, In the Luxembourg garden,
Bogiaco, Lake Garda and yachts racing
Click here to view her paintings
Alfred Hitchcock FILM
DIRECTOR
Alfred Hitchcock was born
and brought up in the East End . When asked, by the Times Newspaper, the
inspiration for his atmospheric films he cited his experience from a
Visit to Burnham on Crouch in November.
Would North by North West , Psycho or the Birds have been made without a
visit to Burnham?
Born
1912 Died 1981
A
celebrated artist who painted in oil or pen an ink showing people and
places around him
He
lived in Burnham in the early 1950's with his wife Joyce and painted the
area and its people whilst his wife worked locally as a teacher. During
his stay in Burnham he painted ' joyce' , 'Continental Sunday' ,' still
life with chrysanthemums and Maldon.
