Margaret Lindsay Williams (1888 - 1960)

Born 1888 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 4 Jun 1960 at about age 72 in Saint Johns Wood, London, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Margaret Williams is Notable.

Margaret Williams was born in Glamorgan, Wales.

Margaret Lindsay Williams was a prominent twentieth century Welsh portrait artist to the British royal family, European royalty, and American presidents.

Childhood

Margaret was born in Cardiff, Glamorgan in 1888^[1], near the city’s Mansion House; the son of Samuel A Williams and Scottish-born Martha Margaret Lindsay. ^[2].

While Margaret was a small child, the family moved to the town of Barry where her shipbroker father had an office in the docks. The 1891 census records a multi generational family living at 9 Windsor Road. This included Margaret’s Scottish-born maternal grandparents, William and Margaret Lindsay and a younger sister Dorothy Farquhar Lindsay Williams ^[3]

The Williams family were still living in this house at the time of the 1901 census. ^[4]. Margaret was now aged 12, both her grandfather William Lindsay and sister Dorothy Farquhar had died in the intervening years. But there was a new sister: Olwen L Williams, one year old at the time of the census.

The Williams family left Barry in 1913 and moved to the village of Dinas Powys in the Vale of Glamorgan. ^[5] Their residence at Windsor Road is marked by a “Pride in Barry” Blue Plaque.^[6]

The Student Artist

Margaret Lindsay was enrolled as a student at the Cardiff School of Art, associated with the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire.^[7]

By the age of 16 she was in London, studying at the Pelham Street Art School. In her (unpublished) memoirs finished shortly before her death, she recounts that a sketch she made of the then Prince of Wales was shown to Queen Mary who liked it so much she bought the work. ^[8]

From the Pelham School she progressed to the Royal Academy in London ^[8] where she was taught by John Singer Sergeant. Though, as a female student, she was not allowed to attend male life drawing classes, she still won the coveted Gold Medal from the Academy in December 1911 for a painting titled "City of Refuge" and a travelling studentship of £200. ^[9]

She was not only the youngest winner (at 23 years old) but the first Welsh winner.^[10]

Margaret Lindsay Williams in New York, 1923.

Early Artistic Career

In 1911 while still a student at the Academy, Margaret Lindsay Williams lived at Eaton Studio in Eaton Terrace, within the St John's Wood district of London. Her mother Martha Lindsay Williams and her younger sister Olwen lived with her ^[11]while her father resided in a boarding house in Barry, presumably so he could easily continue with his business interests in Barry. ^[12]

She was commissioned in 1913 to paint a full-length posthumous portrait of the late King, Edward VII which would hang in the hall way of the newly-named King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (previously called Cardiff Royal Infirmary.) ^[5]

Starting in 1918 she began work on her largest and most ambitious work, the painting Welsh National Service, Westminster Abbey. The 20 by 16-foot canvas comprised portraits of 150 individuals including Queen Alexandra and her daughter Victoria plus leading religious figures and peers. ^[13]The painting took three years to complete, working at the Abbey as well as her studio. ^[13] Once finished it was presented to the City of Cardiff – today it hangs in the Crown Court building in the civic centre.

New Direction

Towards the end of World War 1, Margaret Lindsay Williams, by then an established and successful artist, began a period marked by imaginative works with religious overtones and allegorical significance.
 In her autobiography she said that her religious background and knowledge had been of great help to her as an artist. At the Royal Academy and subsequently she had found inspiration from Bible stories and the Christian religion. ^[14]

Two of her most successful paintings from this period were religious paintings. One of these works, entitled The Devil’s Daughter, exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1917 where it caused a sensation and divided opinion. ^[14]. It attracted considerable attention in the media worldwide for its portrayal of corruption and materialism. ^[14]

A sequel entitled The Triumph attracted even more media attention than it's predecessor. ^[14]

Portrait Artist To Royalty And Presidents

From the mid 1920s when Williams decided to concentrate on portraiture. she was commissioned by prominent Welsh figures including several members of the Morgan family, owners of the David Morgan department store in Cardiff, and the composer Ivor Novello.

Her reputation grew internationally to such an extent that she was commissioned to paint the US President Warren Harding in Washington.^[15] He sat for her 18 times, their sessions often interrupted by officials on state and international affairs. ^[13] Despite the highly confidential nature of the topics, the artist was never asked to leave the room. The resulting portrait brought her more commissions from notable Americans including Henry Ford and secured her a slot on television.

As her status as a portrait grew, her commissions brought her into further contact with members of the British Royal family.

One work entitled "St Paul's Cathedral Thanksgiving Service", produced in 1933 to mark the re-opening of the Cathedral after five years of restoration work included portraits of both George V and Queen Mary. Williams went on to produce an individual portrait of Queen Mary in 1938 for the Nurses' Hospital at St Thomas; Hospital, the sittings apparently accompanied by a large box of chocolates provided by the queen. ^[14]

Later generations of the royal family were also portrayed by Williams.

She painted Princess Margaret, ^[16] and was commissioned for the first-portrait of Prince Charles & Princess Anne, ^[16]

In her autobiography she recalled preparing her St John's Wood studio with toys and dolls for the arrival of the four-year-old Prince and his two-year-old sister. But Charles was more interested in the brushes and paints. “I think Charles would have squeezed out all the tubes, given the chance, they fascinated him,” she recalled. ^[16]

He took his interest a step further, turning up for one sitting dressed as a mini artist. “He arrived with overalls, his own box of paints, and a special book to paint in. He had decided that he wanted to be an artist and was most serious about the whole business,” she wrote.^[16]

“Suddenly he had an inspiration, he decided that he would like to use my paints. So, I gave him my palette, some brushes and two canvas boards.” 
 He produced two works while she was with him and she presented them to him – one of a forest and another of a house. She described his efforts as “very modern school”, but she had to ask what they were!
For his first picture, he replied, “Oh, it’s a forest.”
 ^[16]

During her lifetime, Margaret Lindsay Wiliams completed five portraits of Queen Elizabeth II ^[17]

The first portrait, undertaken at the artist's studio in Hamilton Terrace, London, was of the 11 year old Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret. ^[17]. The next was undertaken when Princess Elizabeth was aged 21 and about to embark with her parents on a royal tour of South Africa. ^[17]

Portrait number 3 came after the Princess's marriage and just a few months before the birth of Prince Charles. The finished work also featured the Duke of Edinburgh although the couple never actually posed together for the artist. ^[17]

The fourth portrait was undertaken when the Queen had been on the throne just three months. ^[17] and the final one was done a few months before the Coronation. ^[17]

Final Years

Margaret Lindsay Williams never married. In her memoirs she tells an anecdote of how, during one of his sitings, President Warren asked if she had ever been in love. She recalled: “I was taken aback and did not quite know how or what to reply. The best I could manage was ‘Oh, Mr President, I am wedded to my art.’ ^[13]

She died, aged 71 on 4 June 1960 at her home at 108 Hamilton Terrace, St Johns Wood, London, ^[18]leaving an estate valued at £16220 0s 3d to Winifred Williams and Gladys Cecilia Williams, both spinsters. ^[19]

Her funeral took place in Windsor Road Congregational Church in Barry, followed by internment in the town’s Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery. Her resting place is marked by a simple commemorative plaque. ^[20]

Research Notes

There are some elements of Margaret Lindsay Williams' life that are yet to be confirmed.

1. it is believed that when war broke out across Europe in 1914, she lobbied Lloyd George, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, to appoint her as an official war artist with the Welsh Division in France. He refused, because he didn’t feel comfortable with a woman being close to the front line, so Williams turned her attention to creating illustrations for a prose anthology to raise funds for Welsh troops.

2. She staged an exhibition in Cardiff to help fund the Netley Military Hospital in Southampton, as a result of which she received numerous commissions.

3. In 1916 she produced two works connected with the war: Cardiff Royal Infirmary During The Great War (a painting believed to be on display at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy) and David Lloyd George at Cardiff City Hall unveiling statues of Welsh heroes (this may be on display at Cardiff City Hall).



4. Her relationship to the two people named in her will as beneficiaries of her estate.

Sources

1. ↑ Births index, Wales. Q3, 1888. Cardiff, Glamorgan. WILLIAMS, Margaret Lindsay. Vol 11a. Page 257. Collection: England and Wales Births 1837-2006. Accessed: 12 April 2021
2. ↑ Census Records, Wales, 1901. Barry, Glamorgan. WILLIAMS, Samuel A [head]. Class RG13. Piece 4994. Folio 95. Page 6. [transcript and image]. www.findmypast.co.uk. Accessed 10 July 2020
3. ↑ Census Records, Wales. Barry, Glamorgan. 1891. WILLIAMS, Samuel A [head]. Class RG12. Piece 4408. Folio 32. Page 2. www.find.my.past. Accessed: 14 March 2020
4. ↑ Census Records, Wales. Barry, Glamorgan. 1901. WILLIAMS, Samuel A [head]. Class RG13. Piece 4994. Folio 95. Page 6. www.find.my.past. Accessed: 14 March 2020.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} , News Report, UK. Cardiff, Wales. My Life Was My Canvas: My Model Collapsed in A King's Robe. [Article 3 of 7]. The Western Mail. 3-11 Oct. 1960. Original copy: The National Library of Wales. Archive Ref NLW ex 2513. Accessed: 24 April 2021
6. ↑ Images: Photograph. Blue Plaque At Home Of Margaret Lindsay Williams. 10 July 2020. Photographer: Karen Heenan-Davies. Property of Karen Heenan-Davies
7. ↑ News Report, UK. Cardiff, Wales. Life is my Canvas. [Article 1 of 7]. The Western Mail. 3-11 Oct. 1960. Original copy: The National Library of Wales. Archive Ref NLW ex 2513. Accessed: 24 April 2021
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} , News Report. UK. Cardiff, Wales. My Life Was My Canvas: My Portrait Of The Pastor Is "Murdered". [Article 2 of 7]. The Western Mail. 3-11 Oct. 1960. Original copy: The National Library of Wales. Archive Ref NLW ex 2513. Accessed: 24 April 2021
9. ↑ News Report, UK. London. England. Personal Notes. The London Illustrated News. 16 December 1911. Page 5. www.findmypast.co.uk. Accessed 24 April 2021
10. ↑ News Report, UK. Yorkshire. Begin On The Front Page. Yorkshire Evening Post. 15 Dec 1911. Page 6. www.findmypast.com. Accessed 24 April 2021
11. ↑ Census Records, England. St John’s Wood, London, Middlesex. 1911. WILLIAMS, Martha Lindsay [head]. Series RG14. Piece 582. Schedule 196
12. ↑ Census Records, Wales, Barry, Glamorgan. 1911 WILLIAMS, Samuel A. Class RG14. Piece 32194. Schedule 173. www.find.my.past. Accessed: 21 March 2020
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3} News Report. UK. Cardiff, Wales. My Life Was My Canvas: When a Hunchback Poet Chased Lady Snowden. [Article 4 of 7]. The Western Mail. 3-11 Oct. 1960. Original copy: The National Library of Wales. Archive Ref NLW ex 2513. Accessed: 27 April 2021
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4} News Report. UK. Cardiff, Wales. My Life Was My Canvas: A King Joked While I Painted Him. [Article 5 of 7]. The Western Mail. 3-11 Oct. 1960. Original copy: The National Library of Wales. Archive Ref NLW ex 2513. Accessed: 27 April 2021
15. ↑ News Report, USA. Florida. Miami. Distinguished Artist Will Paint Harding. The Miami News. 4 Jan 1923. page 24 Column 6. www.newspapers.com. Accessed 23 April 2021.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4} News Report, UK. Cardiff, Wales. My Life Was My Canvas: I Get A Curtsey From Princess Anne. [Article 6 of 7]. The Western Mail. 3-11 Oct. 1960. Original copy: The National Library of Wales. Archive Ref NLW ex 2513. Accessed: 27 April 2021
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5} News Report, UK. Cardiff, Wales. My Life Was My Canvas: The Duke Breezed In For Royal Portrait. [Article 7of 7]. The Western Mail. 3-11 Oct. 1960. Original copy: The National Library of Wales. Archive Ref NLW ex 2513. Accessed: 27 April 2021
18. ↑ Deaths index (CR) England. Marleybone, London. Q2 1960. WILLIAMS, Margaret L. Vol 5d. Page 333. Collection: England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007. www.ancestry.com. Accessed: 30 April 2021
19. ↑ Testamentary records. Wales. 15 August 1960. WILLIAMS, Margaret Lindsay. London Registry. Calendar of the grants of probate . page 546. Collection: England & Wales, National Probate Calendar, 1858-1966. http://www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 03 May 2021.
20. ↑ Images: Photograph. Grave Marker of Margaret Lindsay Williams. Merthyr Dylan Cemetery, Barry, Glamorgan, Wales. 10 July 2020. Photographer: Karen Heenan-Davies. Property of Karen Heenan-Davies

See also

• Births index, Wales. Q3, 1888. Cardiff, Glamorgan. WILLIAMS, Margaret Lindsay. Vol 11a. Page 257. Collection: England and Wales Births 1837-2006. Accessed: 12 April 2021
• Wikidata: Item Q6759645, en:Wikipedia