C J Staniland

C. J. STANILAND

By

Robert J. Kirkpatrick

C. J. Staniland was a prolific and highly respected artist equally at home illustrating children’s novels as he was painting still lifes, historical scenes, seascapes and portraits.

He was born on 19 June 1838 in Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire, and christened Charles Joseph Staniland. His father, Joseph (1803-1858) was a commission agent, who had married Jane Elizabeth Goddard (1806-1876) in Brimpton, Berkshire, in 1834. They had three other children: Emily (born in 1835), Ellen (1837), and Alice (1840).

In the 1840s the family moved south, being recorded in the 1851 census at 21 Portland Place, Kingston, Surrey. Charles went on to study at the Birmingham School of Art, followed by a stint at the Heatherley School of Fine Art in London, the National Art Training School in South Kensington, and finally at the Royal Academy, which he entered in 1861. At that time, he was living as a lodger at 8 Priory Road, Lambeth, with the census recording him as a lithographic artist.

On 15 September 1868 he married Elizabeth Parsons Buckman (born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in 1844, the daughter of Edwin Buckman, an ironmonger) at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Edgbaston, Birmingham. They went on to have five children: Charles (born in 1870), Ellen (1874), Maud (1874), Catherine (1878) and Eric (1880).

By then Staniland had fully established himself as a professional artist. He had moved to Hogarth Cottage, Chiswick, in 1871, where he was able to afford a monthly nurse for his son Charles and a domestic servant. He was elected an associate of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours in 1875, and a full member in 1879, and a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 1883. (He resigned from both organisations in 1890 and 1896 respectively). By 1881, he had moved to 15 Steeles Road, Hampstead, a substantial house which meant he could also accommodate Rosa Wells, a Governess, and her husband Josiah, a fellow artist, and two servants. This remained his home for 15 years, until he moved to Chingford, Essex, in 1894, firstly living at Black Nest, The Drive, and then at 3 Hawkwood Villas, King’s Head Hill (1901 census).

As a painter, he exhibited widely, including at the Royal Academy, the Society of British Artists, the Fine Art Society, the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, Birmingham’s Royal Society of Artists, and the Royal Manchester Institution. As an illustrator, he worked for a wide range of periodicals and book publishers. His work began appearing regularly in The Quiver in 1866, and in that same year he contributed to the first number of Belgravia, founded by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. A year later, he began contributing to Cassell’s Magazine. In 1869 he began a long association with The Graphic, a weekly illustrated newspaper which quickly became famous for the quality of its artwork, and later joined the paper’s staff.

He went on to provide illustrations to periodicals such as Golden Hours, The Illustrated London News (for which he also joined the staff), London Society, Aunt Judy’s Magazine, The British Workman, The English Illustrated Magazine, The Pall Mall Gazette, The Boy’s Own Paper, Chums, The Strand Magazine, Wide World Magazine, Longman’s Magazine, A1 Magazine, Short Stories, The Daily Graphic, Pearson’s Magazine, Atalanta, The Children’s Friend, Good Words, and Harper’s Weekly. He was, for a time, a contributor of articles on cycling to The Graphic, using the pseudonym “The Skipper,” and he also wrote the occasional article, for example on the lifeboat service, for The Boy’s Own Paper. In 1896 he began contributing to a new and revised edition of the weekly part-work Cassell’s Illustrated History of England.

As an illustrator of children’s books, he worked in a range of genres  –  historical fiction (for example illustrating novels by G.A. Henty, W.H.G. Kingston, George Manville Fenn and Harry Collingwood), school stories (novels by Ascott R. Hope), religious works, family and domestic stories, and stories of the sea. He was used by a variety of publishers, including William P. Nimmo, Griffith & Farran, the Religious Tract Society, Blackie & Son and S.W. Partridge, although he was most prolific with the National Society’s Depository, the publishing arm of The National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church. He also had illustrations in annuals such as The Little People’s Budget and Yule Logs.

Staniland seems to have retired from painting and illustrating in the early 1900s. At the time of the 1911 census, he was living at 1 Millfield Villas, Fleet, Hampshire, with his daughter Catherine. His wife was living with her daughter Ellen’s family (she had married Charles Cousins, an assurance clerk, in Dulwich. He died five years later, at Acock’s Green, Birmingham, in June 1916, apparently without leaving a will. His wife died in Edmonton, London, in March 1920.

PUBLISHERS

Books illustrated by C.J. Staniland
Stories of School Life by Ascott R. Hope, William P. Nimmo, 1868
Daisy and Her Friends by Frances Freeling Broderip, F. Warne & Co., 1869
The Poetical Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Alexander Hislop, 1869 (with other artists)
The Gate of Pearl by Chauncey Giles, Alexander Hislop & Co., 1870
The Magic Shoes and Other Stories by Chauncey Giles, Hislop & Co., 1870
Labours of Love: A Tale for the Young by Winifred Taylor, William P. Nimmo, 1870
Old Andy’s Money, an Irish Story, and Other Tales by (Anon.), Johnstone, Hunter & Co., 1870
Lame Allan, or Cast They Burden on the Lord by Mrs Scott, William Oliphant & Co., 1871
Scrambles Among the Alps in the Years 1860-69 by Edward Whymper, John Murray, 1871
A Keepsake for the Young: A Book of Amusement by Aunt Friendly, Frederick Warne & Co., 1871
Lyrics of Ancient History: Poetical and Pictorial Illustrations of Old Testament History by (Anon.), Religious Tract Society, 1873
Max Wild, the Merchant’s Son, and Other Stories for the Young by Franz Hoffman, William P. Nimmo, 1874
Sunday Chats with Sensible Children by Clara L. Mateaux, Cassell, Petter & Galpin, 1874
The Gentleman Cadet: His Career and Adventures at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich by Alfred W. Drayson, Griffith & Farran, 1875
Sword and Pen, or English Worthies in the Reign of Elizabeth by W.H. Davenport Adams, William P. Nimmo, 1875
Willie Smith’s Money Box by (Anon.), Religious Tract Society, 1876
Picturesque Europe, with Illustrations on Steel and Wood by the Most Eminent Artists, Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co., 1876  – in monthly parts (with other artists)
The Three Admirals, and the Adventures of their Young Followers by W.H.G. Kingston, Griffith Farran & Co., 1877
Bible Jewels by Richard Newton, William P. Nimmo, 1877
The Land of the Mammoth, or A Boy’s Arctic Adventures Three Hundred Years Ago by Thomas Frost, Religious Tract Society, 1877
George’s Enemies by Ascott R. Hope, William P. Nimmo, 1876
St. Helen’s Well by Mary H. Debenham, National Society’s Depository, 1880
The Changing Year by various authors, Cassell, Petter & Galpin, 1882
Thomas Wingfold, Curate by George Macdonald, Chatto & Windus, 1883 (re-issue)
The Forging of the Anchor: A Poem by Sir Samuel Ferguson, Cassell & Co., 1883
Menhardoc: A Story of Cornish Nets and Mines by George Manville Fenn, Blackie & Son, 1884
The Fate of Castle Löwengard: A Story of the Days of Luther by Esmè Stuart, Suttaby & Co., 1884
The Pirate Island: A Story of the South Pacific by Harry Collingwood, Blackie & Son, 1885
Traitor or Patriot? A Tale of the Rye House Plot by Mary C. Rowsell, Blackie & Son, 1885
Gytha’s Message: A Tale of Saxon England by Emma Leslie, Blackie & Son, 1885
The Dragon and the Raven, or The Days of King Alfred by G.A. Henty, Blackie & Son, 1886
The Pirate, and The Three Cutters by Frederick Marryat, George Routledge & Sons, 1886
Schoolboy Stories by Ascott R. Hope, William P. Nimmo, 1887
Freedom’s Sword: A Tale of the Days of Wallace and Bruce by Annie S. Swan, Cassell & Co., 1887
Locked Up by Arthur Griffiths, William Blackwood & Sons, 1887
A Child of the Revolution: A Novel by (Anon.), Harper & Bros. (New York), 1887
Nor’ard of the Dogger, or Deep Sea Trials and Gospel Triumphs by E.J. Mather, James Nisbet & Co., 1887
Starwood Hall: A Boy’s Adventure by Frederick C. Badrick, National Society’s Depository, 1888
Robert Aske: A Story of the Reformation by E.F. Pollard, S.W. Partridge & Co., 1888
Silver Star Valley by M. Bramston, National Society’s Depository, 1888
Morning and Evening by John Keble, Religious Tract Society, 1888
Reuben Everett, or When Old Things Were New by Christabel R. Coleridge, National Society’s Depository, 1888
Our New Mistress, or Changes at Brookfield Earl by Charlotte M. Yonge, National Society’s Depository, 1888
Mrs Dimsdale’s Grandchildren by M. Lee & Catherine Lee, National Society’s Depository, 1888
To Horse and Away by Frances Mary Peard, National Society’s Depository, 1888
English Pictures Drawn with Pen and pencil, Religious Tract Society, 1889
In the Days of Luther, or The Fate of Castle Löwengard by Esmè Stuart, Swann Sonnenschein, 1890
The Green Girls of Greythorpe by Christabel R. Coleridge, National Society’s Depository, 1890
A Pair of Cousins by M. Bramston, National Society’s Depository, 1890
Distressed Ireland: A Series of Illustrated Letters by Thomas Wallace Russell, Daily Graphic, 1890
The Slaves of Sabinus: Jew and Gentile by Charlotte M. Yonge, National Society’s Depository, 1890
Romance of Real Life: True Incidents in the Live4s of the Great and Good by Robert Barnes, Religious Tract Society, 1890
A Ride to Picture Land: A Book of Joys for Boys and Girls, S.W. Partridge & Co., 1890
Maud Florence Nellie, or Don’t Care! By Christabel R. Coleridge, National Society’s Depository, 1890
What Cheer O? The Story of the Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen by Alexander Gordon, James Nisbet & Co., 1890
Glaucia, the Greek Slave by Emma Leslie, Religious Tract Society, 1892
The Two Ellens by A.E. Deane, National Society’s Depository, 1892
Blue Jackets, or The Log of the Teaser by George Manville Fenn, Griffith, Farran & Co., 1893
Stephanie’s Children by Margaret Roberts, National Society’s Depository, 1893
Robin’s Trust, and Other Stories by Edith A. Gibbs, S.W. Partridge & Co., 1894
Their Father’s Wrong by M. Bramston, National Society’s Depository, 1895
Christmas at the Beacon by Ellen Palmer, Nimmo, Hay & Mitchell, 1895
The Art Bible, George Newnes, 1895 (in monthly parts) (with other artists)
The Young Carthaginian, or A Struggle for Empire by G.A. Henty, Blackie & Son, 1896
Dorothy’s Stepmother by Penelope Leslie, National Society’s Depository, 1896
A Wonderful Christmas and Other Stories by Katherine E. Vernham, National Society’s Depository, 1896
Cast Ashore by Esmé Stuart, National Society’s Depository, 1896
The Puff of Wind by Frederick C. Badrick, National Society’s Depository, 1896
A Friendly Girl by Catherine Slater, National Society’s Depository, 1896
Cassell’s Illustrated History of England, Cassell & Co., 1896 (in weekly parts) (with other artists)
Happy Children by (Anon.), Donohue, Henneberry & Co., (Chicago), 1897
The Tuckers’ Turkey, and Other Stories by Katherine E. Vernham, National Society’s Depository, 1898
Gwen by Penelope Leslie. National Society’s Depository, 1898
Told by Two by M. Bramston, National Society’s Depository, 1898
A Puritan’s Wooing: A Tale of the Great Awakening in New England by Frank Samuel Child, S.W. Partridge & Co., 1899
Bugle Minor of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines by M. Bramston, National Society’s Depository, 1899
Brave Deeds of Youthful Heroes by various authors, Religious Tract Society, 1899
Reine’s Kingdom by L.E. Tiddeman, National Society’s Depository, 1899
The Stone Door by Frederick C. Badrick, National Society’s Depository, 1899
The Lifeboat: Its History and Heroes by F.M. Holmes, S.W. Partridge & Co., 1900
Jonathan Toms by Annie Victoria Dutton, National Society’s Depository, 1900
A Mystery of the Sea by Herbert Hayens, Collins, 1900
Lettice Temple: A Story of the Days of Bishop Ken by Maud Vevers, National Society’s Depository, 1900
Twice Lost by W.H.G. Kingston, T. Nelson & Sons, 1900(?)
Deborah’s Dressing and Other Stories by Katherine Elizabeth Vernham, National Society’s Depository, 1901
Riverslea by G. Norway, National Society’s Depository, 1901
Britannia’s Bulwarks: The Achievements of our Seamen, the Honours of Our Ships by Charles Napier Robinson, George Newnes, 1901 (in weekly parts) (with other artists)
Living London, Cassell & Co., 1902 (in weekly parts) (with other artists)
The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen, Collins, 1903 (re-issue)
The Poetical Works of John Milton, Collins, 1904(?)
Kenilworth by Walter Scott, Collins, 1906 (re-issue)
Andersen’s Fairy Tales, Collins, 1919