Gerald Leslie Brockhurst 1890-1978

On 12th April 1882 [his father] Arthur Brockhurst [aged 23] and [his mother] Amelia Ward [aged 21] were married.

On 31st October 1890 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst was born to Arthur Brockhurst [aged 31] and Amelia Ward [aged 29] at 106 Summer Road, Edgbaston. Their fourth son. He was baptised at St Thomas' Church, Birmingham on 8th February 1891. His father's trade is given as Coal Merchant.

Around 1902 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 11] entered the Birmingham Art School.

1905. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 14]. Self-Portrait.

In 1907 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 16] was a pupil at the Royal Academy Schools.

In 1913 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 22] won the Royal Academy School's gold medal and a travelling scholarship enabling him to visit both France and Italy.

After 1913. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 22]. Portrait of the [his future wife] Anaïs Melisande Folin.

Around 1914. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 23]. Portrait of the [his future wife] Anaïs Melisande Folin.

In October 1914 or on 5th December 1914 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 23] and Anaïs Melisande Folin were married in Chelsea. She became his model for most of his early etchings of young womanhood from 1920 till 1934.

Between 1915 and 1919 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 24] and his wife Anaïs Melisande Folin lived in Ireland where they were friends with Augustus John [aged 36] and his circle.

In 1916 and 1919 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 25] stage exhibitions at Chelsea's Chenil Gallery.

Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans

Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.

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On 10th August 1918 [his father] Arthur Brockhurst [aged 59] died

1921. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 30]. "L'Eventail (Anaïs)", aka "The Fan". Model [his wife] Anaïs Melisande Folin.

In 1922 Brockhurst's [aged 31] marriage with [his wife] Anaïs Melisande Folin came under strain when she discovered he was having a relationship with her sister Marguerite Folin.

1922. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 31]. "Le Beguin (Anaïs)". Model [his wife] Anaïs Melisande Folin. The title is taken from the French-Moorish cap or head band worn by women from Anaïs's home town of Dax, in southwest France. Beguin means bonnet and also, colloquially, an infatuation.

Around 1922. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 31]. "Nadia".

1925. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 34]. Portrait of Charles Carpenter.

1925. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 34]. "The Dancer (Anaïs)". Model [his wife] Anaïs Melisande Folin.

In 1928 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 37] was appointed Visitor to the Royal Academy Schools. It was at this time that he met the sixteen-year-old artist's life model [his future wife] Kathleen Woodward [aged 15] who he named Dorette.

Before February 1928 [his daughter] Melisande Brockhurst was born to Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 37] and [his wife] Anaïs Melisande Folin.

February 1928. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 37]. "The Two Mélisandes". Portrait of the artist's wife Anaïs Melisande Folin and their daughter Melisande.

March 1930. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 39]. Henry Rushbury No 2.

Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall

The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.

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Around 1931. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 40]. Portrait of Margaret Whigham Duchess of Argyll [aged 18].

1932. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 41]. "Adolescence". Portrait of [his future wife] Kathleen Woodward [aged 19].

1934. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 43]. "Jeunesse Dorée (Gilded Youth)". Portrait of [his future wife] Kathleen Woodward [aged 21]. Painted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. It was bought for £1000 by William Lever 2nd Viscount Leverhulme [aged 45], for his Lady Lever Art Gallery [Map] on the very first day of the show.

Around 1935. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 44]. Portrait of Merle Oberon [aged 23].

Merle Oberon: On 19th February 1911 she was born. On 23rd November 1979 she died.

Around 1935. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 44]. Portrait of Nancy Woodward. Sister of his wife.

Around 1935. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 44]. "Dorette". Portrait of [his future wife] Kathleen Woodward [aged 22].

In 1937 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 46] was elected Fellow of the Royal Academy.

1937. Howard Coster. Photograph of Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 46].

1937. Howard Coster. Photograph of Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 46] in the process of painting his portrait of Marlene Dietrich.

In 1937 [his future wife] Kathleen Woodward [aged 24] gave an interview to the Sunday Express in which she described her relationship with Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 46].

1939. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 48]. "By the Hills". Model Marguerite Rose Bligh aka Tangye [aged 25]. The painting achieved top price at the Royal Academy summer exhibition that year.

Deeds of King Henry V

Henrici Quinti, Angliæ Regis, Gesta, is a first-hand account of the Agincourt Campaign, and subsequent events to his death in 1422. The author of the first part was a Chaplain in King Henry's retinue who was present from King Henry's departure at Southampton in 1415, at the siege of Harfleur, the battle of Agincourt, and the celebrations on King Henry's return to London. The second part, by another writer, relates the events that took place including the negotiations at Troye, Henry's marriage and his death in 1422.

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1939. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 48]. Portrait of Marlene Dietrich [aged 37].

Marlene Dietrich: On 27th December 1901 she was born. On 6th May 1992 she died.

1939. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 48]. Portrait of Wallis Warfield aka Simpson Duchess of Windsor [aged 42]. Cost 1,000 guineas (around £39,000 today) with the Duchess sitting for Brockhurst at his New York studio. It depicts the Duchess in a navy blue silk blouse and chiffon skirt by Mainbocher and includes the fabulous Bouquet of Flowers brooch by Van Cleef and Arpels (catalogued by Van Cleef and Arpels as the Hawaii brooch and purchased for Wallis by the Duke in 1938).

In August 1939 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 48] and [his future wife] Kathleen Woodward [aged 27] moved to America. They lived at Franklin Lakes New Jersey.

On 30th March 1940 [his mother] Amelia Ward [aged 79] died.

On 12th April 1940 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 49] and Anaïs Melisande Folin were divorced.

1942. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 51]. "Ophelia". Portrait of [his future wife] Kathleen Woodward [aged 29].

1942. Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 51]. Portrait of [his future wife] Kathleen Woodward [aged 29].

In 1947 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 56] and Kathleen Woodward [aged 34] were married. The difference in their ages was 21 years.

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait of unknown person.

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait of unknown person.

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait of unknown person.

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait of unknown person.

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait known as "Basque Boy".

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait of A C J Wall.

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait of Edward Partington 3rd Baron Doverdale.

Edward Partington 3rd Baron Doverdale: On 25th February 1904 he was born to Oswald Partington 2nd Baron Doverdale and Clara Isabel Murray Baroness Doverdale. On 18th May 1933 Edward Partington 3rd Baron Doverdale and Audrey Ailsa Pointing were married. On 23rd May 1935 Oswald Partington 2nd Baron Doverdale died. His son Edward succeeded 3rd Baron Doverdale of Westwood Park in Worcestershire. On 18th January 1949 Edward Partington 3rd Baron Doverdale died. Baron Doverdale of Westwood Park in Worcestershire extinct.

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait of Gilliam.

Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.

In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait of Jeannette Horlick-Bowles, Wife of John Bowles, Greenwich, Connecticut.

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait of unknown person.

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait of unknown person.

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. "Dorinda". Portrait of [his wife] Kathleen Woodward [aged 65].

Before 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87]. Portrait of Mrs Lebus.

On 4th May 1978 Gerald Leslie Brockhurst [aged 87] died at Franklin Lakes New Jersey.

On 23rd April 1995 [his former wife] Kathleen Woodward [aged 83] died at Ridgewood Village, Bergen, New Jersey, USA.