Newton Herbert Penprase
Other names: Newton Penpraze, Pen
Born 23 March 1888
Died 1978
Active: 1905 - 1978
Country of birth: England
Country of death: Northern Ireland
Teacher, painter, sculptor
Born Redruth, Cornwall. He was the son of Richard H. Penprase (born c.1859 in Madron, Cornwall), a house painter who often worked on decorating churches. Newton studied at Redruth School of Mines and School of Art (from 1909 Redruth School of Art when the mining section was moved to Camborne, Cornwall). In 1905 nine of his prize-winning drawings of church decorations, plate and plans of Camborne Church were acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
In October 1911 he was appointed Art Master at the Belfast College of Art and remained until his retirement in 1953. Penprase married Mildred McNeice (a former student of Belfast School of Art) in 1916. He taught a number of subjects including a ‘Natural Forms’ class and spent a period teaching a modelling class. Students included Rowel Friers and William Scott. Penprase was one of twenty entrants for a competition to extend the cenotaph at Belfast City Hall (1928). He entered four designs, one of which was shortlisted before Belfast Council abandoned the project. Penprase exhibited occasionally with the Ulster Arts Club and Ulster Academy.
In 1936 he began building Bendhu House at Ballintoy, Co. Antrim, a project that continued for over forty years. Penprase created a wide range of work for the house including: woodcarving; stained glass; mural painting; metal work; and a sculpture group of a rising phoenix and sea horse.
Note on surname: He occasionally used ‘Penpraze’, for example on his wedding certificate, and this spelling was used by his wife and his family. ‘Penprase’ was used by Newton in everyday life. At Belfast College of Art he was widely known as ‘Pen’ by staff and students.
This entry includes information supplied by David Penpraze and Emma McVeigh. There are images and information about Bendhu at the website of Ulster Architectural Heritage Society http://www.uahs.org.uk/resources/bendhu_ballintoy_county_antrim.php (accessed 29 October 2011)
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
The Mystic
1930 (Circa)
Maquette for Sculpture at Bendhu House
Tired Out
1914
'How long, O Lord, how long'
1946 (Presumed)
Reverie
1947 (Presumed)
Locations
Address 7 Blight's Row Redruth | View on map
1891 (Circa) - 1911 (Circa)
Living at no 9 Blight's Row with his father in 1911
Address 4 Adela Street Belfast | View on map
1911 - 1925
Address 22 Grasmere Gardens Belfast | View on map
1925 - 1976 (Circa)
Built house at 22 Grasmere Gardens Belfast | View on map
1923 - 1925 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Ulster Arts Club Annual Exhibition, Municipal Art Gallery, 1947
1947
Exhibited at Ulster Arts Club Annual Exhibition of Oil and Water Colour Pictures and Sculpture, 1946
1946
Institutional and Business Connections
Ceased membership of Royal Ulster Academy
May 1917
Andrew Cowser supposes resignation could have been due to responsibilities at the Belfast School of Art, or marriage previous year and birth of son 1917.
Elected to membership of Royal Ulster Academy
1915
Member of Ulster Arts Club
Member of council Ulster Arts Club
1945 - 1948 (Presumed)
President of Ulster Arts Club
1953 - 1954
Teacher at Belfast School of Art
1 October 1911 - 1953
Assistant Art Master. Initially Employed at £120 per annum. Taught in several areas including Drawing, Architecture and on Building Trades courses. Remained until retirement.
Vice-president of Ulster Arts Club
1946
Personal and Professional Connections
Feud with Ivor Beaumont
Tension between Headmaster and Teacher said to be long running resulting in a physical altercation in January 1932. Penprase was suspended, later apologised and was reinstated however the two never reconciled.
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Art Student' worker
Sources
A History of The Ulster Arts Club, 1971
1971
A School of Design for Belfast 1849-1960, 2009
2009
p. 53
All his own work: Newton Penprase: a documentary exhibition, 1977
1977
Catalogue of The Ulster Arts Club Annual Exhibition, Municipal Art Gallery, 1947
1947
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
2004
RG12 piece 1847 folio 9 page 11
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2001
RG13 piece 2240 folio 38 page 15
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2009
RG14PN13979 RG78PN832 RD299 SD2 ED10 SN151
Dictionary of Irish Artists: 20th Century, 1996
1996
p. 403
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
2006
Name: Newton Herbert Penprase
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1888
Registration district: Redruth
Inferred County: Cornwall
Volume: 5c
Page: 192
The Royal Ulster Academy of Arts
1981 (Circa)
p. 52, 54
Citing this record
'Newton Herbert Penprase', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib3_1257717751, accessed 25 May 2022]