Mrs Mary Thornycroft
Other names: née Francis
Born 1809
Died 1 February 1895
Active: 1835 - 1880
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor
Born at Thornham, Norfolk. She was the daughter of John Francis (1780-1861) sculptor.
In 1840 she married Thomas Thornycroft, one of her father's pupils. Their children, in addition to William Hamo Thornycroft, included: John Isaac Thornycroft (1842-1928) naval architect; Alyce Thornycroft (1844-1906) sculptor;
Helen Thornycroft (1848-1937 painter; and Theresa Thornycroft (1853-1947) painter.
Mary taught modelling to the royal princesses. Princess Louise went on to become a sculptor in her own right. Her death was registered in Kent and she was buried at Chiswick.
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.
HRH the Crown Princess of Prussia (Princess Royal of England)
Models for Marbles in the Possession of Her Majesty, at Osbourne House
H.R.H. Princess Louise of Wales
Bust of the Hon. Miss Stanhope
Marble bust of Lord Clan Maurice
HRH the Prince Alfred, as Autumn
1851
HRH the Prince of Wales, as Winter
1851
HRH the Princess Alice, as Spring
1851
HRH the Princess Royal, as Summer
1851
Collaborated on The Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal as a young shepherd and a gleaner
1851
Collaborated on Group of three children
1851
Locations
Address 56 Albany Street Regent's Park London | View on map
1835 - 1844
Address 39 Stanhope Street Hampstead Road London | View on map
1845 - 1860
Address 21 Wilton Place London SW | View on map
1861 (Circa) - 1877 (Circa)
Address Moreton House 2 Melbury Road London | View on map
1878
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at The International Exhibition, London, 1862
'The Skipping Girl'
Exhibited at Yorkshire Fine Art Society, Autumn Exhibition, 1880
Multiple works
Exhibited at National Exhibition of Works of Art at Leeds, 1868
'The Princess Royal'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Fourth, 1852
'Bust of the Hon. Miss Stanhope--executed in marble'
Exhibited at International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures, Dublin, 1865
p. 111, no. 198. 'Her Majesty the Queen' - plaster.
p. 111, no. 200. 'The Princess Beatrice' - plaster.
p. 113, no. 239. 'Bust of the Princess Alice' - plaster.
Exhibited at The Exhibition of Art-Industry in Dublin, 1853
listed as an exhibitor in text, p. vi.
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Seventh, 1855
p.54
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1835 - 1877
Exhibited 33 times (5 times under her maiden name of Francis, and 9 times prior to 1851), usually one or two works per year.
Exhibited at Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations (London), 1851
1851
Institutional and Business Connections
Worked with Art Union of London
1871 (Circa) - 1879 (Circa)
To reproduce 'HRH Princess Loiuse' (1871) and 'Princess Alice' (1879) in parian ware
Personal and Professional Connections
Daughter/son/child of John Francis
Mother/father/parent of William Hamo Thornycroft
Mother/father/parent of Alice Thornycroft
Wife/husband/spouse of Thomas Thornycroft
29 February 1840
They were married at the Old Church, St Pancras,
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1841
None
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851
Both Thomas and Mary Thornycroft 'Sculptor' and a nephew, born c.1837 in Cheshire 'Workshop Boy'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
Thomas, Mary and William Hamo all 'Sculptor' and Alice and Frances 'Painter'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
Thomas and Mary 'Sculptor', William Hamo 'Sculptor ARA', Mary and Theresa 'Painter' and Henry Webb (born c.1867 in Notting Hill) 'Studio Sweeper Domestic'
Sources
Catalogue of the Autumn Exhibition (Yorkshire Fine Art Society, Leeds) 1880
1880
Cat. Nos. 500, 545, pp. 53, 57
Catalogue of the First Spring Exhibition 1880
1880
Cat. Nos. 724, 768, pp. 63, 67, xxv
Catalogue of the National Exhibition of Works of Art at Leeds 1868
1868
Cat. Nos. 632l, 633m, p. 205
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1841
2004
HO107 piece 684 folio 13/10 page 14
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851
2004
Class: HO107; Piece: 1493; Folio: 786; Page: 62; GSU roll: 87822-87823
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
Class: RG10; Piece: 103; Folio: 36; Page: 26; GSU roll: 838762
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
Class: RG11; Piece: 27; Folio: 131; Page: 3; GSU roll: 1341006
Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, 1851
Official Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue
1851
p. 711 (2)
Illustrated Catalogue of the Exhibition of Art Industry in Dublin, 1853.
1853
listed as an exhibitor in text, p. vi.
International exhibition 1862, official catalogue, fine art department
1862
Official Catalogue of Dublin International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures 1865
1865
p. 111, no. 198. 'Her Majesty the Queen' - plaster.
p. 111, no. 200. 'The Princess Beatrice' - plaster.
p. 113, no. 239. 'Bust of the Princess Alice' - plaster.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
2004
Nancy Proctor, ‘Thornycroft , Mary (1809–1895)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/27368, accessed 13 Dec 2009]
The Builder, Vol. XV, 12 December 1857
12 December 1857
p. 726
The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Fourth, 1852
1852
The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Seventh, 1855
1855
p.54
The Royal Academy of Arts: a complete dictionary of contributors and their work from its foundation in 1769 to 1904. Vol. 3: Eadie to Harraden
1905
p. 161 Listed under her maiden name 'Miss Mary Francis'
Citing this record
'Mrs Mary Thornycroft', 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=msib7_1206450678, accessed 25 Mar 2023]
