MEMOIR OF JOHN SIMMONS, THE PAINTER.

SIR,

Delighted, lingering in the paths of fame,

To mark with honours due each humbler name.

SHEE.

To the Editor of The Bristol Memorialist.

I WILL not promise to furnish you with accounts of a series of great painters that have flourished at Bristol,' but I will send you such information as I can collect, of artists who have occasionally visited this place. I consider them to have been the missionaries of refinement to our city, who endeavoured to raise and expand the minds of the natives, and to introduce a relish for the productions of art; and though much of the seed which they scattered fell on bad ground, it certainly has not been wholly unproductive. Discouraged, no doubt, by the general sterility of the soil, the labourers have been few.

I have given precedence to the name of Simmons, because his life was spent in this city, where his talents were buried, and where only his name is known. It deserves to be perpetuated.

JOHN SIMMONS was born at Nailsea, in Somersetshire, near Bristol, either in the year 1714 or 1715. His parents died in his infancy. He manifested a fondness for drawing when a boy, and expressed his wishes to be a painter. His friends doubtless thought they had gratified his inclination, by placing him an apprentice to a house and ship painter in this city. His master died before the expiration of his apprenticeship, but he continued to serve the widow; whose circumstances requiring assistance, he would frequently give her the money which

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he earned by working after the usual hours. She ever afterward expressed the strongest regard for him, in consequence of the kindness of his conduct towards her. Though his employment during this period did not afford him the means of indulging his inclination for drawing, his attachment to it continued to increase: he frequently passed the greatest part of the night in cultivating this talent. On the expiration of his apprenticeship, he commenced business as a house and sign painter in Small-street, from whence he removed to Broad-street; afterward to the house since occupied by Mr. Shiercliffe, opposite the Drawbridge, and lastly to Bridge-street. (Pardon these localities, Mr. Editor, I am partial to them.) During a great part of this time he held the office of city painter, and carried on his business with very considerable success, especially as a sign-painter. It is well known that the use of sign-boards was not at that time confined to public-houses, but was very generally adopted by tradesmen; and that they were usually hung before the house in as projecting a manner as possible, and with the most shewy embellishments. The pictorial talent of the country met with little employment except in this way; and so much interest did these productions excite, that in 1762, an exhibition of signs was opened in Bowstreet, Covent-Garden, and a catalogue was published, containing the names of the painters. The public,' however, experienced so much inconvenience from the manner in which signs extended over the pavement and into the street, that an Act passed for their removal. This regulation was enforced in Bristol, in 1765, and was the cause of such a disuse of them, that Simmons declared it occasioned him a loss of £500 a year.

When Hogarth's paintings were fixed in RedcliffChurch, Simmons executed the four niches under them, containing the scriptural narration of the subjects. There is a traditionary story, that as soon as Hogarth arrived at Bristol, in passing through Redeliff-Street, the sign of the Angel attracted his attention; and on being informed that it was painted by Simmons of Bristol, he said, ' then they need not have sent for me.' The following anecdote was related to me by a relative of Mr. Simmons, and authenticates the opinion which Hogarth is said to have entertained of Simmons's talents. They had been walking together about the city, when Hogarth stood for some time contemplating a sign-board; and on Simmons asking him why he noticed it, Hogarth replied, "I am sure you painted it, for there is no one else here that could.'

Simmons afterwards painted the Annunciation, as the altar-piece of All-Saints' Church. I can find but three instances in which his talents met with the encouragement of being employed in a work of so much consequence. He painted the altar-piece of St. John's Church at Devizes, the subject of which, I believe, is the Resurrection; and an altar-piece was also painted by him for one of the West-India islands.

During this period Simmons painted several portraits, and among them an excellent one of Ferguson the astronomer. This extraordinary man (whose Life, written by himself and printed with his Mechanical Exercises, permit me to say, forms an admirable companion to that which Gifford has prefixed to his Juvenal) frequently delivered lectures in this city; on which occasions he was the constant tea-table visitor of his friend Simmons. I am told that this portrait was twice exhibited in London,

(in the first instance, I suppose, at one of the exhibitions that took place prior to the establishment of the Royal Academy)-that it obtained considerable notice, and that Mr. Simmons was invited to dine with the Academicans -was introduced to them individually, and that particular marks of attention were shewn him. On this occasion he was strongly advised to remove to the metropolis, as presenting a fair prospect of benefiting himself. But his old habits and connexions were not easily to be given up, and he had not courage enough to make the sacrifice.

There are many portraits by him in this city, of some of its then public characters, of whom I hope you will receive notices from such of your readers as were acquainted with them. The Reverend Bernard Fosket, the Baptist Minister at Broadmead, sat to him, from whose portrait an engraving was taken. Also Burgum the pewterer, and Cruger the Member. He painted a strong likeness of rather an extraordinary pauper, then well known in Bristol by the name of Black John, who is represented as he always appeared, with a round slouched hat, a haulier's frock, a long beard, and a long square stick. When he came to sit for his picture, Simmons told him to go down stairs and wash his face; this he did without cleaning his hands, which induced the painter to give them in the picture their usual appearance. It is in the possession of Mr. Dowding, of Shirehampton. Mr. Harril, of Bridge-street, has a portrait by Simmons of Tom Bennett, another Bristol mendicant. He painted a fine head of a Turk at one sitting, as a competition of skill with an artist who had depreciated his works. It is an excellent picture, and is now in the possession of Mr. Tustin.

It can hardly be necessary, however, to observe, that he did not meet with sufficient employment. Knowing this to be the case, about four years before he was obliged to relinquish business, ten of his fellow-citizens agreed among themselves to sit to him for their portraits, at ten guineas each. The names of these friends were Mr. Windey, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Burges and Mr. Murray, attornies; Mr. Joseph Hinton and Mr. T. Dyer, linenmerchants; Mr. George Winter, wine-merchant; Mr. Robertson, Mr. Richard Tombs and Mr. W. Tombs, a lad, who was painted with a spaniel. These pictures were considered to be good likenesses, and were much approved. He also painted a large piece, consisting of the Daubeny family.

In the year 1777, he experienced a paralytic seisure, which rendered him wholly incapable of pursuing his business; and for some time previous to his decease, he was so debilitated in body and mind as not to know his own family.

Mr. Tustin is in possession of a portrait of him, painted by Beech.

In 1778, the pictures he possessed were sold by auction at the West-India Coffee-house. Among them was a small portrait of Worlidge, painted by himself. A catalogue was printed, but which I have not been able to procure.

Simmons died the 18th January 1780, aged 65 years, and was buried in Redcliff church-yard. His life appears to have been characterised by those dispositions which render their possessor void of offence. Of social habits, unassuming manners, and simple and undisguised intentions, he presented none of those points and projections of character which so often interfere with the convenience