Martha Higginson

Written and researched by Charlotte Day.

Martha Higginson was an artist and one of the matriarchs of the Higginson family of Marlow prior to her death and burial in the town in 1840 at what must have been a very advanced age. Martha was the grandmother of the George after whom Higginson Park in Marlow is named. She lived most of her life away from the town but we're still going to claim her as a Marlovian as she was an interesting woman indeed!

Martha was born Martha Isaacs (on occasion given as Isaacson) into a Jewish family of London. The date usually given for this - 1755 -  is an impossibility given that her first known commission as an artist was only ten years later than that and she was exhibiting consistently from 1771 when if she was born in 1755 she would be only 16. 

It is usually presumed she was the daughter of the embroiderer Levi Isaacs of the Drury Lane area of London but contemporary sources only stated that she could be found by potential clients at the house of a "Mr Isaacs" off Drury Lane, no first name given, and Martha's relationship to him is not specified. It could be that he was her grandfather, cousin, brother or uncle. 

Lawyer and diarist William Hickey knew her family well and it may be that the "Miss Isaacs" who was part of his party attending the coronation of George 3rd in 1761 was a young Martha though more likely a relative of hers as that lady was said to be from Ireland.

Martha is known to have been a pupil at the Covent Garden Academy drawing school operated by Thomas Burgess. In 1765 Martha was commissioned to paint a portrait of the Chief Rabbi which was an enormous honour and for a woman an unprecedented one.

Between 1771 and 1774 she exhibited works in London with the Free Society Of Artists. The next few years are a bit of a mystery in Martha's life but in 1778 she arrived in Calcutta and began working as a portrait painter and miniaturist. To go abroad alone as a woman would have been very unusual so it is likely she went to stay with friends or family. William Hickey noted her arrival in his journal but does not appear to have been acting as any kind of protector or guide for her. Good job really as William was a bit of a ne'er do well who had embezzled a great deal of money from his father's company and been sent abroad in disgrace. Martha painted a portrait of William to send home to his sister who was missing him.

Martha soon met her husband Alexander Higginson who was in British colonial service and they married the next year. To do so Martha converted to Christianity a few days before her wedding. The couple remained in Bengal for just a few years, returning to England in 1782 when Alexander was about 45 and Martha likely in her later 30s.

Alexander died aged just 49 leaving Martha to a very long widowhood. Alexander's great wealth are said to have been much diminished by then thanks to unlucky investments but Martha died a very wealthy woman so perhaps things weren't so bad or she was a better investor than her husband had been! What she was not doing however was working as an artist as, following convention, she ceased employment upon marriage. That is not to say that she stopped practising art for pleasure however. 

 By 1798 and till at least 1807 she was resident in the family home at 35 Harley Street London. From 1809 to 1817 Martha lived at 42 Weymouth Street London. Then at some point before 1819 the Higginson home in London switched to 46 Wimpole Street and Martha lived there.

All the Higginsons were active in charity matters and Martha was a particular supporter of the Children's Friends Society.

Family interest in the Indian subcontinent remained as can be witnessed by her son Charles, who lived with his mother, subscribing to a history of Hindustan for instance.

Martha died at the Higginson family's Marlow home Townsend Cottage on 9th August 1840. Don't be mislaid by the word 'cottage' - this was no small house. In her will she left one of sons a ring with a lock of her husband's hair inside and Alexander's initials spelt out upon it in "brilliants" ,amongst other jewelry.

More Biographies of Marlow Individuals here. A post on historic Marlow artists here

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this research for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.

Sources:

http://www.pastellists.com/Articles/ISAACS.pdf

Bengal, Past & Present: Journal of the Calcutta Historical Society. (1933). India: The Society.

Will of Martha Higginson. P. C. C. At National Archives, Kew. Transcribed by me.

The Gentleman's Magazine. (1840). United Kingdom: E. Cave.

Jewish Art and Civilization Geoffrey Wigoder . Chartwell books 1972.

Dictionary of British Miniature Painters by Daphne Foskett. Praeger Publishers New York 1972.

Boyles Court and Country Guide. 1817. Via Google Books.

Sun Fire Office insurance records, London Metropolitan Archives.