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| James Brennen
- occasionally
spelled Brennan - was born c. 1819 at Long Acre, London. He,
his
wife Ann and daughter Agnes moved to Derby between 1845 and 1851, where
they were working as servants for one John Butler at Duffield Road, St.
Alkmund's parish in April 1851.
Brennen established a daguerreotype gallery at 14 Irongate (Birks, 1934) in about 1853 (Craven, 1993), although he was living at 6 Wilmot Street in 1857 (White). By 1860 he had moved to a new studio at 12 Wilmot Road, where he and his family were shown living in April 1861 (Census). It is interesting to note that he described himself at this time as a "photographer's artist." By 1866, according to the Derby electoral registers, he had moved to 108 Friargate. The 24 January 1866 edition of The Derby Mercury reported the following disaster at the studio: Early yesterday
morning a fire was discovered at the photographoic studio of Mr.
Brennan, in Iron-gate. An alarm was speedily raised, and Mr.
Hilton, Inspector Fearn, and the fire brigade were in immediate
attendance. At the first glance the chief perceived that all
hopes of saving the wooden studio must be abandoned, whilst the flames
threatened to destroy the adjoining buildings. The strong
stream
of water was therefore used to extinguish the flames that were licking
the walls of Mr. Evans's warehouse. In this effort success
was
speed, and by energetic exertions the brigade soon subdued the
fire. This was not effect, however, till Mr. Brennan's rooms
were
gutted, and his valuable instruments and his chemicals all
destroyed. Mr. Brennan was insured for 250l. in the
Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire ompany, and we hope this sum will all
but cover his loss. In 1870 the
studio is shown by Harrod's
trade directory at this address,
where it remained until at least 1898. The electoral
registers
for 1892-1893 show that Brennen also briefly had a warehouse at 35
Cowley street. |
| Portfolio |
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Unidentified
young woman by J. Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken c. 1862 Format: Carte de Visite Size: Mount 63.5 x 105.5 mm Photo 59 x 90 mm Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Notes |
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Rev. R.
Macklin (c1791-1865) by J. Brennen of Derby Dated on the reverse, 1862 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Notes: Inscribed on the reverse, "Rev. R. Macklin, Xt. Church, 1862." The Reverend Roseingrave Macklin was first vicar of Christ Church, Derby. This photo was taken three years before his death, when he was aged 70. |
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Rev. F.
Lynch by J. Brennen of Derby Dated on the reverse, May 1863 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Notes: Inscribed on the reverse, "Rev. F. Lynch, Curate S. Michael's, Derby. May /63." |
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Photographer
Richard Keene by J. Brennen of Derby Dated on the reverse, June 1863 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Notes: |
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Unidentified
young girl by J. Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken c. 1863 Format: Carte de Visite Size: Mount 61.5 x 105 mm Photo 58.5 x 89.5 mm Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Notes |
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Unidentified
young boy by J. Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken c. 1863 Format: Carte de Visite Size: Mount 62 x 105 mm Photo 59 x 89.5 mm Image © & courtesy of Nigel Aspdin Notes |
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John
Adlington by J. Brennen of Derby Dated on the reverse, July 1863 Format: Carte de Visite (hand coloured) Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Notes: Inscribed on the reverse, "Jno. Adlington, July 1863." |
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Unidentified
elderly woman by J. Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken c. 1863 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Christine Hibbert Nothing further is known about this photograph |
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Unidentified
young man
by J. Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken c. 1863 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of John Bradley Nothing further is known about this photo. |
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G. Strutt
of Belper (photograph of an
engraving) by J. Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably produced in the mid-1860s Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Notes: Inscribed on the reverse, "G. Strutt, of Belper." This is probably George Henry Strutt (1826-1895), Magistrate and Cotton Manufacturer of Belper. |
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Unidentified
young woman by J. Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken c. 1863-1865 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of David Simkin (see below for notes) |
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Unidentified woman by J. Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken on same occasion as the photo above, c. 1863-1865.
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Unidentified
young man
by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the early 1870s Format: Carte de Visite Size: Mount 64 x 102.5 mm Photo 57.5 x 89 mm Photo © & collection of Brett Payne Notes |
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Unidentified
man with a beard
by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1870s Format: Carte de Visite Photo © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock Notes |
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Unidentified
man with a beard
by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1870s Format: Carte de Visite Photo © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock Notes |
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Unidentified
woman
by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1870s Format: Carte de Visite Photo © & courtesy of Cynthia Maddock Notes |
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Half-length
portrait of
unidentified boy,
by J. Brennen of Derby, Undated Format: Unknown Image © & courtesy of Picture the Past Nothing further known about this photo |
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Unidentified
man
by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the early to mid-1870s Format: Carte de Visite Size: 63 x 106 mm (mount) 585 x 89 mm (photo) Photo © & collection of Brett Payne Notes: |
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Unidentified
woman by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the early to mid-1870s Format: Carte de Visite Size: 64 x 105.5 mm (mount) 56.5 x 89 mm (photo) Photo © & collection of Brett Payne Notes: |
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Unidentified
young
man,
by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken c. 1874 Format: Carte de Visite Size: 64 x 105.5 mm (mount) 56.5 x 89 mm (photo) Photo © & collection of Brett Payne, courtesy of David Simkin Notes |
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D.B. Jones by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1870s Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Notes: Inscribed on the reverse, "D.B. Jones." Possibly David Blackwell Jones (b. 1838), a Welsh bookkeeper from Caernarvon who worked for Bemrose & Sons in the 1870s, and lived in Regent Street, Litchurch. |
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Henry
Monkhouse (1837-1905) by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1870s Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Notes: Inscribed on the reverse, "Monkhouse, Chemist." Henry Monkhouse (1837-1905) was a chemist and druggist from Dalston in Cumberland. He married Annie Hodgkinson from Carlisle in 1870 and moved to Derby shortly after, where he was a chemist's assistant, later setting up his own shop at 20 Iron gate. Richard Keene also photographed Monkhouse at around this time, in his garb as an officer in the 1st Derbyshire Rifles. |
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Unidentified
young
woman
by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1870s Format: Carte de Visite Size: Mount 63.5 x 106 mm Photo 57.5 x 89 mm Photo © & collection of Brett Payne Nothing further is known about this photograph |
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Unidentified
woman
by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1870s Format: Carte de Visite Size: Mount 63 x 105.5 mm Photo 56.5 x 91 mm Photo © & collection of Brett Payne Notes |
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Unidentified subject by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1870s Size: 65 x 106 mm Format: Carte de Visite (central elliptical area slightly raised) Image © & courtesy of Robert Silverwood Notes: |
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Unidentified young woman by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1870s Format: Carte de Visite Size: Mount 63 x 100 mm (trimmed at base) Photo 57 x 91 mm (central elliptical area slightly raised) Image © & collection of Brett Payne Notes: |
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Mr. Fiddes by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the early 1870s Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Notes: Insribed on the reverse, "Mr Fiddes, All Saints, 187-." |
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Frederick
Longdon (c1820-1894) by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the early 1870s Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Notes: Inscribed on the reverse, "F. Longdon." Frederick Longdon was a Derby surgical bandage manufacturer, businessman, J.P. and Borough Alderman. His family residence was on Osmaston Road, at Quarndon. He would have been in his early fifties at the time he sat for this portrait. |
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Unidentified
young man
by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the mid-1870s Format: Carte de Visite (central elliptical area slightly raised) Image © & courtesy of Paul Ellis Nothing further is known about this photograph |
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Unidentified
woman with basket of flowers at gate
by J. Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the early to mid-1880s Format: Cabinet card Size: Mount 110 x 166.5 mm Photo 104 x 140 mm Image © & collection of Brett Payne Notes: See smaller, CDV-sized version of this photograph below. |
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Unidentified
woman with basket of flowers at gate
by J. Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the early to mid-1880s Format: Carte de visite Size: Mount 63.5 x 104 mm Photo 58.5 x 89 mm Image © & collection of Brett Payne Notes: See larger,
cabinet-sized version above. |
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Unidentified
young man
by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the late 1880s to mid-1890s Format: Carte de Visite Image © & collection of Lies Ligthard Notes |
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Unidentified
young man in bowler hat
by James Brennen of Derby Undated, but probably taken in the late 1880s to mid-1890s Format: Carte de Visite Size: Mount 63.5 x 104.5 mm Photo 57 x 86 mm Image © & collection of Brett Payne Notes |
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W. Davey by James Brennen of Derby Dated 1895 Format: Carte de Visite Image © & courtesy of Derby Local Studies Library Notes: Inscribed on the reverse, "Mr. W. Davey, ??tain, Wine Merchant." |
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| References
Images & photographs kindly provided by Nigel Aspdin, Lies Ligthart, Derby Local Studies Library, Cynthia Maddock, Brett Payne, John Bradley, Paul Ellis, Picture the Past, David Simkin, Christine Hibbert and Robert Silverwood 1851 Census of Derby - Courtesy of Geoff Mather 1861 Derbyshire Census - CDROM published by ArchiveCD Books 1881 UK Census - online from the LDS church 1891 UK Census - online from Ancestry.com 1901 UK Census index - online from the PRO FreeBMD North East Midland Photographic Record - Picture the Past Anon (1855) The Post Office Directory of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories White, F. & Co. (1857) History, Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Derby. Transcribed by Neil Wilson. Harrison, Harrod & Co. (1860) Directory and Gazetteer of Derbyshire, London. Harrod & Co. (1870) Postal & Commercial Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Staffordshire. University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories Wright C.N. (1874) Directory of South Derbyshire, Third Edition, October 1874, Derby. Anon (1881) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co., London. Anon (1887) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co., London. Anon (1891) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland & Nottinghamshire, Kelly & Co., London. University of Leicester's Digital Library of Historical Directories Anon (1895) Kelly's Directory of Derbyshire, Kelly & Co. Limited, London. Anon (1895) History, Topography, and Directory of Derbyshire, T. Bulmer & Co. - by kind courtesy of Sonia Addis-Smith Derby Electoral Registers 1868-1900 Birks, F.E. (1934) History of the Derby Photographic Society, p. 3, Courtesy of David Simkin Craven, Maxwell (ed.) (1993) Keene's Derby, Breedon Books, Derby, pp. 200-202. - by kind courtesy of Sonia Addis-Smith |
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