| Biographical Display |
Was an artist, working for A D Willis, Printers and Publishers. Also wrote poetry and prose and took photographs. Short biography by his grandson John Lowry of Canada:
Son of Benoni John Lytton-White of Wiltshire; had a sister Emily
Was a talented commercial artist and lithographer. He worked with A D Willis, printer & publisher in Wanganui, New Zealand.
Was a keen photographer (at one stage was photographer for the government, taking photos all over New Zealand for the NZ Tourism Board).
Enjoyed playing the violin and music in general and may have taught music at a local school.
Member of the Masonic Lodge.
One of early members of Wanganui Arts & Crafts Society.
Known as ‘Ben’ by those closest to him.
Family
His sister Emily, a talented artist who specialized in miniatures, lived as a guest of Lord and Lady Dufferin on the Clandeboye estate (just outside Bangor, County Down) in Ulster where Benoni was said to frequently visit. While visiting there he was introduced to the Rose-Cleland family of Rathgael, an estate on Balloo Road, not far from Bangor.
He used to ride over to Rathgael House and ask for permission to go riding with Louise, the eldest sister of the seven Rose-Cleland sisters (there is some indication that he was viewed, rightly or wrongly, as a ‘gold digger’ by the Rose-Clelands). Apparently Louise did not get on well with her mother and when Benoni came over to visit each time, only Louise’s younger sister Minnie was allowed to go riding with him. The rift between Louise and her mother stemmed from an incident many years before. According to a relative, the Rose-Cleland’s first child was a boy, named Richard, who died suddenly at 10 months of age. Louise was born shortly after and seemed to have been doted upon by her father but ill-treated by her mother from that point onwards.
They must have found a way to see each other because some time later Benoni and Louise eloped and were married in Belfast, probably in 1888. Louise was thus alienated from her family. Later her father passed away, then her mother and apparently Louise was cut out of the will by her mother. She did, however, remain on friendly terms with her sisters and, along with her four children, was a frequent visitor to the family home, Rathgael.
Benoni had a good job as a lithographer with a Belfast firm. He and Louise had four children: Eizabeth Sabina Mary Isabel Lytton-White (b 1890 and known to later generations as Auntie May); Maude Emilie Lytton-White (b 7 Aug 1893 and grandmother of John Lowry); Benoni Richard Cleland Lytton-White (b Oct 1894 and known to later generations as Uncle Dick); Frederick Blackwood Lytton-White (b 2 Dec1897 and known to later generations as Uncle Blackwood).
|
