The DOVASTON Surname Hall of Fame

John William DOVASTON - Private 19723
1893-1917
Son of William Daniel and Frances Henrietta Dovaston of The Nursery, Twyford, Oswestry, Shropshire.
King's Shropshire Light Infantry, Depot, died 2nd May 1917.

Ref: 198 4 C Shrewsbury General Cemetery

Margaret Isabel DOVASTON - Artist
3rd March 1884 - 1954

Margaret Isabel DOVASTON was the daughter of Adolphus DOVASTON and Amy Isabel HAY, born in Wandsworth, LONDON, lived in London at 14 Madeley Road, Ealing and studied at the Ealing Art School. She later studied at South Kensington under C W COPE and J Watson NICHOL. Margaret then went on to the Royal Academy Schools where she spent five years under various teachers and won several silver medals. She was also awarded the British Institution Scholarship. Margaret was elected a member of the Royal Artists in 1905 and exhibited at the Royal Academy and other galleries.
Margaret excelled in her period costume pieces, a subject, which she felt truly at home with. In order to appreciate her pictures they should be studied closely. Margaret aimed to attain vividness, an illusion of heightened reality, a representation of what it was like in England during the 18th Century. Her exquisite and refined technique, particularly in the representation of texture is an accolade of the highest merit. She was elected R.B.A. in 1910, and exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy, Royal Society of British Artists and at Walkers Gallery in London between 1908 and 1913.  [Please Note: Sorry, don't ask me, I cannot value her paintings ... visit a gallery or auctioneer - Ruth*]

So how much do Margaret DOVASTON paintings go for? Here are a few recent auctions:

THE MODEL SHIP 5/01/02 £25.000-50.000 Painting Oil 
THE NEW ROUTE 5/01/02 £0-25.000 Painting Oil 
CHECKMATE 3/26/02 £25.000-50.000 Painting Oil 
MIXED LUCK 3/21/01 £0-25.000 Painting Oil 
THEIR GOLDEN WEDDING 3/21/01 £0-25.000 Painting Oil 
*TREASURES FROM THE EAST 4/04/00 £0-25.000 Painting Oil [*shown above]
THE NEW MODEL 10/30/95 £0-25.000 Painting Oil 
HIS STRADIVARIUS 10/30/95 £0-25.000 Painting Oil 
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY 6/16/94 £0-25.000 Painting Oil 
READING THE COMPOSITION 6/11/93 £0-25.000 Painting Oil 
BACK FROM THE SOUTH ... 6/11/93 £0-25.000 Painting Oil 
BREAK TIME 10/22/90 unsold Painting Oil 
DOVASTON, MARGARET (fl.1908-1913) The tale of the fox, 51cm x 69cm, o/c, s, dos 16/12/97, PL £ 10,580
DOVASTON, MARGARET (fl.1884) The chair mender, 40.5cm x 30.5cm, o/c, s, dos. 14/12/99, BK £ 3,680
DOVASTON, MARGARET (fl.1884) Treasures from the East, 46cm x 61cm, o/c, s, dos. 04/04/00, PL £ 6,900
DOVASTON, MARGARET (fl.1884) A good story, 50cm x 67cm, o/c, s, dos. 31/01/01, SOS £ 15,525
DOVASTON, MARGARET (fl.1908-1913) Mixed luck, 51cm x 69cm, o/c, s, dos. 21/03/01, S £ 15,450
DOVASTON, MARGARET (fl.1908-1913) Their golden wedding, 51.5cm x 69cm, o/c, s, dos. 21/03/01, S £ 6,000

*Please email scans of your Dovaston prints to Ruth. 

John Freeman Milward DOVASTON of 'The Nursery', TWYFORD [1782-1835]

John was a graduate of Christ Church, Oxford. He was an authority on Natural History and Welsh Music. He was also the author of many Poems and Sonnets:

"Hard handed men my fathers were

Inured to drive the brightened share

They ran their race in lowly lot

Jus streaked the stream and were forgot".

From "Fitzswarine"

" Circles in the Grass."—Mr. Dovaston, of Shrewsbury, has published a very ingenious paper on this subject, in which he adopts the electric theory of their formation. His theory is, that when a column of electric matter affects the earth, either ascending or descending, it scorches the ground an around its edge, and leaves the centre untouched. Consequently the grass is withered, which contributes to fertilise the spot where the herbage springs luxuriantly the following season, and at the same time brings into vegetation the dormant seeds of fungi, which grow and disappear rapidly, and with them the "fairy ring,"—rarely existing two successive seasons. The common fungi of "fairy rings" are, agaricus, boletus, or lycoperdon, and sometimes clavaria.— " Rennie." Mr. Jessop, in the Philosophical Transactions for 1675, propounded the electrical theory.

John was also an Adventurer, mining for copper, lead and zinc at Llanymynech Hill which lies five miles south-west of Oswestry. Before 1810 - found by J. Dovaston. Present location unknown. Roman coins including an Antoninus & Faustina [149-156 AD].

[Note added by Ruth DOVASTON STANT]: John Freeman Milward DOVASTON was born to John and Ann in 1782 at Kinnerley ... DOVASTON family of 'The Nursery' , Shropshire 18th cent-20th cent : deeds, family and estate papers 18th-20th cent held at the: Shropshire Records and Research Centre, Shrewsbury Reference : Dec 1965-Sept 1966 NRA 11563 Shropshire].

Ordnance Survey - Gazetteer Search Result:

DOVASTON in the County of Shropshire GridRef: SJ3420 OS Landranger Sheet 126

Old Dovaston Congregational Chapel.
The first chapel, for the congregation formed in 1826, is now converted to residential use. It has no datestone. This chapel was replaced in 1879 by a new chapel

Dovaston Congregational [now United Reformed] Chapel
This Chapel, with 200 sittings and its own burial ground, was built in 1879.

Taxus baccata Yew Trees

Taxus baccata L. cv. Dovastoniana Several stemmed, all the trunks leaning. twigs hanging. "Fruit" bright red. [2-3m high]

Taxus baccata L. cv. Dovastonii A small tree or large bush. Branches wide-spreading with pendulous branchlets. Foliage a very dark green. Grows happily in dense shade as well as other places. 80 cm high x 80metre wide in 5 years

Taxus baccata L. cv. Dovastonii Aureo-variegata  Grows exactly like the green form but much slower and with golden-yellow shoots. Needles usually yellow-green with a yellow margin. We have found it necessary to grow this plant in almost complete shade where it keeps its lovely golden colour all year. 50 cm high x 1.3 metres wide in 10 years

'Repens Aurea' is a female shrub that is similar to and may even be the same as the latter but spreads over the ground [1-1.5m high]  

E-mail: mailto:dovastonfamilytree@yahoo.co.uk

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Ruth DOVASTON STANT [The DOVASTON Family Surname and History]

  is the coordinator of  The DOVASTON Surname

©.Ruth DOVASTON-STANT] - Copyright 1998. All rights reserved. Genealogists may use the information provided here freely. This page, and the information it provides may not be copied for commercial use of any kind.

http://www.gone-butnotforgotten.org.uk/dovaston/index.htm

[constantly under construction - last updated January 2017 ]