Gumley – The Scott & Shackleton Connection?
When compiling the article, Gumley Hall History, regarding the lost stately house we all know as Gumley Hall the Kibworth Chronicle, as a matter of courtesy, sought the relevant permissions to use the image from the owner from Christchurch Art Gallery, New Zealand as this is copyrighted.
Intrigued by the fact the engraving was in a New Zealand art collection, the question arose, how did it get there? So, dear reader, read on.…
The gallery sent a copy of the obituary of Sir Joseph Kinsey who had donated the work to the gallery. He was a most interesting character. A précis of the obituary tells of a man who was a keen collector and connoisseur of art of all kinds.
Born in Plumstead, Kent in 1852 he went to the Royal Naval School, Greenwich. He subsequently became Master of the Lower School, Dulwich. Upon marrying Sarah Ann Garrard in 1872 he left for a life in New Zealand, settling finally in Christchurch in 1880 taking with him his art collection. He founded a shipping company called Kinsey & Co Ltd. In the period 1894 -1897 he was a member of the Board of Governors of Canterbury University and a Commissioner for Canterbury at the South Seas Exhibition in Dunedin in 1889- 1890 among other positions.
Sir Joseph took an active interest in the Antarctic expeditions and acted as attorney for captain R F Scott first for the Discovery and later for the Terra Nova expeditions. He served in the same capacity for Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expedition. In 1914 he received the Scott medal from the Royal Geographical Society.
In his leisure time not only did Kinsey collect art works of all kinds but was a keen gardener and collector of books.
Kibworth Band
