Explore: Thomas Churchyard

(1798 - 1865)

Thomas Churchyard was an amateur painter, collector and lawyer. Born in Melton, Suffolk, he was educated at Dedham Grammar School and established a career as a lawyer from 1822. In 1832, after his work first appeared in the Royal Academy exhibition the previous year, Churchill moved to London. However, following his failure to have further work accepted for exhibition at the Royal Academy, he returned to Suffolk after 18 months to resume his legal career. Though he continued to paint landscapes and keep abreast of events in the London art world, it would be almost 20 years before he exhibited again. Today, Churchyard’s works can be seen in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum and the Tate collection.