George Chandler Perkins, the son of Edward Perkins and Achsah Gray, was a native and lifelong resident of the Manchester area, born circa 1849 and baptized on 07 November 1851 at Manchester Cathedral. On 12 July 1882 he married Eliza Jane Wilcock at the Parish Church of St. Gabriel, Hulme.
A number of addresses are recorded. In 1881, the Census shows him living
at 31, Oldham Street, in Central Manchester. A
little later, at the time of his marriage in 1882, he gave his
address as 339, City Road. Around 1885, he was to be found at
21, Kennedy Street, only a few hundred yards from the Athenaeum Club
in Princess Street, with which he was closely
associated. His last known abode, according to the 1891 Census, was
in Gilmore Terrace, Blackley, where he lived with his wife and their three
sons, George, Harold and Frank. This address must have been very convenient
for him, since the adjacent Boggart Hole Clough would have provided a fruitful
source of inspiration for his art.
He was a professional artist and in addition to his sketches, produced
a variety of paintings, ranging from local scenes to still
life and portraits in both oils and water colours. Over a period
of many years, he regularly submitted examples of his work to
exhibitions in Manchester, such as the Royal Manchester Institution
and Manchester Academy of Fine Arts Annual
Exhibitions.
For example, the Manchester Academy Catalogues, 1887 -96 provide the following details of some of his submissions:
Exhibition of February 1887
Exhibit No. 90 Subject: "Miss
Amy Burgess"
Price: None
Exhibit No. 254 Subject: "Mr. Abraham
Stansfield" Price: None
Exhibition of February 1888
Exhibit No. 284 Subject: "Thomas Walker
Esq" Price: None
Exhibition of February 1889
[No work submitted by George]
Exhibition of February 1890
Exhibit No. 153 Subject: "The Town Hall from the
Athenaeum Library - Twilight"
Price: £25-00-00
Exhibit No. 272 Subject: "View from Albert Bridge"
Price: £ 5-05-00
Exhibit No. 274 Subject: "View from Albert Bridge"
Price: £ 5-05-00
Exhibition of February 1891
[No work submitted by George, but he was still listed as an Associate
Member]
By 1892, George submitted no further work for exhibition, and he was no longer listed as an Associate Member.
His painting entitled "The Morning after the Storm" was submiitted from
his Kennedy Street address for exhibition at the
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition of 1885. The Royal Academy has confirmed
that this painting was indeed exhibited, but
has no record of whether it was sold or returned to the artist.
In 1888, George became Vice President of the Athenaeum Club, and in 1890, President of the Graphic Club.
Little is known of his activities after about 1892. He eventually
became paraplegic, and died in 1897, aged 48, in the
Northern Counties Hospital for Incurables, near Stockport.