James Record

RECORD, James (1745?-1795) — London

Trade-card of James Record. © The Trustees of the British Museum. Banks, 3.31.
Trade-card of James Record. © The Trustees of the British Museum. Banks, 3.31.

Artist and engraver. Engraved Elevation & plan of the improved sugar mill, designed by Edward Woolery Esq.r of Jamaica, for Bryan Edwards, ‘The history, civil and commercial of the British colonies in the West Indies’ 1794. His engraving Thomas Howard Earl of Arundell, and Alathea Talbot, his Countess after Anthony van Dyck features a terrestrial globe. Issued trade-cards advertising his own portrait painting. Also known for views, portraits, architectural plates, etc.

Born, probably in London, about 1745. Apprenticed (Stationers) to James Basire 2 on 7 Oct 1760 (£31.10s), recorded as the son of Henry Record, salesman of St. Giles in the Fields. Awarded a premium of eight guineas for student etching by the Society of Arts 27 Jan 1764. Free (Stationers) 3 Nov 1767. Exhibited at the Free Society 1768. He married Mary Priestman (1747-1833?), with whom he had several children, at St. Martin in the Fields 11 Sep 1768, by licence dated 6 Sep 1768, giving his age as twenty-two. Took out an insurance policy at the Paddington Street address in 1779. Exhibited “stained drawings” at the Society of Artists in 1780. In 1788, Record was the co-signatory, along with George Noble, Wilson Lowry, and John Warner, of a spirited letter written to The New Lady’s Magazine … in defence of Alexander Hogg and the “vast sums of money” he had spent on the compilation and illustration of George Selby Howard, ‘The new royal cyclopædia and encyclopædia; or, complete, modern and universal dictionary of arts and sciences’ 1788. A son of the same name (1769-1831) was made free by patrimony 3 Aug 1790. Record’s will (PROB 11/1264/28) was proved 4 Jul 1795, describing him as a miniature painter and engraver. Further records are in Bank of England Wills Extracts. With the bulk of his estate going to his widow, a property in Shepherd’s Bush was left to his son. (See BME 2011 for names in bold).

Parish of St. Marylebone — 1768
8 Paddington Street, Marylebone — 1778-1795
19 John Street, Tottenham Court Road — 1779

Adams. Alexander. BBTI. BM. Graves (1901). Hake. Harris. LMA. McKenzie. NA.

Thomas Howard Earl of Arundell, and Alathea Talbot, his Countess. Engraved by James Record after Anthony van Dyck. © The Trustees of the British Museum. BM 1853, 0112.1895.
Thomas Howard Earl of Arundell, and Alathea Talbot, his Countess. Engraved by James Record after Anthony van Dyck. © The Trustees of the British Museum. BM 1853, 0112.1895.