Edmund Joseph Huther 1841/2 – 1877
Photographic Business
Edmund Huther first advertised his photographic studio in Londonderry, Northern Ireland in 1865 and remained in that city until his death in 1877 at the age of only 33.
His wife, Mary, took over the business and ran it until at least 1882 as well as opening a studio in Letterkenny, over the border in County Donegal in Eire.
Census
1851 – census destroyed by fire in 1922
1861 – census destroyed by order of the Irish government
1871 – census destroyed by order of the Irish government
1881 – Mary Huther (Edmund’s mother), photographer, age 57 Twentymans Lane, St Mary Within, Cumberland, England with her husband Edward Huther, taylor
1891 – Mary Huther (Edmund’s mother), no occupation, age 68, widowed, 3 Youngs Lane, Rickergate, Cumberland, England with Adelina Hodgson, 11yo, scholar.
1891 – Mary Huther (Edmunds wife), age 48 at 11 Penrith Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool with oldest son James (aged 26) shown as a photographer and 3 other children
1901 – Mary Huther (Edmund’s wife), age 57, at 16 Brown Street, Glasgow with her sons James and Edmund and with her daughter Mary Mckeown who had 2 sons, Joseph Huther aged 8 and Edmund Mckeown aged 4.
Edmund Huther was born between January 15th 1841 and January 14th 1842 (according to his gravestone) in Dublin, Eire. His parents were named Edward Frederick Huther and Mary Huther but little else is known of his parents nor his early life as his birth certificate has not been located and census returns from Ireland from that period having been lost or destroyed many years ago.
Edmund opened a photographic studio in Foyle Street, Londonderry when he was about 21 years old and first advertised it in trade directories in 1865. His advert at that time, according to the excellent book ‘A Century in Focus’ by W A Maguire, stated :-
- Open daily for the execution of Cartes-de-Visite, Glass pictures, & Views taken to order anywhere in the Province
- Pictures of any description copied and enlarged to the life size by the Solar Camera
- Photographs painted in Oil or Water Colour
- Portraits taken at night, or in dark weather, by the Magnesium Light
A marriage record, which appears below, relates to an ‘Edmond’ Huther and states that he married Mary Clarke in Londonderry Roman Catholic Church on the 21st June 1866. It is thought that Mary was born about 1844 in Londonderry.
Edmund’s and Mary’s fathers are recorded as Huther and Clarke respectively but no fore names are given. The witnesses were Mr Douglass and Mary Jane Douglass.
Edmund and Mary had five children who were all born Londonderry. They were James Huther (3 April 1867), Catherine (Kate) Huther (12 July 1869), Edward Frederick Huther (9 June 1872), Edmond Hoye Huther (26 May 1873) and Mary Huther (1876).
Edmund’s studio appears to have been next advertised in 1878 and by that time it had moved to the Derry Photographic Studio, 18 Carlisle Road, Londonderry (which is now, in 2012, a hairdressers). However, Edmund died in 1877.
One of Edmund’s more famous clients was the ballad maker, song writer, musician and circus entertainer, John Francis Patterson aka Johnny Patterson.
Edmund died on the 14th January 1877 and ‘Letters of Administration of the personal estate of Edmund Huther late of the City and County of Londonderry Photographer deceased who died 14 January 1877 at same place were granted at Londonderry to Mary Huther of Londonderry aforesaid the Widow of said deceased.’ See www.proni.gov.uk Unfortunately no will details are available but Edmund’s estate was valued at ‘under £600’.
Edmund’s gravestone reference DA146 is inscribed as follows:
After Edmund’s death, Mary kept the business going for a couple of years in the same studio as she advertised from 1880 to 1882. She also advertised a studio in Letterkenny, a town across the border in County Donegal in Eire.
However, by 1891 Mary was living with her family in Toxteth Park, Liverpool in England and her eldest son James, then aged 26, was shown as a photographer.
By the time of the 1901 census, Mary Huther, age 57, was living at 16 Brown Street, Glasgow with her son James who was working as a railway porter – obviously having given up his father’s and mother’s profession. Also in the household were her son Edmund and her daughter Mary. Mary, who was now named Mary Mckeown, had 2 sons, Joseph Huther aged 8 and Edmund Mckeown aged 4.
Mary died in Glasgow in 1908.
NOTE – research is still ongoing re the Huther family and all comments and additions are very welcome.
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Edmund Huther’s Family
Father Edward Frederick Huther born 14 Oct 1817, baptised 7 Dec 1817, Saint Anne Soho, Westminster, London, Middlesex; died 1884, Kensington, London, Middlesex.
Mother Mary Huther born c.1824, Dublin, Ireland; died 1896, Carlisle, Cumberland.
Edmund
Born 1841 or 1842 in Dublin
Baptised
Married 21 June 1866 to Mary Clarke (c1844 -1908) in Londonderry Roman Catholic Church, St. Columba’s, Northern Ireland
Child 1 James Huther – born 3 April 1867 in Londonderry
Child 2 Catherine Huther – born 12 July 1869 in Londonderry
Child 3 Edward Frederick Huther – born 9 June 1872 in Londonderry; died 1872, Londonderry
Child 4 Edmond Hoye (registered as Hodge) Huther – born 26 May 1873 in Londonderry; died 19 Jan 1951, Glasgow
Child 5 Mary Huther – born 1876 in Londonderry
Died 14 January 1877 in Londonderry age 33
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Compiled by Ron Cosens © www.cartedevisite.co.uk
Sources
- Pat Bradley – pressingon@sky.com – family historian
- Sandy Barrie for trade directory information
- Marcel Safier for additional research – msafier@ozemail.com.au
- Ron Cosens for images from the Victorian Image Collection
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Edmund Joseph Huther and Mary Huther – Galleries
Examples of Edmund’s photography are shown below:
Examples of Mary’s photography are shown below: