John Bogle

Michael Bogle (Portrait Artist)

28 December 2020, 17:41

John Bogle (artist) Scottish-born, John Bogle studied in Glasgow having enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts that had been founded by his two older brothers. He subsequently worked as a miniaturist first in Edinburgh and later in London. He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1772 and 1794.

John Bogle (c.1746 – Edinburgh 1803) was a Scottish miniature painter.
Bogle was the son of an excise officer also called John. He attended classes at a drawing school in Glasgow founded in 1753 by the printers and booksellers Robert and Andrew Foulis.
[Andrew Foulis (1712–18 September 1775) was a Scottish printer, brother of Robert Foulis. They worked in partnership as printers to the University of Glasgow.
The brothers were the sons of a maltman. Andrew, intended for the church, received the better education, but it was Robert who initially started the press after the two brothers spent 1738 and 1739 in England and France. Eventually Andrew joined in the enterprise which continued for about 30 years.
Their publications were famous both for beauty and accuracy; the 554 works they printed included editions of Horace, Homer, Milton, and Thomas Gray. Although the prestige of their typography waned, it nonetheless represented high achievement in a style of the time. Their typefaces, the most enduring of which is Scotch Roman, were designed by Alexander Wilson.]
Ref Townsend Harris portrait - Under the Treaty of Peace and Amity, Townsend Harris was assigned to Shimoda on the Izu Peninsula to be the first U.S. Consul General in Japan in 1856 and began vigorous negotiations for a trade treaty. Shimoda magistrate Inoue Kiyonao and Iwase Tadanari, a reformist maritime defense official, were given the responsibility of conducting the negotiations with Harris. Inoue and Harris built such a close relationship of trust that Harris later described Inoue as a friend.
Bogle married in 1769, and in that year and the next exhibited miniatures at the Society of Artists in London from an address in Edinburgh. He then moved to London, exhibiting at the Royal Academy from 1772 to 1794, including a self-portrait of 1772. His address is given throughout this time as 1, Panton Square.[2]
He painted a miniature of the novelist Fanny Burney in June 1783,[3] and in 1790 he accompanied her to the trial of Warren Hastings in Westminster Hall.
He moved back to Scotland in 1800 with his wife and died in Edinburgh in 1803.

John Bogle was the only son of John Bogle and a Mrs Mary Graham. It is stated in a genealogical tree drawn by his father that he was bred a scholar at the Academy in the Colledge of Glasgow, Portrait Minature Painter, married to Mary or May Wilson, only daughter of John Wilson of Spango, Nithsdale. He went to London 1772 and resided there at Panton Square. At his uncles demise the present Earl of Monteith, he succeeds to the Honours and Dignity thereof and Baronet of Gartmore. On the 20th August 1769 his address, according to a letter from his father to him, John Bogle Limner at his lodgings in Mrs Lamb's 3rd story of Bruce's Land middle of Liberton's Wynd Edinburgh. John Bogle was married to Marion or May Wilson and his parents never actually met her. It is believed that there was some ill feeling somewhere along the line as he did not answer his fathers letters, or very seldom did. In 1785 he had not answered a letter for four years according to his fathers letter to his son. There are numerous letters to hand held by the author of this program between this particular avenue of the Bogle Family but it came to an end with the death of this John Bogle as he had no children (ie without issue).
There is or seemed to have been some intrigue by the Grahams and the Bogles against each other and according to the letters of John Bogle Snr it was by the Grahams. They had, Lady Margreat Graham, apparently tried to induce John the son to go abroad with a sum of one thousand pound and also an inducement of another five hundred by a Mr Graham to also go abroad. It is understood by these letters that a certain Robt. Graham prompted John Bogle Jnr to go to London and that his interest and purse was to be at John Bogles command. The Bogles felt that this was a conspiracy to crush John Bogle Jnr and in effect ruin him and cut him off. The whole saga is worth reading as it is all written in letters.

On 26th March 1787 he wrote a letter to Michael Bogle to vindicate his character and conduct and also how difficult it was to make a living by being an artist. He does mention that 'it is enough that I myself suffer the indignities and misconduct of some of my connections'. He appears to have been in poor health 3 months prior to this letter and was unable to conduct his business and he also states 'nor can my nerves bear to be irritated'. It is interesting that he derides his sister which is believed to be Mary for generally having his friends believe that he was affluent.

(An interesting point here is the fact that he knew a Michael Bogle when there is no mention of him in his fathers presentation of his family tree. If he was able to write to him with such candour then it is possible that he was in fact a relative which would open the possibility of a link to a far larger Bogle family tree ?)

According to the article below he died in 1801 but other information states he died in 1803. Author thinks the latter is proabably more correct.

Under another article :-

Artists

John Bogle, miniature painter, practised his art in Glasgow, and afterwards in Edinburgh, sending miniatures from thence in 1769 and the following year to Spring Gardens Exhibition. In 1772 he was settled in London, and from that time to 1792 exhibited miniatures at the Royal Academy. His works were beautifully finished, and possessed great merit. He died in poverty. Allan Cunningham says: "he was a little lame man, very poor, and very singular". Between 1772 and 1794 inclusive, he exhibited 23 miniature portraits at the Royal Academy. He died in 1801. (Extract from "Redgraves Dictionary of English Artisits".)

Another entry gives his date of death as 1804 and at the same time as 1803 from the same document. It would be safe to assume then that he died in 1803.
In 1776 he painted a miniature of Robert Prescott (1725-1816) Governor of Canada which measure 35mm X 29mm, being oval in shape and painted in watercolour on ivory. Photo held in Library of author.
Another photo of an engraving on paper dated 1776 which is believed to measure some 39 cms long. This is a view of a London Watchman with his lantern by moonlight. In the background there is a woman sitting in a doorway.

From Scottish Documents it give under wills that of John Bogle for 18-2-1805 miniatur painter formerly of Panton in Middlesex, later of Edinburgh Edinburgh Commissary Court.

On page 99 of Airth Peerage after his will has been read out (John Bogle the limner) a Mr Farquhar was asked what he was producing next and it was an examined office copy of the retour of the General Service of Mary Bogle as Heir of Line to her Great great-grandfather Sir William Graham of Gartmore, dated 11th January 1805.
He also stated that he had compared it with the original in the Chancery Office at Edinburgh.
Mr Serjeant Stephen objected to this retour, on the ground that his client was no Party to the Proceeding, and had no opportunity of being so.
The Counsel was informed, that the Documents were constantly received, but little Attention paid to them, on account of their being ex parte Proceedings.
Mr Stephen submitted that though proceedings for a collateral purpose were receivable, this could not be in the present Case, where the Party was making up her title, and claimed to be entitled as Lady Mary; that he conceived this could not be distinguished from that which was decided in the Berkeley Peerage Case.


IN A LETTER TO HIS SON JOHN BOGLE LIMNER ON 22ND NOV 1778 JOHN SNR WROTE THE FOLLOWING:

(Typed as near as written)

My dear and loving son
Yours of the 12 ulto came safe to hand and wou’d have wrote you sooner as I’m not scarce of franks but the gentleman who is the bearer hereof mr Thomas Gordon is come from the Maderas to see his father the laird of Campbelltown who you know is the principal leading man in this place he was thinking to set out sooner from this place Mr Gordon’s servant knows you very well he was servant mr Taylor now sir John Taylor You’ll pay a particular regard to mr Gordon as he wants much to see you as hearing of you befor and asked me if I had any commands for London when the family and I was all dinning at Campbellton’s upon twesday last and I told him if it was not giving him to much trouble I wou’d write to my son He answered he wou’d carry it with a great dale of pleasure he is a mighty fine accomplished gentleman We had three company’s of men lying in our town from letter end of July to 11th inst which made our town very gay with several officers By the lieutenant colonel Dundas who is a nephew of sir Lawrence Dundas and is a member of parliament I had the favour of his company to dine with me which but few in our town had that honour by myself only Campbellton and Collector Lawrie he is one of the most complete affable and accomplished gentleman I have seen I shew’d him mrs Bogle and your pictures which he admired much he had heard of you befor he inquired strictly at me several times where you lodged and I told him it was Panton Squar off the Haymarket he said he knew it and I presume he’ll call for you when he goes up to parliament he’ll likely have his picture drawn and I don’t know but mr Gordon will also Colonel Dundas paid a particular regard in every respect to all my family The colonel immediately after he came to reside at our town give the ladys a ball befor I had spoke to him he sent a very polit card to me and family and at the ball shew’d a particular regard to us all he had several gentlemen’s family round also such as Greenlaw’s family all of them and Woodhall &c. &c. and got a most elegant supper He had all his officers from Wigton and Stranraer at the ball and the ladys left us about morning three and then the heavy drinking until six when the stranger officers took their horses A lady in town had invited the colonel and his officers with your sisters and miss Kirkpatricks and miss Lauries and after tea we had a dance like six or seven cuple of us and danc’d a great many coutry dances. &c and when we was all left off colonel Dundas says to me Come Mr Bogle you and I must end the dance take you a lady and I’ll take another and we’ll have a foursome reel which we did accordingly Some few weeks after mr Halliday came home and brought the pictures to us we was all of us taken with them and wrote you our opinion of them that they were exquisitely well execute and beg’d of you as you had taken a sketch of you mother’s face and mine at Kirkcudbr which you then intended to draw them and put them into a swivel ring that you wou’d be so good as to draw them in the way you had done mrs Bogle’s and your own when it suited your conveniency and send us them which seems you have not recd that letter and now requests the same favour of you to do it You mother pressed me much to ask it of you and let us know also if you ever caused make the swivel ring with your mother and my pictures in’t We were all glad to hear of mrs Bogle and your good state of health as we are all at present blessed be God As your mother nor Mally never saw mrs Bogle yet notwithstanding they are well informed about her by several gentlemen who have seen her and that they are highly taken with her looks and think her very beautfull and that not withstand of the picture being exceedingly well execute it was doing her no more than justice and a gentleman in our house said he had seen both the dutchess of Hamilton and mrs Bogle and that mrs Bogle exelled the dutches in beauty which was the opinion of great numbers by himself I’m not a little surprised in some of your letters of the lenity and backwardness you shew’d in offering to persuade me from raising any prosecution against mr Nicol Graham in Gartmore or his son Robert who are now in the possession of Gartmore notwithstanding of mr Nicol Graham creualty and barbarity shown to me and your mother in 1745 when I was oblidged to fly from Edin. When they were to burn the town the Highlanders I went to Glasgow and was put to a great dale of expences by trouble and out of business then your mother and I went to Gartmore and stay’d theree two or three weeks and no law then in the kingdom by which we could obledge any debitor to pay Notwithstanding mr Graham had about £80 pounds of my money in his hands wou’d not let me have the loan of two or three pounds if I and my family should have starved so much inhumanity and creualty no even an savage would not have acted his part And I prayed heartily that God Almighty would judge him and his and reward them accordingly and I hope to live and see some of my prayers thereanent answer’d Remember and take along with you his villainous attempts and designes against yourself after you went first to Glasgow when he thought to have got you sent abroad in order never to been seen nor heard of and if Nicol Graham had not been thoroughly convinced and sensible of the sandy foundation he and his father had possessed the lands of Gartmore as well as all the late earl of Monteith’s executry to a great extent they never wou’d have used me so or any of mine You’ll remember the fair promises of lady Margreat Graham’s to you by your self of a thousand pound to go abroad and then also mr Graham offered you five hundred pounds to go abroad When you was at Gartmore being some years after the discovery of their intended plot with the merchants at Glasgow another remarkable instance of their perfidiousness towards yourself by the present Robt. Graham of late in his breach of promises to yourself when you went to London He being the person who prompted you to go to London and that his interest and purse was to be at your command and you wrote me that upon your first trial of his fair promises of the loan of £80 that you wrote him thrice but recd no answer when it stood so much to your credit by this he mean’d to crush you in the bud and in effect ruin you and cut you off But the Almighty that never fails to support us in our greatest troubles soon extricate you out of all you troubles by his rich provision in giving you health and success in your business at that very juncture but your pretended friend Robt. Graham when he understood that you had no need of his assistance came and offered his service So this is the gentleman notwithstanding of your knowledge of all these things that you wrote to us that if any thing should go wrong with any of our family he wou’d assist us but it plainly appears from the forsaid narrative that you nor us need depend upon any of their friendships.
In answer to your demands relating the prosecution against Robt. Graham in possession of Gartmore I have been this three years in Edin’ in quest of intelligence and knowledge and what I could pick up thereanent In summer 1776 when at Edinr and saw mr Donaldson and wrote you by him I received from a gentleman the original contract signed by sir William Graham baronet of Gartmore and lady Elizabeth Graham only sister germon to William late earl of Monteith The late earl was twice married but had no issue with either of his ladys he made with the present duke of Montross father who was then marques of Montrose a mutual tailzie by which the lands of the earldom of Monteith fell into the marques of Montross at the earl death on Sepr 12 1694 The earl had no brothers but lady Elizabeth Graham his only sister married as aforesaid 19 Decem. 1663 at least the contract and bond of provision bears the date signed by them at Allardies and sign’d by Sir John Allardice his lady was aunt to lady Elizabeth and late early consequently lady Elizabeth and sir William Graham’s issue are the representatives of that most ancient and illustrious family of Monteith as the ancient nobility honours and titles had no patent. Also lady Elizabeth and Sir William Graham’s issue are the heirs to the estate of Gartmore in virtue of said contract as it’s bound to the heirs male or female in liferent and their heirs in fee irredeemably and irrevocably for ever and a tailzie and charter raised thereon at Whithall 30 Apr. 1672 in forsaid terms therefore the succeeding heirs have no power to dispone or alienate any part of the estate of Gartmore but for or during their own lifetime Sir Willm. And lady Elizabeth Grahams had of issue one one son and one doughter viz. John and Mary Grahams John at his father demise became sir John Graham of Gartmore when his uncle the earl died in 1694 he was enter’d heir to him and got all the silver plate and moveables with the late purchase of lands the earl was possess’s of such as the barony of Drymond with a great dale of other lands to a great value within two months after the earl died sir John Graham turn’d faatuus and went to a cusen of his own Robert Graham of Callengude he was a doctor at Glasgow which Robt. Graham’s father Walter Graham of Callengade was a younger brother of sir William Graham’s immediately after sir John went to his cussen Robt.Graham of Callengade Callengade took from John Mitchell of Alderston who was a factor to sir John the management and charge of all that belonged to sir John Graham’s estate heritable and moveable and possessed every thinge during sir John’s distemper which continued with until the day of his death 12 June 1708 who died without issue
Now sir John sister and her issue viz. Mary Graham sir Willm. And lady Elizabeth Grahams only doughter her issue are the representatives of Monteith but also baronets of Gartmore which Mary Graham was married to James Hodges esq. of Gladsmeor and mr Hodge and Mary Graham spouses had of issue only one doughter name Mary Hodges you grandmother John Mitchell of Alderston factor to sir John Graham his mother was a sister of sir William Graham’s and consequently cusen to sir John and his sister lady Gladsmere which Mary Hodges was about six years of age at her granduncle the earl demise in 1694 and the foresaid Robt. Graham and John Mitchell was the only tutors to Mary Hodges the apparent heiress of Gartmore and John Mitchell joined the foresaid Robert Graham of Callengad in collusion how to disinherit the heiress and Robert Grahame to get the estate of Gartmore when Mary Hodges was at the schools in Edinr. In the 1701 He the said Robert Graham tooke her therefrom at the age of 13 and married to a younger brother of his own William Graham paid a Writer in Edinr. And got the new married cuple to contract and bind over to him their whole rights to all that belonged to her uncle sir John and he promised them his father estate of Callengade with several other large promeiss for their rights to Gartmore and the earl’s executory &c. but failed of all and used the heiress and her busband with the greatest cruelty barbarity and inhumanity beyond conception which I have letters in my custody to make appear and when sir John died 1708 as Robt. Graham Nicol Graham father had all sir John’s estate and effects in his custody got them to submit the matter to them and they settled it so that Robt. Graham was to give them ten thousand merks for the whole not worth the naming and got from your grandfather and mother three dispositions in one day upon the 7th Octr. 1708 for the whole extracts of which are in my hands with a coppy of the charter and entail in my custody with a multiplicity of others writs and papers your uncle my lord give me orders to get from his agent when the plea was raczed in 1742 which prevents prescription I found your uncle in the miss Bounbers in the month of August 1777 and in August last I got an extract out of the laigh parliament house of the process which was raised in the 1742 by your uncle and his sister and I with the extract of his being then inhibite upon the 15th December 1742 with the messenger executions thereof that he cannot dispone renounce dilapidate or put away any lands lying in Perthshire where Garmores nor in Stirling Dumberton nor Clysddaleshires I spoke to some advocates upon the affair partuclary lord Aberdeen’s brother our sheriff who is an advocate and who has alleways shewn a great regard to me and my family He has a good opinion of it it’s cost me a good dale of money and if we succeed as great numbers are of that thought you’ll reap part of the benefit and should contribute your mite I intend to have a consultation of three or four of the first rate lawers in the parliament house against spring with a proper memorial drawn up by a good hand I have good hopes from every person known in the law that the executry of the late earl’s we’ll get which will be worth now twenty or thirty thousand pounds but that the lands of Gartmore worth upwards of £8000 p.annum I have a letter of Nicol Graham holugraph with his memorial dated at Gartmore 3rd August 1741 in answer to a letter wrote by our agent mr Wm Loch writer who was our agent employ’d when the plea or process was wakned first in which memorial of his he pretends his father right was good to the estate of Gartmore by a mutual tailzie made between sir John Graham and his father whithout Mary Hodge’s despositions which by the contract of marriage and entail thereon sir John Graham had no power farther than for his own lifetime nor your grandmother Mary Hodges but during her and her husband lifetime which letter of Nicol Graham and memorial I found amongst the papers got from your uncle or his agent mr Taylor in whose hands all the papers were The nature of entails is such that the succeeding heirs have no power event to contract debt to affect the next heir nor can they be brok without an act of parliament by which it could never be attempt in our case at any event we are very certain the condition of your uncle is in he’ll never be married nor have issue your aunt mrs Grizel is dead and had no issue mrs Colquhon being the youngest sister of the family had no claim before mine admit she had had issue as she had none therefore my family most be the representatives of the earls of Monteith as well as of Gartmore and were your uncle dead I wou’d have your mother retour’d and claime the honours and dignity as countess of Monteith by which all my family wou’d be quality I don’t know if ever I wrote you that in the year 1773 when your sister Grace and I was at Gartmore When at Glasgow I went out to John Bogles the present laird of Hutchiston being two miles east from Glasgow where my ancestors were upwards of four hundred years lairds thereof and saw my great-grandfather George Bogle and his old son John Bogle my grandfather desposition to a younger son of the family be his marriage was a capable to redeem the estate as my great-grandfather had mortgaged them same upon an account of his piety and religion being hunted like a pertrage from place to place therefore as my grandfather was the old son I’m the chieftain of that name I have made out a tree of the family of the earls of Monteith in the name of Graham from King robt. The 2d who was the first of the name of Stewart that sway’d the sceptre of Scotland down to your uncle the present earl of Monteith and my family which at his demise must come upon the stem of the tree next and representatives of that most ancient and illustrious family which tree I have in a fram in my dining-room and which illustrates every thinge anent that family then ten volumes wou’d do if your saw it and the execution of which cost me a grate dale of trouble this some years back by searching all the historys and peerage of Scotland &c. &c. all which I judged proper to acquaint you with that you may see as in a mirror every thinge cleerly This gentleman the bear hereof his oldest brother mr Alexander Gordon is keeper of the minute book in the parliament house at Edinr. And who has been a good friend to me About fourteen days ago I had all the Campbellton’s family with us at tea and supper Be sure to communicate nothing of this to lady Baird Rob. Graham has about £5000 p. an. Which belongs to our family Your mother and sisters joins me in their most respecfull compl. To mrs Bogle and you let us know what is become of Mr Ogilvie and if you have seen governor Johnston since he came home write upon receipt of this without loss of time And I remain dear and loving son your loving and affectionate father

John Bogle

Kirkcudbt Novem. 22 1778

Addressed on the back:

Mr John Bogle in Panton Square London per favour of mr Gordon

The next letter -to do with the death of John Bogles wife (Senior) and where she was to be interred. Ie Kircudbright.