Isabella Beetham

Isabella Beetham
Born	Isabella Robinson 1750 to 1754
Died	August 1825 Somers Town, London, England
Nationality	British
Education	John Smart
Known for	Silhouette artist
Spouse(s)	Edward Beetham

Isabella Beetham was an 18th-century British silhouette artist. She began her career by cutting the silhouette images. After studying painting with successful miniature portraitist John Smart, Beetham painted silhouettes to be framed or miniatures were made for jewelry. From 1785 to 1809, she had a business on 27 Fleet Street in London, where she produced silhouettes of men and women. She is considered one of the great 18th century silhouette artists, along with John Miers and Auguste Edouart.

Isabella Robinson was born between 1750 and 1754. Her family were Roman Catholics and Jacobites. Both her father and grandfather were named John Robinson. Isabella's father was of Sedgefield, Durham and her grandfather, an architect and builder, was of Lancaster, Lancashire.

She eloped with Edward Beetham in the early 1770s, having met him by early 1773. At the time of their meeting he used his original surname, Betham. Edward Betham, who was born in 1744, and estimated to be at least ten years older than his wife. Edward was the eldest of a brother William and their sisters. Edward and William were born at the Long House in Little Strickland. Both Edward and Isabella had been raised by wealthy families who did not approve of the couple's running off together and eloping. Any financial support ceased as a result. Edward was identified as an actor, which was considered a lowly profession of a "rogue and vagabond". As a result of his decision to take up acting and marry a woman of a different faith, Edward changed his surname to Beetham to avoid embarrassing his parents. Edward worked at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London and Haymarket Theatre. He invented a weighted roll-up curtain for the theatre to avoid curtains from catching fire in the candle foot-lighting. Since he did not have the money for a patent, he did not profit from the widely used invention. He later became a successful inventor and businessman. The Beetham's had six children. The oldest child was Jane, born about 1773, followed by William, born in 1774. After the birth of the second child, Edward reconciled with his parents. Their subsequent children were Harriet, Charles, Cecilia, and Alfred.

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