ANIMAL PAINTERS. 



THE ALKEN FAMILY. 



Henry ALKEN. (Born 1784. Died 1851.) 



HENRY Gordon Alken. (Born 1810. Died 1892.) 



Samuel Alken. (Born circa 1750. Died circa 1825.) 



' I 'HE family to which one of our best known 

 -*■ sporting artists belonged was of Danish 

 origin. Its living representatives believe that 

 their name was formerly Seffrien, and that their 

 ancestors were attached in some capacity to the 

 Court at Copenhagen ; but that having become 

 involved in the political disturbances during 

 Christian VI I. 's reign, they were compelled, in or 

 about the year 1772, to fly the country, changing 

 their name to that of " Alken," which is the name 

 uf a little village consisting of a few farmhouses 

 about fifteen English miles south-west of Aarhus in 

 North Jutland. 



The refugees on their arrival in England settled 

 in Suffolk, and at a later date the family moved 



