HENRY ALKEN 3 



For these particulars of the family history of 

 the Alkens, and some other personal details g;iven 

 in the following pages, the writer is indebted to 

 Mr. Charles Aiken, of 13, Hilldrop Road, Camden 

 Road, NAV., a grandson, and to Miss Eliza 

 Lanham, of i, Flora Villas, Carlton Colville, near 

 Lowestoft, a granddaughter of Henry Aiken. 



Some confusion exists concerning the works 

 attributable to each member of the family ; 

 seldom as between the paintings of Samuel 

 Aiken and his nephew Henry, for each usually 

 affixed his signature to his work ; in Henry's case, 

 for a time, the uom dc pliniic " Ben Tally O " 

 was equally distinctive. The confusion arises 

 between the original works of Henry and the 

 pictures turned out by his son, Henry Gordon 

 Aiken. Many errors of long standing are 

 accepted as truth owing largely to the imposi- 

 tions practised by Henry Gordon Aiken, which 

 will be noticed in due course. 



Henry AlKEN was born in 1784 in Suffolk, 

 but the better part of his youth was passed in 

 London, whither his father, as already stated, 

 moved from his east country home. 



The Dictionary of National Biography, Vol. I., 

 states that Henry Aiken was originally huntsman. 



