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JOHN F. HERRING. 



(Born 1795. Died 1865.) 



JOHN F. HERRING was born in Surrey in 

 ^ 1795- He was the son of a London merchant 

 or tradesman who was born in America and came 

 of a Dutch family. The artist, therefore, though 

 British born and essentially British in his tastes, 

 can hardly be considered a pure Englishman. 



Herring's earlier career was somewhat chequered. 

 At school he was usually to be found with either a 

 whip or pencil in hand, both of them tools which 

 indicated his proclivities. His fondness of drawing- 

 seems to have manifested itself at an early age, but 

 his genius — for genius it deserves to be called — did 

 not develope until later. Until about eighteen 

 years of age he remained at home, where he must 

 have enjoyed opportunity to acquire proficiency in 

 handling a four-in-hand, and also have studied 

 painting. Herring at this age appears to have been 

 inspired with ambition to "seek his fortune," for 

 happening one day in the summer of 18 14 to see 

 "Doncaster" on the door of the Royal Leeds 

 Union coach which ran between London and 



Leeds, he determined to go to Doncaster. 



