John Miers
Which John Miers, painter of Leeds, is to be found doing work for the Leeds Library between 1779 and 1781? It could be one of two men of the same name. The more likely is John Miles senior, son of John Myers, stuff weaver of Leeds, and his wife Hannah. This John Miers lived at Quarry Hill and was married twice. His first wife was called Sarah and together they had six children. Sarah died in 1767. His second wife was called Mary and there seems to have been no issue from their marriage. Mary died in 1801. John himself had died on 23 September 1791 at the age of 61. In a newspaper of 27 September 1791, the notice of his death said that he had retired from business several years before though it is likely that he was still active between 1779 and 1781.
However, it is possible that the painter for the second job if not the first was not John Miers senior but his first child by his first wife – John Miers junior – who was born on 22 December 1756. This John Miers is of wider interest because he became a nationally famous profilist or silhouettist. Some of his most celebrated profile work was done during his time in Leeds though in December 1788 he removed to London. John junior was certainly active as a painter by 1781 and was described as such at his wedding with Sarah Rothery on 3 January 1781. He had been working with his father but an advertisement in the Leeds Mercury of 3 April 1781 described him as John Miers, junior, painter, gilder, &c. near the top of the Lower-Head-Row, Leeds (successor to the late Mrs. Walker).
Further reading:
Coke, Desmond – Art of silhouette, 1913
Jackson, Mrs E. Neville – The history of silhouettes, 1911
Lumb, G.D. – John Miers, the profilist (in Publications of the Thoresby Society, v. 24, pp. 345-361, Leeds, The Thoresby Society, 1919)
This image shows John Miers’s receipt to the library dated 3 September 1779. It is payment for the painting of 29½ yards of shelving in mahogany colour on 12 July 1779.
This image shows John Miers’s receipt to the library dated 14 April 1781. It is for the payment for the painting of 44 yards of shelving in mahogany colour.
