The original drawing for this was done in 1818 by F Messiter. Our print of his drawing is an 1860 Lithograph, credited to W Hanks of Malmesbury. It seems to have been acquired by the museum in 1978. In 2008 we also acquired a coloured version of this print as part of the major bequest from collector Richard Hatchwell.
Interesting things to note in the picture include the two inns in the Market Cross. The Green Dragon on the site of the Raj, and the Prince and Princess on the site of the Whole Hog.
You can also just make out a couple of the shop signs too. Jones “Hair Cutter” – no fancy salon names in those days – and Greens (or Greeves?) ‘Sadler’.
We have found no other information about F Messiter as an artist. A Frederick Messiter and his brother; tailors and drapers of Malmesbury; are mentioned as bankrupts in law reports of 1842. It may be the same person but that is pure speculation. Does anyone know more?
We have many fascinating pictures of Malmesbury from the 18th century onward, and when we can open the new gallery space on the mezzanine, many more of these can be shown to complement the Turner.