May Bettany drew a Benfleet I never knew, yet her black and white prints of a bygone age inspired my interest in Benfleet’s history. Many of the buildings she recorded are now gone, but because of artists and photographers like her, they are not forgotten. See “May Bettany – Benfleet in Colour” for further pictures.
Married to George Kernahan Bettany, the novelist.
Reproduced on this website by kind permission of G.A. Bettany
May Bettany was born in 1888 and at quite an early age developed a great interest in art. A place at art college and a career in commercial art beckoned, but for various reasons it was not to be. Undaunted she became a self-taught artist, though later in life she did receive some tuition in anatomy .
May married George Bettany in 1923 and after living in London for a short time , they moved to Winter Gardens on Canvey Island and then to Dyke Crescent on the housing estate near Canvey Village. During that time she and her husband produced a monthly “family magazine” for their three children. Two pages from one such magazine are reproduced in this article. Typically the stories featured the three children.
In 1938 the family moved to 88 St Mary’s Drive, South Benfleet. During her stay there May produced a considerable volume of artwork , comprising pencil and pen and ink sketches and drawings, watercolours of flowers and landscapes and some paintings in oils as well. These were often exhibited in London galleries and the local Beecroft Gallery.
When George died in 1949 and after the children left home, she teamed up with Mrs Langridge to start art classes at Number 88, which by all accounts were popular, well attended and continued for many years. In her 80s she moved to sheltered accommodation in Rushbottom Lane and died in 1978, aged 90 following a fall when a hip joint was broken.
Based on information provided by her son G. A. Bettany.
Comments about this page
Add your own comment
In 1959, aged 8, I was a ‘2nd South Benfleet Wolf Cub’ and in order to gain my ‘Artist Badge’ I was sent along one afternoon to local artist May Bettany in her bungalow in St Mary’s Drive, South Benfleet.
For a small boy from an austere council house, it was an amazing place full of large, dark mysterious furniture and unusual ornaments. In her conservatory, where I think that she probably produced her lovely artwork, it smelled of oil paints and geraniums. Whenever I smell either of those now, I am immediately transported back there.
Mrs Bettany was a very kind and encouraging person and she judged my feeble attempt at a ‘cartoon’ that I produced nervously in front of her, to be acceptable and I proudly gained my badge. Tactfully, she then suggested that I join her weekly art lessons that were held at her home on Thursday evenings for the cost of 2s-6d.
I was very nervous on the first evening that I went along.
In the bright conservatory, with window sills lined with geraniums in flower pots, there were 2 middle-aged adults already sitting at easels and they were to my childs-eyes, obviously confident and experienced painters. I was very self-conscious, but Mrs Bettany and the others soon made me feel very welcome and they gave me lots of praise and encouragement. I enjoyed my art lessons there.
Over the months, I learnt drawing skills in pencil and charcoal and how to paint in watercolour and oils.
We were given colourful post cards and photographs to choose from of exotic (well, they were to me) Italian waterside villages with small fishing boats casting colourful reflections, sun-bleached foreign architecture, landscapes or a still life to copy. Sometimes we would paint a still life arrangement of her potted plants (I often went home smelling of geraniums if I had touched or accidentally brushed past them).
I am proud to have known Mrs Bettany and am now a keen amateur artist who often wonders what she would think of my efforts . . .
Lived at no 92 St Mary’s Drive; Aunty May used to baby sit us!!
I was brought up at 84 St. Mary’s next door and often heard my mum and dad talk about Ms Bettany next door,we lived there from 1963 and only recently my mother moved out to go to a care home and house now gone with 2 new ones as is what happened to number 88 many years before. Never realised I had 2 artists next door however I was only age 5 in 1970.
I found your most interesting page after reading a book, “Murder at Benfleet”, which was written by May’s husband – George Bettany.
Add a comment about this page