Bartholomew Howlett

Bartholomew Howlett is mentioned many times in the history of Winthorpe, so a little bit of information about him and his engraving might not go amiss. 

Bartholomew Howlett was born in 1767 at Louth, Lincolnshire. He served his apprenticeship as an engraver in London to James Heath and was mainly employed on topographical and antiquarian work.

He collected a wide range of drawings of churches and great houses, landscapes and ruins by artists such as Espin, Girtin and Nattes and engraved them for publication.

The basic process of engraving is to carve the image using a burin onto a plate. This plate could be wood, copper or steel. Ink is spread onto the plate, then the plate is carefully wiped clean leaving only the ink held in the engraved lines. The plate is then laid on a printing press. The rollers on the press force the paper onto the engraved plate, printing the image onto the paper.

Bartholomew Howlett's engraving plates were copper, which was used from 1600 to 1850. Copper being soft was good to work with, but the engraving plates wore out relatively quickly. Steel substituted this in 1850.

In 1807 he engraved "Views in Winthorpe" for Roger Pocklington of Winthorpe House, now called Winthorpe Hall. The artist is unknown.

The eleven views are:-

  • The Church. (All Saints' Church)
  • Winthorpe House. (Winthorpe Hall)
  • Fort Elliot.
  • The Rectory.
  • Farm House. (Low Wood)
  • The Acadamy.
  • School House. (Dial House)
  • The Green.
  • Green House.
  • The Grange.
  • The Village.

Bartholomew Howlett died on the 18thof December 1827 at Newington, aged 60 years.

Pat Finn. June 2007.