'Love and Loyalty'
The story of Ashley James Blake
Albert William Blake loved the occasional 'flutter' on the racehorses. He wasalways happiest when he had his brandy in hand and watched the day's eventsand sports meetings unfold, clutching and waving his betting tickets in the air witha child's enthusiasm.
Yet, as time passed, this once harmless distraction became a habit—a crushingfinancial burden. Albert William Blake, in a reckless gamble, squandered all thefamily's money in a mere year. To add to their woes, he had even used thefamily home as collateral in a desperate move. As a result, he now found himself owing a significantsum to the local bank, a debt that seemed insurmountable.
Young Ashley James Blake and Jenny Anne Galloway sat by the bubbling English brook in the small village of Biddulph, Staffordshire. Ashley was the sonand heir to nothing more than bills, collection notes, and threats of repossessionof their beautiful family home.
He spoke quietly to Jenny, breaking the news as gently as possible. His voicetrembled slightly, betraying his inner turmoil. All the dreams they had nurtured since childhood, to marry and build a life together, would have to be abandoned. They would constantly talk about theimaginary home, the little details. The silly drawings Jenny would make of themstanding outside their door, Ashley working in the garden, and Jenny placing awarm pie by the window to cool down. The names of their children. The names oftheir pets. The name of their home. All suddenly dissolved into nothing in the spaceof one conversation.
Ashley left Jenny there by the Brook and rode to Biddulph Grange, the estate ofBridgette Sarah Cowley Price. The groundskeeper opened the large iron gates,revealing the long, stone path to Price's towering estate—the path to her dowryand the Blake family's only recourse.
Paper print (Matte finish - Signed): 8.5" X 11" - $30.00
Paper print (Matte finish - Signed): 11W" x 15H" - $49.00
Original: Graphite and charcoal pencil on paper. 18" x 24" (image size) with frame and matte. Total size: 24" x 30" - SOLD
Some digital prints may have a slight enhancement from the original illustration, to increase tone and color balance.
Watermark will not be printed on image
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All reproduction prints are scanned and printed using gallery standard, professional equipment and materials. Ensuring the highest quality.
Illustrated in the style of a vintage Edwardian or Victorian photograph. This image is part of my 'Anicurio' collection. Each original illustration is carefully hand drawn in pencil. Once finished, I often hand age and treat them with various dye methods, to resemble an old dusty antique photograph. I want this series to suggest something that was rediscovered by you. An inherited artifact from a mysterious benefactor? Or perhaps revealed in a long abandoned attic, lying at the bottom of a chest. Buried beneath old dusty clothes and fading hand written notes.