Librarian, archivist, and valued team member, Angela’s work for the Royal Institution of Cornwall spanned 54 years. Over that time, she built up a remarkable knowledge of the museum’s archives and supported researchers from across the globe, landing her in the acknowledgement pages of many a book.
To mark her contribution to Royal Institution of Cornwall, the RIC plan to restore two Truro river scenes by Robert Lenderyou. A fitting memorial to a private woman whose love of nature, art, and history began in the city of Truro. Read on or go to bit.ly/AngelaMemorium to contribute.
Angela Broome
Working at RIC, Angela was a valued team member with a comprehensive knowledge of Cornish history, Cornish places, placename derivation and pronunciation. This not only made Angela the go-to person for many queries, but also helped her assist researchers, and lead projects, and got her royal recognition.
In 1994, Angela joined the rest of the museum in welcoming the Queen to RIC. During the visit, she spoke so knowledgeably about the archives, she received a special recognition and thanks from the palace.
Years later, in 2021, Angela ran a project to conserve and digitise Robert Morton Nance’s working copy of Williams’ 1865 Cornish Dictionary. Nance is recognised as one of the leading Cornish cultural revivalists, and this book contains his copious manuscript notes in the Cornish language. Thanks to Angela this important artefact has been preserved for generations to come and can be viewed and studied by many.
Why these paintings?
Angela grew up in Truro overlooking the river, and always had a love of nature. These works depicting Truro River were painted by local artist; Robert Landeryou. Despite his humble background, and lack of formal training, Landeryou was able to become a successful professional artist.
If you would like to contribute to Angela’s memorial, please donate using the link below or you are very welcome to call the museum or pop in, front desk will have some donation forms. The appeal aims to raise £6,000 towards the restoration project. Any surplus donations will go towards the ongoing development of the library at the RIC. Thank you for your support.
About Robert Lenderyou (1836/7 -> 1898)
Artist Robert Lenderyou (Landerio/Landeryou) was the son of Robert Lenderyou, sawyer of Truro, and his wife Mary nee Evans. Their surname comes from a place in Mylor parish. The family may have attended St Mary church and then the Methodist New Connexion Chapel in Castle Street according to the records of baptism of their children.
In 1855, aged about 18 years of age, Robert junior won a prize at the annual exhibition of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society, Falmouth. A self-taught artist, he submitted a watercolour painting of a head, a foreign scene in oil and St John and the Lamb. In 1856 he won greater prizes with prize money of £1 for ‘fidelity of copying’ a painting of the miraculous draft of fishes. Four oil paintings in the following year were also awarded a £1 prize but he was ‘advised to use a less contracted style of painting’. In 1858 he submitted a copy of a marine view, gaining a 15s prize. The judge’s comment was that this ‘is the work of a sawyer who shows how the leisure hours of a working man may be turned to account by the encouragement which is offered by such a society as this’. Real success came the following year when his ‘View on the Thames from Blackwall’ received a silver medal.
Robert married Susan Garland Treseder in Truro in 1864, but by June 1866 when their daughter was born he was described as Robert Lenderyou, artist, living in Poplar, London, formerly of Truro.