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Introduction

Pictures > Frank Tingey's Drawings

Frank Tingey's Drawings

2014

Frank & Clem Tingey
St. Matgaret's Church, Barking 1990


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Contents


Front Cover: Barking Curfew Tower  
Inside Front Cover: Frank & Clem Tingey 1990  
Title Page  
Foreword  
Contents  
Francis J. H. Tingey 1917-2012  
Frank’s Art  
  Barking  
  Cambridgeshire  
  Essex  
  Nothumberland  
  Nottinghamshire  
  Oxford  
  Suffolk  
  Sussex  
  Yorkshire  
Inside Back Cover: Origanum ‘Barbara Tingey’  
Back Cover: Great Warley Church  

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Foreword

In the spring of 2013 Mrs. Dorothy Lockwood, John Blake and I were discussing ideas to celebrate the Barking and District Historical Society’s 80th  anniversary in 2014. One suggestion was to produce a commemorative booklet. I suggested that we could perhaps reproduce some of Frank Tingey’s delightful pen and ink line drawings. Frank was a local architect and a highly accomplished artist.  He produced many beautiful and distinctive sketches which he often reproduced for use as Christmas cards, notelets and tea towels.

Dorothy and John agreed it would be a fine tribute to Frank to make his artwork more accessible to a wider audience, together with a short account of his life. His drawings, as would be expected from a professional architect, show his love for old buildings,  particularly churches and domestic architecture. Frank’s drawings show great insight and imagination. He could recreate scenes such as the heyday of Barking Abbey in 1500 or the 1762 wedding of Captain James Cook.

Thanks are especially due to Mrs. Lockwood for her complete support and generous commitment to this project. She and her late husband Bert were long-time close friends of Frank’s. Dorothy kindly readily loaned copies of Frank’s drawings  for reproduction and has been in regular contact with his widow Clem and family who encouraged the production of this tribute to Frank. Douglas Muid, who was also a friend of Frank’s, both met and volunteered at Eastbury House, also kindly loaned  material.

Finally, Frank’s pictures are largely self-explanatory, but a few very brief notes have been added. It is hoped that as we celebrate our 80 th anniversary this publication  will engender a greater understanding and appreciation of Frank Tingey’s drawings.         

Bill George        1st August 2014


Francis John Herbert Tingey  A.I.A.A., A.I.A.S.
14th  April 1917 - 24th January 2012

Frank was born on 14th April 1917 in Bayswater, the only child of Francis Hall Tingey (18th September 1890 - 13th March 1957), a tobacco presser and cutter, and May Edith Humphreys  (1894 - 14th November 1983) who had married at Christ Church, South Hackney on 2nd April 1916. Frank's father was one of 11 children. His parents are buried in Rippleside Cemetery, Barking, plot R/S/C/51.  father’s effects were valued at £3,540  for probate purposes in 1957 whilst his mother’s estate was valued at £44,460 when she died in 1983. Frank's grandfather, Thomas Henry Tingey (1855-1893) was a neck tie cutter while his great grandfather, another Thomas Henry Tingey (20th October  1835 - December 1882), was a silk weaver who became a leather dealer. His great-great grandfather, Henry Tingey was also a silk weaver. Dexterity of hand was obviously in Frank's blood.

The family moved to Barking in 1930 where Frank's father worked in a tobacco factory in Barking Road. By 1935 they were living at 4 Ventnor Gardens, opposite Barking Park. Frank attended Park Modern School, where he took a keen interest in playing rugby.   then studied at Barking Abbey Grammar School until he left in 1934. Frank took a keen interest in his old school, became a life member of the Old Barkabbeyans Association and always avidly read their magazine.

Frank enrolled as a student with the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1943. He qualified as an architect in 1949 when his submitted thesis earned him a distinction. Frank also practised as a surveyor and went on to design the Grange Farm complex  in Chigwell and the Kitsons Factory in the Barking Road. His practice was known as Tingey Associates. Frank was living at 4 Ventnor Gardens in the 1950’s. In 1956 he had an office at 29A Longbridge Road. In the 1970’s he was living at Lyndhurst  Gardens. He was a very intelligent and gifted man. Frank was passionate about art and continued drawing his beautiful Christmas cards, depicting scenes in Barking and Essex – until fairly recently. His beautiful watercolour and pen and ink sketches  are well known and will remain a testimony to his ability. Frank was also a keen cyclist and had a particular fondness for Yorkshire and the Lake District. He would often take his bicycle on the train, sometimes sleeping under hedgerows, so that he could  explore countryside. Frank had a wonderful memory and could instantly recall the numbers of all the B Roads and the cost of rail journeys.


Frank took a keen interest in his local community and played a full part in the Barking Rotary Club and Historical Societies. Mr. and Mrs. Tingey joined the Barking and District Historical Society in 1986. Frank could be relied upon to give constructive  comments on various matters that arose. He was a member of the Barking Arts Council and helped organise the Barking Pageant. Frank was always reliable. Until 10 years ago he was still giving tours of Eastbury House.

Frank married Joyce E.F. Pratt (1922-2001) in 1943. He met his second wife, Barbara Booth (6th November 1930 - 19th January 1988) who came from St. Anne's-on-Sea. They married in 1960 in Lancashire and then lived with Frank's mother May in Ventnor Gardens  until 1972 when they set up their own home nearby at 1 Lyndhurst Gardens.  were both keen gardeners and became members the local branch of Alpine Garden Society after visiting the Chelsea Flower Show in 1961. Frank was appointed Secretary of the  Essex Group in 1965 and held the post until 1987. On his retirement he was awarded the Certificate of Honour in recognition of his dedicated service. He became a judge of this society and romantically named a variety of ornamental oregano Origanum  rotundifolium 'Barbara Tingey' after his wife. Sadly, Barbara died after nearly thirty years of marriage.  then married Mrs. Iris J. Hewitt, better known as Clem, in 1990, who he had met in a Barking shop. They married in 1990 and had  a house in Lyndhurst Gardens and a flat in Longbridge Road. Frank thereby gained a new extended family of step children and grandchildren. Frank continued to photograph places of interest and turn them into his own very distinctive pen and ink drawings  which he often used for his Christmas cards.

Frank was a loving husband, a caring and considerate step father and grandfather, a loyal friend and a kind and honourable man, greatly loved by all who knew him. He sadly passed away peacefully on 24th January 2012, aged 94, at King George Hospital.   Funeral Service took place on Monday 6th February 2012 at 12.30pm in a snow blanketed Upminster Cemetery. The dignified service was taken by Canon Dave Wade and included a tribute to Frank prepared by Clem’s daughter Jennie, with the help  of Dorothy Lockwood. Twenty two family and friends braved the inclement weather to pay their respects and celebrate Frank's rich fulfilled life. His mortal remains were laid to rest in the orange brickearth at Corbetts Tey cemetery.

WHG 08.03.2012


also happy experimenting with shading and shadow to produce, producing different effects. This is shown to good effect with  Eastbury House and Grassington  Chapel. Stippling is used in the Brinkburn Priory and Burnsall River Wharf sketches.


Two variants of Eastbury House sketch with different shading and trees removed


In this selection no less than five of the ten churches sketched have a dedication to St. Mary. This apparent bias may reflect their use as Christmas cards.

One coloured sketch of Warley church has been included in this selection. Frank issued this drawing in both plain and coloured states. Although most of the line drawings were executed in fine black ink some were issued in sepia.

We know that Frank was a keen photographer of places of interest. He would then turn his photographs into his own very distinctive pen and ink drawings which he often used for his Christmas cards until fairly recently.

Frank’s was passionate about art and his earlier sketches capture a lost countryside of quite lanes, thatched cottages, smoking chimneys and village churches at the centre of their communities. Although some of the scenes Frank sketched have long  since disappeared many remain and it is fascinating to compare his historic images with their present appearance. It is hoped this short appreciation of Frank Tingey and his art will make him and his work readily accessible to a wider audience and encourage  interest in aspects of architecture and our beautiful towns and countryside. Frank would surely have approved of these aims.

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