The best evidence for the existence of a drawing or painting is the work itself but an image of the work is reasonable evidence that it exists or has existed at some time in the past. Evidence of the artist’s early work drawn or painted before her marriage is more difficult to find principally because this was commercial work where the original went to the printer without the artist having retained a copy. We do have, however, the commercial product signed with the artist’s trademark signature. An image here of say, a postcard is sufficient evidence of what the original artwork would have looked like.
In April 2014 Surrey History Centre acquired the archive of the artist’s work which had been purchased by a couple at public auction and which the purchasers were happy to see under the care of this repository for the heritage of the town where the artist had lived since the early days of the 1939/45 war until she retired to Grassington in 1973
This list is of works known to exist but not shown in the database (MH Images). It has been compiled from:-
- The minutes of the Woking Society of Arts (WSA) 1946-1956,
- Booklets listing works for sale at WSA exhibitions 1958-66,
- The Guildford Art Society (GAS) catalogues (1954-1972)
- The record at the V & A (SWA). (The Society of Women Artists Exhibitors 1855-1996, Volume 2 E-K kept by the Archive of Art and Design at the Victoria and Albert Museum).
- Auctions.
In addition as Mrs Howarth only very occasionally dated her work, the opportunity is taken to include a note of those works where we have a date or it can be stated with reasonable certainty that the work concerned was drawn or painted within a particular period. The artist often wrote her address on the back of a picture and since we know when she moved from one address to another this gives a period during which the work was probably drawn or painted. There may be some duplication.
1926
The Footbridge Linton |
pen and ink or pencil |
Bird’s Eye |
pen and ink or pencil |
October 1927
Mummy |
pencil |
Daddy |
pencil |
1929
Keighley School of Arts |
Small black and white poster |
1930
The Dissertation |
pen and ink |
1936
Bolton Abbey |
postcard based on artist’s original pen and ink drawing |
Barden Tower |
postcard based on artist’s original pen and ink drawing |
Burnsall |
postcard based on artist’s original pen and ink drawing |
Burnsall |
postcard based on artist’s original pen and ink drawing |
Water Street (Garr’s Lane) |
postcard based on artist’s original pen and ink drawing |
Kilnsey Crag |
postcard based on artist’s original pen and ink drawing |
Linton from Three Bridges |
postcard based on artist’s original pen and ink drawing |
Castle Gateway Skipton |
postcard based on artist’s original pen and ink drawing |

1938
Bridgend |
Medici post card based on artist’s water colour |
Burnsall |
Medici post card based on artist’s pen and ink drawing |
1939
Priest’s Bank |
Kildwick |
1946 WSA Exhibition
Wintry Willows |
£2 2s 0d |
Oast Barn |
£2 2s 0d |
Street Scene |
£2 2s 0d |
Whipping Post House Rottingdean |
£3 3s 0d |
Rottingdean Church |
£3 3s 0d |
1948
1950 WSA exhibition
Appletreewick Yorkshire Dales |
£10 10s 0d |
Portrait of a Husband |
NFS |
Looking towards Weybridge |
£6 6s 0d |
New Zealand Golf Course Woodham |
£2 12s 6d |
1951-66 Living at Appletreewick
Old Tokefield Cranleigh |
pen and ink |
Old Houses in Park Street Guildford |
pen and ink |
Dark Wood Horsell |
water colour |
The Old Vicarage, Send |
pen and ink |
Lodge to Shalford House |
pen and ink |
The Horse and Groom Merrow |
pen and ink |

1951
1951 WSA exhibition
1951
The Observer Ximenes Prize |
pen and ink |
1951 WSA exhibition
Old Woking |
£ 3 13s 6d |
probably drawing with wash with wash presented to Surrey History Centre by Marguerite Statham |
Cartbridge Send |
£ 4 15s 0d |
|
New Zealand Golf Course Woodham |
£ 6 6s 0d |
price suggests not the work shown in 1950 |
Garmish Bavaria |
£ 3 3s 0d |
probably water colour in possession of Peter Howarth |

1952

1952 GAS
Guildford Cathedral from the Castle |
£ 7 7s 0d |
probably Towards the Cathedral |
Mudeford Ferry near Christchurch |
£ 6 6s 0d |
|
1955
Newark Mill |
water colour |
painted as a wedding present for Mrs Sylvia Hand |
1955 WSA exhibition
Boats at Worthing |
£ 5 5s 0d |
|
Harvest near Chobham |
£ 6 0s 0d |
|
Findon Sussex |
£ 5 5s 0d |
|
Hatchlands Addlestone (AM) |
£ 5 5s 0d |
Possibly Hatch Farm Chertsey Rosd 17th
century with 18th century alterations |

1955 GAS
Findon Sussex |
£ 5 5s 0d |
The Old Mill Chobham |
£ 5 5s 0d |
No title |
£ 6 6s 0d |

1956 WSA exhibition
December afternoon |
£ 4 4s 0d |
Spring morning |
£ 6 6s 0d |
Reflections |
£ 6 6s 0d |

1956 GAS
Pyrford Lock and the Anchor |
£ 6 6s 0d |
Park Street Guildford |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
Royal Grammar School Quadrangle Guildford |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
Spring Morning Postford Farm Albury |
£ 6 6s 0d |
1957 WSA exhibition
The Barley Mow |
£ 3 13 6d* |
Boats at Lancing |
£ 5 5s 0d |
Chobham Clump from Horsell Common |
£ 6 6s 0d |
Autumn Posy |
£ 4 4s 0d |
1957 GAS
Pigeon Cote |
£ 6 6s 0d |
Open Air Exhibition |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
Wonersh |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
Autumn Posy |
£ 5 5s 0d |
The Wheel Newark Mill |
£ 6 6s 0d |
1958
Woking Review Calendar |
four monthly groups |
1958 WSA exhibition
The Sandpits Horsell Common |
£ 4 4s 0d |
Charmouth Dorset |
No price |
Stainforth Yorkshire Dales |
£ 7 7s 0d |
Packhorse Bridge Stainforth |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
Red Lion Horsell |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
The Wheel Newark Mill |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
1958 GAS
December Afternoon |
£ 5 5s 0d |
Bunyan Cottages Guildford |
£ 3 13s 0d |
The Angel Yard Guildford |
£ 3 13s 0d |
Shalford Mill – Interior |
£ 3 13s 0d |
St Catherine’s |
£ 5 5s 0d |
1959 WSA exhibition
The Angel Yard Guildford |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
Church Porch Pyrford |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
Farm in Zillertal Tyrol |
No price |
Mudeford Ferry |
£ 7 7s 0d |
Surrey Farmhouse |
£ 6 6s 0d |
December Afternoon |
£ 6 6s 0d |
1959 WSA exhibition – there were two exhibitions this year.
Newark Mill |
£10 10s 0d |
Haytime in Tyrol |
No price |
Below Parris Lock West Byfleet |
t £ 6 6s 0d |
Variations on Quarry Street |
t £ 6 6s 0d |
Bunyan Cottages Guildford |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
Old Crown Court Godalming |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
1959 GAS
Vanishing Guildford |
£ 7 7s 0d |
Variations on Quarry Street |
£ 6 6s 0d |
Chertsey Street Guildford |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
1960
Charmouth |
No price |
High Street Charmouth |
No price |
Bridge over River Char |
No price |
1960 WSA Spring exhibition
RHS Gardens Wisley |
£ 4 4s 0d |
Above Lyme Regis |
£ 6 6s 0d |
Newark Mill |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
Friary Arch Guildford |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
1960 WSA Autumn exhibition
West Clandon Church |
£ 3 13s 6d* |
St Catherine’s Guildford |
£ 3 3s 0d |
House in Tyrol |
£ 6 6s 0d |
Alpine Village |
£8 8s 0d |
1960 GAS
Old Woking |
£ 4 4s 0d |
St Catherine’s |
£ 3 3s 0d |
House in Tyrol |
£ 6 6s 0d |
1961 WSA June exhibition
Variations on Ripley |
£ 6 6s 0d |
Lucas Green Manor |
£ 8 8s 0d |
Shere |
£ 8 8s 0d |
Alpine Village |
£ 8 8s 0d |
1961 GAS
Chiddingfold |
£3 13s 0d |
Shere |
£8 8s 0d |
1962 WSA May exhibition
Newark Mill |
£ 6 6s 0d |
Old Manor House Old Woking from the Garden |
£ 7 7s 0d |
Old Houses Clandon |
£ 7 7s 0d |
Site of New Public Library |
£ 4 4s 0d |
1962 GAS
Rosemary Alley Guildford |
£ 4 4s 0d |
Chertsey Street Guildford |
£ 4 4s 0d |
Farmyard Pirbright |
£ 8 8s 0d |
Ferry Lane St Catherine’s |
£ 6 6s 0d |
1963 GAS
Near Bramley Surrey |
£ 8 8s 0d |
Solden Tyrol |
£ 8 8s 0d |
1963 SWA exhibition
271 |
Near Bramley Surrey – water colour |
£13 |
273 |
Still November – water colour |
£13 |
1964 GAS
Shoreham |
£ 8 8s 0d |
Shere |
£ 8 8s 0d |
Old Guildford |
£ 4 14s 6d |
1964 SWA exhibition
196 |
Shoreham – water colour |
£13 |
250 |
At Enton Surrey – water colour |
£13 |
1965 SWA exhibition
262 |
Bruges – oil pastel |
£13 |
1965 GAS
Village Church Tyrol |
£ 8 8s 0d |
Newark Mill |
£12 12s 0d |
1966-73 Living at Woodend
7/11 Josephs Road Stoke Guildford |
pen ink and wash |
Old House in Park Street |
water colour |
Winter – Grovers Farm Woodham |
water colour |
Old Tyrolean Farmstead |
Biro |
Street in Amsterdam |
water colour |
Star Little Shepherd and Crib |
black and white for card |
1966
1966 WSA exhibition
Near Fittleworth |
£ 8 8s 0d |
Virgen East Tyrol |
£10 10s 0d |
Old Alpine Farmstead |
£ 4 4s 0d |
1966 GAS
Near Millmead |
£ 8 8s 0d |
Mattrei in East Tyrol |
£10 10s 0d |
Puttenham – Surrey Best Kept Village 1966 |
£10 10s 0d |
1967
Sundial Cottage The Riding Woodham |
water colour |
Solden Tyrol |
Line and wash |
1967 GAS
The Old Mill Fittleworth |
£12 12s 0d |
Grossglockner |
£ 5 5s 0d |
1967 SWA exhibition
188 |
Grossglockner from the Lucknerhaus |
£16 |
396 |
Surrey Farm |
£16 |
492 |
Tyrolean Farm |
£5 |
1968 GAS
Surrey Farm Shalford |
£12 12s 0d |
Grossgrockner |
£12 12s 0d |
Waggoners Wells |
£12 12s 0d |
1969
Folk Museum Three Chimneys Dunvegan Isle of Skye. |
drawing |
1969 SWA exhibition
528 |
Above Kals |
£7 |
567 |
Near Hinterbichi |
£21 |
1970-83 Member of SWA
Hotel Taube Zee am Zee |
water color |
Alpine scene for Card |
water color |
Tyrolean Ski Sports |
water color |
The Magi |
pen and ink |
The Crib |
pen and ink |
Untitled water colour with Wash |
water color |
1970 SWA exhibition
171Trees at Wisley£21
75 |
Naunders Tirol |
£21 |
151 |
Chiddingfold |
£21 |
1970 GAS
Old Shoreham SWA |
£15 15s 0d |
1971 SWA exhibition
45 |
No titles shown |
49 |
No titles shown |
79 |
No titles shown |
707 |
No titles shown |
1971 GAS
Old Guildford Site of Library SWA |
£15 15s 0d |
Old Guildford Park SWA |
£15 15s 0d |
Village Street in the Stubaital |
£ 6 6s 0d |
1972 SWA exhibition
253 |
Bosham |
£20 |
254 |
Clandon Park (National Trust) |
£20 |
255 |
Old Guildford |
£20 |
256 |
Alphine Mists |
£20 |
1972 GAS
Old Guildford – from the Castle Grounds SWA |
£15 15 0d |
Alpine Mists SWA |
£15 15 0d |
1972
Portrait of a Lady |
pencil |
1973-81
Looking across River Wharfe Grassington – Autumn |
miniature water colour |
Looking across River Wharfe Grassington – Summer |
miniature water colour |
Looking down Main Street Grassington |
miniature water colour |
Threshfield |
miniature water colour |
Flowers |
miniature water colour |
1973 SWA exhibition
224 |
Skis for Hire |
£10 |
225 |
14th century Chapel East Tyrol |
£10 |
226 |
Lienz East Tyrol |
£10 |
227 |
Old House Gargellen |
£10 |
1974 SWA exhibition
238 |
Linton Yorkshire Dales |
£30 |
239 |
Thorpe the Hidden Village Yorkshire Dales |
£30 |
240 |
Grass Woods Yorkshire Dales |
£30 |
241 |
Wharfe Valley Yorkshire Dales |
£30 |
1975 SWA exhibition
262 |
Signs of Spring (1) – water colour |
£10 |
263 |
Signs of Spring (2) – water colour |
£10 |
264 |
Signs of Spring (3) – water colour |
£10 |
265 |
Signs of Spring (4) – water colour |
£10 |
1976 SWA exhibition
268 |
Appletreewick Yorkshire Dales water colour and line |
£35 |
269 |
Yorkshire Dales Cottage – water colour and line* |
£35 |
270 |
Hetton Yorkshire Dales – water colour and line |
£35 |
271 |
Farm Yard Yorkshire Dales – water colour and line |
£35 |
1977 SWA exhibition
257 |
Taverna near Dubrovnik – water colour and line |
£35 |
258 |
Bridge at Mostar Jugoslavia water colour and line |
£40 |
259 |
Old Mill Pyrford Surrey – water colour and line |
£35 |
260 |
Jugoslav Sketchbook – black and white |
£40 |
1978
Petra by Granny |
pencil |
Ploversfield Ben Rhydding |
image from Christmas card |
Parish Town Hall Ilkley |
pen and ink |
1978 SWA exhibition
282 |
Grassington Bridge Yorkshire Dales – water colour |
£15 |
283 |
Bolton Abbey Yorkshire Dales – water colour |
£15 |
1979 SWA exhibition
274 |
Kilnsey Crag Yorkshire Dales – water colour and line |
£15 |
275 |
Bolton Abbey Yorkshire Dales – water colour and line |
£15 |
276 |
Grassington Bridge Yorkshire Dales – water colour and line |
£15 |
277 |
Arncliffe Yorkshire Dales – water colour and line |
£15 |
278 |
Winter Posy – water colour and line |
£15 |
279 |
Spring Flowers – water colour and line |
£15 |
1980 SWA exhibition
280 |
Moss – water colour |
£25 |
281 |
Packhorse Bridge – water colour |
£20 |
282 |
Linton Yorkshire Dales – water colour |
£20 |
283 |
Thorpe Yorkshire Dales – water colour |
£20 |
284 |
Hetton Yorkshire Dales – water colour |
£20 |
285 |
Moss and Lichen – water colour |
£20 |
1983
Fountain Inn Linton |
water colour and line |
£70 |
1988
The Last House John O’Groats |
pen and ink |
1991
Sampler of Family at Appletreewick |
embroidery |
1992
Auctions
Marguerite Howarth “By the Wey, Millhead*, Guildford”, signed and inscribed on reverse.
Clarke Gammon Wellers, UK watercolour 14 x 10 inches *Millmead |
Auction 2003 |
Margaret Howarth, “By the Way*, Guildford” Watercolour heightened with white Signed lower
left 25cm x 36.5cm4 Dreweatts Newbury * Wey not Way see above and below |
Auction 2005 |
Marguerite Howarth, water colour, Swiss scene and a watercolour of a winter scene. Wellers Auctioneers UK. |
Auction 2006 |
Marguerite Howarth, Arched bridge over a river, Watercolour, signed. Gilding`s Ltd, Market Harborough. |
Auction 2006 |
Margaret Howarth, “By the Way*, Guildford” Watercolour heightened with white Signed lower left 25cm x 36.5cm Dreweatts Marlborough * Wey not Way see above |
Auction 2007 |
Marguerite Howarth, Virgen22, East Tyrol, signed. Hartleys, Ilkley., 13¼ x 9¾, inches |
Auction 2009 |
In November 2011 a further copy of the black and white drawing of Pyrford Place – measuring 165mm by 112mm – emerged which is almost certainly an original. This notwithstanding Peggy usually retained the copyright and original of her drawings. Both front and back of the drawing are shown in MH Images.
Again in January 2012 Kevin Smith produced a pen and ink original drawing by Mrs Howarth – measuring 18cm by 13.5 cm – of The House in the Wood with Appletreewick on the back indicating that the drawing was made when the artist was living at West Byfleet. The house featured was on Horsell Common to the left of Monument Road after the Six Crossroads, but it was incorrectly titled. It is, in fact, Thistle Cottage another house on the same site.
In October 2012 a search of the Internet revealed the sale of a watercolour (11 x 14.5 inches) by Walker Auctions of Ottawa, Ontario entitled Old Mill. This painting appears to be copy of an earlier picture of Newark Mill. The only difference apart from size is that the palate used in the Canadian version is seems to be that used after the artist retired to Yorkshire. It follows, therefore, that the picture was painted after she retired.
In April 2013 David Busfield who lives in Northamptonshire sent an image and details of a water colour miniature (68 x 49mm) of Waverley House at the top of Main Street in Grassington which had been the property of his parents. This bears the artist’s Bridge End label and was, therefore, painted post-1973.
At the end of September at the exhibition of the artist’s works at the Lightbox, Mrs Eileen Dobson brought in four miniature water colours which she had inherited from her mother, Mrs Hilda Strain who had been friendly with the artist. These pictures each measuring 7½x 5½cms were of views across the Wharfe in autumn and summer, a view looking down Main Street – all three from Grassington – and the village of nearby Threshfield. Knowing that Mrs Howarth retired in 1973 and Mrs Strain left Grassington in 1981 the miniatures must have been painted between those dates. During this time a Helen Anderson ran a painting group at Hetton. Subsequently Mrs Dobson found a further miniature this time the subject was Flowers, the painting being in an oval frame.
In 2015 Diana Pliska wrote to me from California saying that her parents George and Mary Pliska now living at Austin, Texas had a water colour by Marguerite Howarth of Moorhatch in Church Hill, Horsell painted when they rented the house between January 1969 and July 1970. Diana subsequently provided me with an image which can be found in Images.
Also in 2015 Olivia Donnelly of Ojai California advised she had a Marguerite Howarth water colour entitled Rooftops Over Grassington. This picture appeared to be a reworking of another known painting Grassington from Low Lane 1950. A label on back reads inter alia The Lord Mayor’s Art Award Mrs Marguerite Howarth Woodend, Anthony’s, Woking (formerly The Cottage, Hetton). The price is shown in Guineas as £12.G guineas.
Belinda Johnson wrote to me in January 2016 about a water she had of Magnolias. This is unaccredited due to the absence of a frame and unknown signature (Signed M.Howarth in capitals but not in the small capitals used by the artist). The immediate family do not recognise the signature or style. If the work did prove to be authentic it could be from the period post marriage and pre-move to Woking.
Sarah Sharp wrote from Tauranga, New Zealand in July 2016 regarding a water colour she possessed of An Archway at Hampton Court. She supplied images of the front and back of the painting. These showed that the artist signed SWA and she inscribed her Wood End address on the back indicating that the work was painted before she left Woking. The picture had been offered for sale for £15 at an exhibition.
Mark Curtis from Gerrards Cross in Bucks reported in November 2016 that he had two water colours, The Square, Grassington and Grassington Bridge apparently, the work of Mrs Howarth. The two works both measure approximately 58 X 48 mm and bear the artist’s trademark signature in faint small capital letters as well as a note of WJ Anderson of Hetton as being responsible for the framing mounting (see reference to Helen Anderson above). Mrs Howarth’s address in Bridge End on the back suggests the water colours were painted post 1973 when she retired to Grassington. I have no doubt the pictures are authentic.
Mark found the two paintings in a saleroom in Ruislip, Middlesex, liked what he saw and purchased both for £20. There is no information on how the water colours found their way from Yorkshire to Middlesex but perhaps these were purchased by someone holidaying in the Yorkshire Dales. There is some evidence of the pictures being exposed to sunlight and perhaps stored in the faintness of the signatures and the appearance of fox marks.
Eventually Mark kindly gave the two paintings to me.
During research in November 2016 for a report on Castle House, Castle Road, Horsell I noticed Claire Jenkinson, who had allowed me access to her father’s collection of photographs, possessed an original pen and ink drawing of the house by Marguerite Howarth. Claire’s sister Tricia Sturgeon was good enough to photograph the original drawing because of which I was able to add this to the artist’s drawing of the panelled dining room.
In December 2016 Anthony Cooper advised me he had a Marguerite Howarth water colour of Newark Mill measuring approximately 11 X 15 inches and bearing the artist’s Wood End address. This would indicate that the picture had been painted during the period 1966-1973 although the 15 guinea price shown would suggest the work belonged to the early part of this period.
Carmel Bridson wrote to me on 9th June 2018 saying My parents Jo and Josie Pope commissioned a number of paintings by Mrs Howarth. I am the proud owner of one of Hatchery Cottage Kilnsey. It has had pride of place in our home above the fireplace for the past 35 years. My niece and nephews have the other three. Carmel’s water colour has been added to the website. The niece, Lucia Hodgson, has written to me and I have indicated the information I need, and I am hopeful she will provide details of the three paintings.
Lesley Dunlop assistant editor of Shoreline, Charmouth’s volunteer-run free community magazine advised me on 10th June, I was recently given a 1960 brochure featuring Seadown Caravan site in the village. On the cover is one of Marguerite Howarth’s illustrations that is partly coloured. I’d like to reproduce it in the summer issue of the magazine (we print paper copies as well as the online version), the deadline for which is 18 June. Seadown Caravans have given their permission for me to use some of the text for a nostalgic look at caravanning here nearly 60 years ago. May we please use the Ms Howarth’s sketch too and, if so, how would you like it to be acknowledged? Permission was granted subject to the family’s copyright being acknowledged
Mention is made under Biography of a pencil sketch by the artist Portrait of a lady exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1972 although the RA are unable to confirm this display. Peter Howarth, the artist’s younger son has commented If the picture was at the Royal Academy, it would have been the Summer Exhibition as she often submitted pictures there and was occasionally accepted. She would always go to the Private View and I would sometimes go with her. The picture itself could well be my paternal grandmother who died in about 1951. On the 12th June Kevin Smith reported that he had purchased this drawing. The sketch and the back of the frame, photographed at Surrey History Centre, have been added to the website.
Simon Bailey wrote in September 2018 My parents bought a picture of The Old Laundry at Gargrave from Marguerite in 1974 as a wedding gift to my wife and I in the same year. The subject no longer exists but the site is part of the village green. The picture is on loan at the present time, but Simon has promised to let me have an image and other details when the water colour is in his hands again.
© Phillip Arnold, Horsell,
October 2018