Henry Willett

Henry Willett (1823–1905) was a wealthy Brighton brewer, and noted collector of ceramics, paintings and fossils.[1][2] He supported numerous charities and was one of the founders of Brighton Museum.[3][4] He was an admirer and acquaintance of John Ruskin.[5]

Willett was the son of William Catt (1776–1853), a farmer and miller who owned and managed the tide mill near Bishopstone. He was raised by his eldest sister Elizabeth Willett Catt (1797–1863) after the death of his mother; he adopted the surname Willett under the terms of his sister's will.[5]

He died at his home, Arnold House, Brighton, Sussex on 24 February 1905 and was buried at St Helen's Church, Hangleton.[5]

Willett presented his collection of ceramics and paintings to Brighton Museum in 1903. The collection focused on ceramics which, through their decorative subject matter, illustrated the political, social, and cultural history of Britain.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Willett Collection of Popular Pottery". Brighton Museum. Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  2. ^ David Adelman. (2023). "The elevation of Henry Willett: A Victorian collector of collections and an ‘imaginary museum’. " Journal of the History of Collections 35 November: 511–524.
  3. ^ "History of Brighton Museum". Brighton Museum. Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  4. ^ Willett, Henry (1871). Catalogue of the Cretaceous Fossils in the Brighton Museum. Brighton: William J. Smith.
  5. ^ a b c Beddoe, Stella (2018). "Willett [former name Catt], Henry (1823–1905)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.101162.
  6. ^ "Willett's Popular Pottery". Brighton Museum. Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove. Retrieved 29 February 2020.


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