Mary Battersby facts for kids

Mary Battersby, also known as Miss Battersby, was an Irish artist and naturalist. She was active between 1801 and 1841. She is best known for her detailed paintings of birds.

Who Was Mary Battersby?

Not much is known for sure about Mary Battersby's life. Researchers have found very little information about her. Some people think she was the unmarried daughter of Robert Battersby from Bobsville, Ireland. Robert married Marianne Wade in 1763.

However, others wonder if she might have been the daughter of Robert's brother, John. Her birth year is estimated to be between 1763 and 1785. This is based on when she started donating her artwork.

The Mystery of Her Identity

It's even possible that the "M" on her paintings didn't stand for Mary. It could have meant "Mrs" or "Miss," or even a nickname. Because of this, several women in the Battersby family could have been the artist. One possible person was Penelope Battersby.

Since there isn't enough evidence, we can't be completely sure who this artist was. We do know that some of her donated artworks listed her address. These addresses were 21 North Cumberland Street, Dublin, and later 16 Mountjoy Square East. These were probably the homes of her mother or another relative.

Exploring Mary Battersby's Art

All of Mary Battersby's artworks are signed "Miss Battersby" or "M:Battersby." We know of six albums of her paintings, one letter, and two addresses. There are no other documents about her. She also doesn't seem to have shown her art in public exhibitions.

Her Focus on Birds

Even though she is sometimes called a "flower painter," her main interest was birds. Her known works show that she loved observing birds more than plants. We don't know if she had any formal training in watercolour painting. However, it was common for young women at that time to learn such skills.

Her bird paintings are known for being very true to life. They don't have any extra details. Her style didn't change much over the years she worked.

Where to Find Her Work

The Royal Dublin Society received four volumes of drawings from Miss Battersby. The first was given in 1820, and three more in 1836. These albums included:

• Flowers drawn from Nature
• Drawings from a collection of birds shot in Pennsylvania, North America by Robert Battersby Esq. MD
• Native birds which were all shot in the County Meath
• Drawings taken from a collection of stuffed birds in the Dublin Museum

Two more volumes are kept at the Ulster Museum. One is dated 1841, and the other doesn't have a date. A small album is also in the National Library of Ireland. This album has studies of flowers, butterflies, insects, and feathers. Some people think this particular album might have been made by another family member, Frances Isabella Battersby.

Painting of a Ringed Plover by Mary Battersby

The album with drawings of stuffed birds from the Dublin Museum is now at the Natural History Museum in Dublin. These drawings are life-sized studies of the mounted birds in the museum. They include paintings of exotic birds, like hummingbirds.