Our Lady, Star of the Sea & St. Maughold Church - Ramsey, Isle of Man.
The carved and painted reredos was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, who designed the church, and dates from the 1920s. The carving of this elaborate triptych reredos was executed by George Ratcliffe and contains paintings by Francis Bessie Burlison depicting three biblical scenes.
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Frances Bessie Frances Bessie Burlison was born on 2 July 1875 in St Pancras, London, England. She was the daughter of John Burlison and Elizabeth Sarah Grylls.1 Frances was always known as 'Blackie.3' She was the daughter of John Burlison and Elizabeth Sarah Burlison in the 1881 census in 33 Osney Crescent, St Pancras, London, England.4 Frances was educated at home by a governess and then attended the Slade School of Art where she studied sculpture, painting and design. She first exhibited works in 1898 with The Society of Lady Painters. Other works include the war memorial life size bronze figure collaborating with the architects Sir Giles and Adrian Gilbert Scott. Also the Reredos at Our Lady, Ramsey, Isle of Man. She also painted informal portraits and decorated furniture by painting still life scenes on them. Frances.3 She was the daughter of John Burlison and Elizabeth Sarah Burlison in the 1891 census Grove End House, St Pancras, London, England.5 She was the step daughter of John Whitaker and Elizabeth Sarah Whitaker in the 1901 census in Highworth House, Highworth Hill, Hendon, London, England. Bessie was an artist.6 She appeared in the household as a visitor of Malcolmson Gardiner Donahoo and Annie Donahoo in the 1911 census in Hobbs Farm, Oxted, Surrey, England. Malcolmson was a solicitor living with his wife. Annie's two sisters were visiting in their 10 roomed home. Three servants completed the household. I have been unable to trace where their daughter Anna was living at the time.7 Frances made the memorial that hangs in St John the Baptist Church in Wonersh to her brother in law Malcolmson Donahoo who died in 1917. There is a panel picture, the work of Miss Frances Burlison, representing St George victorious over the dragon, was given to the Church by Mrs Donahoo, and placed on the Lady Chapel. At the base of the frame is the inscription 'In proud and ever loving memory of Captain Malcolmson Gardiner Donahoo MC 2nd Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, who died of wounds, received on the field of honour, near, Ypres, 31 January 1917 Frances was Mrs Anne Donahoo's sister.8,9 On 29 September 1939 in the National Register she was listed as living at Austins, High Barn, Godalming, Surrey, England, with her sister Annie Sisters Annie, Margaret and Frances were living together. Frances was an artist.10 She received the probate of the estate of Margaret Burlison on 27 August 1959 in London to her sister Frances. Her effects were valued at £4,140 14s 4d.11 She died in 1974 in 1 Squires Mount Cottages, Hampstead, London, England.'
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The ChurchBelow is an extract from an article in Issue 38, May 2007 of the Journal of the Ecclesiological Society by Paul Walker:
"Our Lady Star of the Sea & St Maughold, Ramsay, Isle Of Man …, was designed in the same year as the Sheringham church and has a similar long and narrow interior, with large areas of simple bare whitewashed brickwork and culminating in an elaborate triptych reredos set against the blank east wall. This, again, was carved by Radcliffe and contains paintings by Miss Burlison. It does not, however, have aisles but only a south chapel, separated from the chancel by low arches with, again, the mouldings dying into the piers. Three boldly scaled windows of powerful design penetrate the south-facing (liturgical north) wall; the opposite wall is unbroken. Overhead is a timber wagon vault, with timber tie-beams. What is most impressive at Ramsay is the rugged west tower (the church is built of rubble stone from local demolished buildings, with dressings of imported Bramley Fall stone from Yorkshire) on an oblong plan and with a huge belfry window similar in form to the transept windows at Liverpool. The church stands by the shore and the tower faces the sea, with observation platforms below the pitched roof, acting as a lookout and landmark for fishing boats. The contiguous presbytery exhibits the continuing influence of Scott’s father’s domestic designs. The church was built in 1909–12." Source: ecclsoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ET.38.pdf