Elizabeth Liddell


Elizabeth Liddell was an amateur British artist specialising in pastel portraits. She was wife of Robert Hodshon Cay, mother of John Cay, mother-in-law of John Clerk-Maxwell of Middlebie and grandmother of James Clerk Maxwell.

Life

She was born on 22 February 1770. She was the daughter of John Liddell of Dockwray Square in North Shields and Jane Hubback. Her father is thought to have been a ship-owner, probably establishing the naval link to her future husband. She married Robert Hodshon Cay, a noted Scottish judge, in 1789.
She studied under Archibald Skirving, a fellow British artist. From him, she learned to paint pastels and portraits. She also had contact with Sir Henry Raeburn who is known to have painted both her husband Robert and her mother. William Bewick is also known to have painted her sister, Barbara. In 1797 she is recorded as having an adult baptism at the Charlotte Chapel in Rose Street, Edinburgh indicating conversion to the Baptist Church.
Following the death of her husband Robert in 1810, she continued to live in the family home until death. Her son John Cay shared the house until around 1825, before moving to 5 South East Circus Place, slightly to the north. She died in Edinburgh on 27 October 1831. She is buried in Restalrig Churchyard, just north of the church.

Works

While other works undoubtedly exist the only portraits of known named persons exist as a group at the James Clerk Maxwell Museum at 14 India Street in Edinburgh.
Other more vague works include:
Her box of art materials is held by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The box proves her pastel work was applied by cloth or brush rather than in stick form.

Family

She married Robert Hodshon Cay of North Charlton in Edinburgh in 1789. They had nine children, including: