Woodburn, William Samuel (1771/2-1860), art dealer

• Woodburn, William

William Samuel Woodburn was born in London in 1771 or 1772, since he was 79 years of age at the date of the 1851 census (see below). He had at least one brother, Samuel (see S. Turner, 'Samuel Woodburn', "Burlington Magazine*, vol. 20, no. 2 (June 2003), pp. 131-44).

In 1817 he was trading with his brother as an art dealer in St Martin's Lane, London (O.13.14, No. 30, etc.). 'Alban and William Samuel Woodburn, fine art dealers of London' are referred to in H. W. Singer, 'Some English Portraits by Carl Vogel von Vogelstein', Burlington Magazine, vol. 11, no. 54 (Sept. 1907), pp. 382-3, but no other reference has been found to Alban Woodburn and this is presumably a mistake for Samuel.

His full name is recorded in a poll book of 1819, his address being given as 112 St Martin's Lane, and his occupation as 'picture dealer'. A William Woodburn, described as a printseller of St Martin's Lane, gave evidence in a case involving the auctioneer James Christie in the same year. See the Morning Post, 17 Feb. 1819, p. 3.

William Woodburn travelled on the Continent with his friend the painter Sir David Wilkie in 1840 and 1841. See Cunningham's Life of Sir David Wilkie (1843), vol. iii, p. 285 ff.

At the time of the 1851 census he was staying with his brother at Coedgwgan Hall, Radnorshire.

William Samuel Woodburn, previously of 134 Piccadilly and Kensington Park Gardens, died on 20 May 1860 at 26 Chateau Mineràle, Route de Calais, Boulogne-sur-Mer, leaving an estate valued at 'under £30,000'. His will was proved on 6 June (National Probate Calendar).

Census, 1851
National Probate Register