James
William Carling (31st December 1857 to 9th July 1887)
Like many teenagers I liked
horror fiction and when I’d read all the James Herbert and Stephen Kings novels
I read some Edgar Allan Poe. His macabre short stories were relieved by some the
scary artwork. I knew he was American but didn’t know the man behind the
artwork - James Wallace - was from Liverpool and died a pauper. Forty years on
from reading those books I never thought I’d find myself strolling around a cemetery
hunting for the unmarked spot of his bones.
James was born on New Year’s Eve in Liverpool in 1857 but life was poverty-stricken.
His mum died when he was 6 years and his dad when he was 10. He was forced to
beg for food and money but became known as "the little chalker"
as he drew on the paving stones to procure money.
Aged 5 he made his way to Ranelagh Street in
the town centre to find the most suitable smooth flagstone to crayon on. By
luck prize-fighters champion Tom Sayers and John C Heenan
were there and so impressed by James’s talent they threw him some coins. The
streets of Liverpool became James’s studio though, unlike most of the street
artists in Liverpool, he didn’t draw the same picture twice. On some days rain
washed away his work, on other days the police would chase him away if gentry
were using the street. He preferred to draw in the vicinity of the large houses
as the toffs threw more coppers. Poor folk who wanted to show their admiration
for his work gave him cockles, shrimps and periwinkles.
One Christmas Eve the eight-year-old was grabbed by a policeman, threw
him into the workhouse for a week and ordered him to spend six years in St.
George’s Industrial School. This was a good move as the headmaster Father
Nugent cared about his charges and James learnt to read and write.
Aged 14 he travelled to America to join his elder brother Henry and to
attempt to become as successful artist. Here he supported himself by drawing on
the pavements and being a Vaudeville caricaturist.
Aged 23 he entered a competition in Harper's Magazine to illustrate a
special edition of the Edgar Allan Poe poem The Raven. Oddly he didn’t
win but later these 23 illustrations were used and are now exhibited in the
Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia.
Fate cares for nobody though. Aged 29 James returned to Liverpool in
1887 with intentions to study art and further his career. Though he enrolled at
the National School of Art it’s unlikely he entered the doors. He became ill
and died and was so poor he was buried along with 15 others corpses in an
unmarked paupers grave in Walton Park Cemetery.
I wasn’t sure if I would find an unmarked burial ground. I have a
grainy photo a man looking over the pauper’s grave. He was leant on a tree and
when I got into the grounds of the Walton Cemetery I found it choc-full with
trees. I knew the grave was number 16 in Section F though there didn’t seem to
be any sign posts.
In the photo was a fence and, walking in circles, I eventually matched
the fence with the one before my eyes. This was it. As I took a fee photos I found
a stone about 18" square a few feet away from the by the tree. Was this
supposed to be a memorial stone? Not sure.
You wouldn’t know 16 paupers were buried by that tree. Even now James
Carling’s life is celebrated in Liverpool with The James Carling International
Pavement Art Competition. Once day they might raise some money to erect a small
headstone in the cemetery.
Pointing to a drawing James did of
himself…
Strolling round looking for the
unmarked grave. Walton Prison across the way…
After much searching with the photo
on the left I found the unmarked paupers grave…
Pointing to a couple of James’s
drawings…. The grave of 16 paupers is a few feet in front of me…
