This is an interesting cove by the name of Samuel Peploe, the son of Podmore Peploe. Sam was a Shropshire lad, born in the relatively distant year of 1667 (29 July if you must know, so had he lived he would be celebrating his 345th birthday this coming Sunday. Many happy returns anyway). Old Peploe became vicar of Preston, Lancashire, better known at a later stage for a football team name of North End. Later he attained a free transfer to Chester as resident bishop. He died at the age of 84, quite a good innings for the time.
Today the Midgie brings you two Peploes for the price of one. This character was also known as Samuel Peploe, but do not be deceived: the two were unrelated. The Sam pictured above was a Scottish post-impressionist painter best known for his works of still life. He was one of a group of four painters celebrated as the Scottish Colourists. You will be relieved to hear that none of the others was named Peploe. Sam here was born in 1871, 204 years after the bishop of the same name.
In a recent edition of The Herald (formerly known as the Glasgow Herald), Victoria Weldon correctly reported that an important work by one of the Samuel Peploes is to be put up for auction shortly and is expected to fetch £300,000. The Midgie is not in a position to bid at this time. Alas and alack, the picture accompanying the piece was of the wig-wearing Sam, who died 119 years before the other Peploe was born.
Midgie reader Simon Paterson points out that this confusion of Peploes was perhaps to be expected since it is not long since the same newspaper’s pictorial department confused the deceased Louis Mountbatten with the Duke of Edinburgh, who is rumoured to be still with us.
For the avoidance of doubt, this was The Midgie in the spring…
…While this is The Midgie now. Herald please note.
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