The Sweetlands

Edward Sweetland was born near Devizes in Wiltshire in 1867, the son of John Charles and Mary Ann Sweetland, who had married in the nearby parish of Rowde on 17 October 1864.

His father John Charles was a soldier, having enlisted at the age of 18 as a Private in the 85th Foot Regiment. He served a total of 21 years in the Army, including 3 1/2 years in Mauritius, 7 1/2 years in the Cape of Good Hope, and 3 years in the East Indies, and was promoted to Corporal, then Sergeant, and finally Colour Sergeant. On his retirement in 1872 he was living in Wycombe, and had volunteered for 5 years service in the Royal Bucks Kings Own Corps of Militia, serving as a Staff Sergeant.

John and Mary Ann had no other children apart from Edward, and in 1881 were living at 68 Bridge Street, with two lodgers. But Edward's career in the teaching profession did not last long, and by 1891, when they had moved to 6 Aveling Road, Edward gave his occupation as artist photographer. By 1901 the family had moved again, to Crown House in Crown Lane, and their fortunes had improved so that they could now employ a Servant, but were still taking in lodgers. Edward, still single and living with his parents, was a photographer.

Edward Sweetland c1894

Little is known about Edward's early years as a photographer, but he seems to have started at the age of 17, and probably worked for the established Wycombe photographer Josiah Pring Starling, whose business dated back to 1877. In 1898/99 he went into partnership with Starling, trading as Starling and Sweetland. But the partnership was short-lived, and readers of the Bucks Free Press were greeted in the first issue of 1900, on 5 January, with an absolute 'blitz' of advertising from Starling, Edward Sweetland and another local photographer, Findlow.
Edward's great friend was Frederic John Hull, and it was through him that Edward met his future wife Nina. Frederic was married to Bertha Loosley, whose sister Annie Mary (known as Nina in the family) had recently been widowed. Her husband William Ward had died whilst they were in Australia, leaving her with a baby daughter Queenie. She was the eldest daughter of Mr W.R.Loosley, a prominent businessman in High Wycombe.

Edward and Nina were married on April 23, 1902 at the Union Baptist church in High Wycombe. Their only child, Clarence, or Clar as he was known within the family, was born on September 18, 1903, at Crown House. At this time Edward was described as a quiet and reserved but dapper man, who enjoyed playing tennis and croquet. The families were staunch Baptists, and their social life revolved around the Chapel, with any excuse being taken for a get-together – Garden parties, Christmas parties, Sunday School treats, Anniversaries and Harvest Suppers to name but a few.

As a teenager Clarence demonstrated that he intended to follow in his father's footsteps, by editing the family magazine, called The White House Magazine, and contributing photographs to it.

The White House Studio

The Sweetland business was highly successful, so that in January 1904 Edward was able to pay £3,075 to purchase No. 21 High Street, the White House. And over the 10 years he spent c.£320 on improving and making alterations to the building, and at this time the photographic business seems to have been undertaken in a detached building at the rear, probably having a glass roof to allow maximum daylight, to assist the portraiture work.

During the next 20 years or so the business continued to expand, enabling the Sweetlands to acquire in the late 1920s a house in Rectory Avenue, No.5 The Lodge, on the corner with Amersham Hill. This was the family home for the next 30 years, so that presumably the White House in the High St was used entirely for the photographic business. Edward died on 23 February 1932 at The Lodge, Rectory Avenue, aged 66 years, and his funeral was held at Christ Church at 2pm on 26 February. His wife Nina died in 1948.

Two or three years after this Clarence moved back to The White House. He died in Wycombe Hospital on 18 October 1975, and his funeral was held at the Chilterns Crematorium on 24 October. So ended nearly 100 years of Sweetland photographers in High Wycombe.

In the SWOP collection there are nearly 2,000 photographs taken by Edward and Clarence