John Proctor

John Proctor (26 May 1836 – 10 August 1914) was a British artist, cartoonist and illustrator, well known in his day for political cartoons in magazines such as Judy and Moonshine, rivals to Punch. He also illustrated many books and was one of Lewis Carroll's choices to illustrate Alice Through the Looking-Glass instead of John Tenniel. Personal life John Proctor was born 26 May 1836 in St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, he was the son of Adam Proctor (1797–1869) who was a plumber and his wife Eliza Proctor (1809–1897). He married Harriet Johanna McCallum (1836–1920) on 25 July 1861 in Town Yetholm, Roxburghshire, Scotland. They had nine children including Adam Edwin Proctor (1865–1913), a watercolour artist. They spent most of their married life in London, retiring to Little London, near Albury in Surrey, by 1911. He died at 'Heathend', Little London, on 10 August 1914 and is buried in Nunhead Cemetery, London. Career Proctor was apprenticed to William Banks in Edinburgh for six years to master steel and copper engraving before moving to London around 1859. In his words, he was “… equipped with a limited art education but a fair share of ambition in my head and a book of character sketches of Lammas Fair in my wallet. The reason for my invasion was to get into black and white business straightaway”. In the 1861 UK Census, he is listed as an 'artist on wood'. His career began as a graphic journalist for the Illustrated London News and was a special artist in St Petersburg, Russia in 1874 covering the royal wedding of Prince Alfred and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna. He became the sole resident artist for Cassell, Petter and Galpin from 1861 to 1867 and contributed regularly to Cassell's Illustrated Family Paper and other magazines as well as illustrations for books such as Bright Thoughts for the Little Ones (1866).