Photograph by Hills and Saunders (c.1864)

Thomas Robert Tighe Chapman was the second of four children (three sons and a daughter). He attended the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester, but was not attracted by farming as a career. His elder brother died in 1870, and as the oldest surviving son he continued to live at South Hill after his marriage in 1873 to Edith Rochfort-Boyd. They had four daughters: Eva (b.1876), Rose (b. 1878), Florence (b.1880) and Mabel (b.1881).

The marriage was not a happy one. Within a few years Mrs Chapman developed an extremely bitter personality and became fanatically religious. Judging by surviving accounts she may have been suffering from some kind of mental illness. Thomas Chapman was unable to cope with the situation and began to drink heavily.

In later years, after he had left Ireland and assumed the name 'Lawrence', he was remembered as a gentle and unassuming man, evidently well-used to filling his days with enjoyable pastimes, especially out-of-doors. He was a good shot, a keen cyclist and an experienced amateur photographer. As he had a modest private income he chose to follow no career. This enabled him to spend a great deal of time with his children. His sons regarded him, above all, as a friend.

Private Collection