Marie Spartali was born on 13 March 1884 in Hornsey, Middlesex (now Greater London), the eldest of the five children of Michael Demetrius Spartali (1818-1914) and Maria Euphrosyne Spartali née Varsini (1826-1913). Both her parents were Greek but had become naturalised British subjects. Her birth was registered as Mary Spartali in the 2nd quarter of 1844 in the Edmonton registration district, Middlesex (now Greater London).
In the 1851 census she is shown as Mary Spartali, living in Page Green, Tottenham, Middlesex (now Greater London), with her parents, her sister Christine Spartali (1846-1884), together with a cook, a housemaid, a nurse and coachman. He father was described as a general merchant.
She was again listed as Mary Spartali, a 17-year-old scholar, in the 1861 census residing at 51 Euston Square, St Pancras, Middlesex (now Greater London), with her parents, three siblings: Christine; Demetrius Michael Spartali (1851-1894) and Eustratius Hercules Spartali (1854-1933), together with one male and three female domestic servants. Her father was recorded as a merchant.
When the 1871 census was undertaken she was shown as Marie Spartali, a 27-year-old artist, living at The Shrubbery, Clapham Common, Battersea, Surrey (now Greater London), with her parents, her two brothers: Demetrius and Eustratius, together with a butler, a cook, a lady's maid, two housemaids and a kitchen-maid. Her father and both brothers were recorded as merchants.
On 10 April 1871, as Marie Spartali she is shown as marrying William James Stillman (1828-1901), a widower, in the 2nd quarter of 1871 in the Chelsea registration district, London. They were to have three children: Euphrosyne Stillman (1872-1911) who was born in Notting Hill, London; Michael Spartali Stillman (1878-1967) who was born in Florence, Tuscany, Italy and James Spillman (1881-1882) who was born and died in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
She does not appear on either the 1881 or 1891 census returns because the Stillman's moved to Florence, Italy, in 1878. For health reasons she returned to England in 1883, staying in the Isle of Wight and London, but her husband's appointment in 1886 as the Italian and Greek correspondent for 'The Times' newspaper drew her back to Italy, where she lived in Rome until 1898.
She was shown as Marie S. Stillman, a painter (artist), aged 56 years, in the 1901 census, living at 'Deepdene', Frimley Green, Surrey, with her husband, her widowed step-daughter Bella Helena Middleton née Stillman (1868-1948) her step-grand daughter Mary Margaret Middleton (1894-1984), together with a nurse, a cook and a housemaid. Her husband was described as a retired journalist.
When she completed her 1911 census return form she showed her name as Marie Stillman living in a 12 roomed house at 12 Campden Hill Gardens, Kensington. London, with a cook, a caretaker and a house parlourmaid. She described herself as a water colour artist.
Probate records confirm her name as Marie Stillman, that her address had been 19 Ashburn Place, Cromwell Road, South Kensington and that she died, aged 82 years, on 6 March 1927. Probate was granted on 18 May 1927 to her widowed step-daughter, Bella Middleton and her effects totalled £155-1s-2d. Her death was registered in the 1st quarter of 1927 in the Kensington registration area. Her body was cremated at Brookwood Cemetery, Glades House, Cemetery Pales, Brookwood, Woking, GU24 0BL and her ashes were interred there with her husband.
She is shown as Mrs Stillman on the Rossetti fountain on the Chelsea Embankment, London, SW3 and as Marie Spartali Stillman on the blue plaque at 2 Lavender Gardens, SW11 - not yet published.
Our Picture Source and her Wikipedia page give much information about this lady.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
