BY VICTOR SPINK
Frank Galsworthy (he pronounced his name Galsworthy as in ‘pals’) lived in Green Lane Farm Chertsey for the last sixty yeas of his life. In 1977, Jocelyn Barker, then Miss Bentley, the curator of Chertsey Museum mounted a major exhibition of his work which included the three of his wartime watercolours of the town in the museum’s collection.
Many other watercolours included in the exhibition included landscapes, windmills, and especially flowers for which he was famous all over the world. He became known internationally as a flower ‘portraitist’ recording rare breeds. Late in his life he sent some of his watercolours of dahlias to America with a covering note apologising for his shaky handling of the petals but he was over 90 when he painted them from his Chertsey garden in Green Lane.
According to his housekeeper he cut a rather autocratic figure in the town dressed in cape with large brimmed fedora hat, silver topped cane, and driving a motorcar. Frank’s cousin was the author John Galsworthy. Another anecdote his housekeeper said was that one night when Galsworthy heard a car crash outside on the A320 by White Lodge gates, (now demolished), he rushed out with blankets and brandy to help the unfortunate injured passengers before the ambulance came. He painted on to the age of 96 in 1959, and died in the same year.
Mr Galsworthy had a Chertsey Road named after him and as a member of the Royal Horticultural Society they honoured him with a rhododendron called ‘Frank Galsworthy’.