Cotmania. Vol. VI. 1930-31

J. J.COTMAN.
Extract from M.S. biography by J. Reeve.
While living at Plumstead he sold for a small sum to a
broker some hundreds of his own sketches & drawings &
disposed of & pawned a large & valuable collection of works by
his father & brother. The more valuable portrion of his
father's drawings were in the hands of Mr Steward,
Pawnbroker, Yarmouth, who, after having advanced a
sum of money on them, bought the entire collection of
Cotmans for something under 100£. & then placed
them in the hands of Messrs. Spelman of Norwich
to sell at the Bazaar Rooms by auction, when
they realized a considerable profit. (see catalogue
of Sale, May 16. 1861,)
Mr Christie, pawnbroker at Norwich had another
portion of his collection & as J.J.Cotman did not redeem
them, these were also bought by Christie, & subsequently
sold at the Bazaar Rooms by Mr Murrell - The Collection included several drawings by J.S.Cotman & a large
number by M.E.Cotman, besides most of his father's
published works & some thousands of his Small
Sketches, mounted on inform sheets of paper, which
he (J. S. C) had made as memorandum sketches of not