THE Family History of Adam Buck (1759-1833)

Adam's Ancestry

Researching Irish ancestors is not easy and what is known of Adam's ancestors is part conjecture, part fact.  His great-grandfather is believed to have been another Adam Buck who was a goldsmith in Dublin and Limerick, known to have died in 1725 in Limerick.  It was probably his son Jonathan Buck who was baptised in Dublin in 1691.  This Jonathan became a well-established silversmith working in Limerick but the whole family moved to Cork around 1750.  He married Faith or Phoebe Batwell in 1722 and they had a large family of around 16 children over the next 20 years.  Amongst these children were one of the eldest, Andrew Buck (ca 1725-1795), and Jonathan Buck (1730-1786).  These two brothers are highlighted as they are part of the Adam Buck story and have been more extensively researched.

Andrew Buck (1725-1795) was educated at Trinity College, Dublin ('TCD') and as Revd Dr Buck was Principal of The Hibernian Academy, Oxmantown, Dublin for many years.  He married Elizabeth Sydney around 1751.  His children included Jonathan Buck (1752-1786, educated TCD, a painter), John Buck (1755-1842, educated TCD, a vicar in Ireland but with many Australian descendants today), Henry (born ca 1764, an apprenticed printer in 1778) and possibly an Andrew (becoming a Dublin solicitor and dying about 1820).  It was almost certainly that painter son Jonathan with his sons John and Jonathan who are the subject of one of ‘our’ Adam Buck's earliest known family portraits, "My cousin Jonathan and his sons John and Jonathan" (ca 1790).  Andrew the solicitor's son was Robert Andrew Buck (1779-1855, educated TCD and also a Dublin solicitor), with many English descendants today including members of the Darvall family.

Revd Dr Andrew's younger brother Jonathan (1730-1786) followed in his father's footsteps and became a silversmith in Limerick.  He married Elizabeth (Stedman?) in 1751, perhaps before he moved with the rest of the family to Cork.  They were the parents of  Adam Buck (our artist), Frederick Buck (1764/5-1840, also an artist (miniaturist) who practised out of Cork and who married twice, having a large family now spread across the world) and Elizabeth Buck (1767, who married Henry Morrison in 1794 - her son was a sitter for an Adam portrait).  In addition there was Faith Buck (1756-1829, who did not marry) and also three other sons about whom nothing is known and who perhaps died young.

Adam's own family

Adam was born in Cork in 1759 and was baptised 27 April 1760.  Nothing is known of his childhood or training, it being claimed he was 'self-taught'.  Little is known about his Irish years either except what may be gleaned from his known works in that period.  Having established a good name for himself in Ireland, he left Ireland for London in 1795.  His London career is described earlier - click here.

Adam was to marry Margaret George (1784-1867), the daughter of a Yorkshire solicitor, in Lambeth, London in 1804.  They had only two children who survived to adulthood, (Revd) Alfred Buck (1813-1891, marrying Charlotte Conran Smith (1818-1895) in 1839 and had issue) and Sidney Buck (1816-1899, an artist and unmarried).  Their other children died young: George Buck (1809-1811), Francis Buck (1810-1817) and Georgiana Buck (1826-1838).  Adam himself died in London in August 1833.

It is always a pleasure to share information with those interested in this Buck family and to learn of other portraits by the Bucks.  It is hoped to enlarge upon this brief introduction of the Buck family in due course.  Please do make contact - click here.