Sometime after this he changed his surname from Winbush to Wimbush, apparently the only one of his siblings to do so. Why he did this is unknown, but it is believed that the original family name was indeed Wimbush. His father’s name was Edward Winbush, but the grandfather’s name has also been seen as John Wimbush. Although surnames varied a great deal in documents of the time, it appears that all the Winbush childen were well educated and that it was a definite decision on John’s part to change the spelling of his name.

It was probably around 1875 (aged 21) that John was able to get his own studio, although how he supported himself is unknown. While in London, he became a friend of James Abbott McNeil Whistler, whose Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist’s mother, better known as Whistler’s Mother, was painted in John’s studio. It is believed that the chair and the rug in the painting belonged to John. Later they were inherited by Winbush family members. His friends included Albert Ludovick, Claude Monet and Walter Sickert.

It appears that John moved to Dartmouth around 1902. The book illustrator and postcard artist Henry Bowser Wimbush (1861–1943) was working in Devon and Cornwall at this time as well and the two have possibly been confused. Whether they were related is unknown. In 1912 John painted Charles Peek, Mayor of Dartmouth (1911–1914 and 1919–1921), still at Dartmouth Guildhall.

John Wimbush died at Totnes in Devon on 15th March 1914, just before the commencement of the First World War. Why he moved to Totnes, about 25 kilometres north-west of Dartmouth, is still unknown. He is buried in Totnes cemetery.

With thanks to the Martin family (maternal descendants of John L. Wimbush) and Dartmouth Museum