This self-portrait painting of the deaf artist, Sir John Gaudy, was painted in 1673, and shows him wearing a powdered wig and white lace cravat. The painting was purchased from Cheffins Auctioneers at an auction in Cambridge in September 2016 for £5,842, thanks to a 100% grant from the Art Fund. The Art Fund was persuaded that this painting was of tremendous significance to the Deaf Community because Sir John and his brother Framlingham were the first known deaf people in Britain to be educated through the use of sign language.
Who was he?
Sir John Gaudy and his younger deaf brother Framlingham were born and grew up in the village of West Harling in Norfolk. They were the second and fourth of four sons of Sir William Gaudy, 2nd Baronet, and his wife Elizabeth. They also had a daughter, Mary.
Their family was wealthy and counted amongst it many lawyers, High Sheriffs of Norfolk and Members of Parliament as well as landowners in Norfolk. The brothers were fortunate in that their manor house was about 400 yards from the local parish church and there lived in the vicarage a priest named John Cressender, who found books about sign language and used these books to communicate and teach not only the deaf brothers but also their sister and his own children with the result that all the children were able to communicate with each other through sign language. The deaf brothers went to the Art school run by Sir Peter Lely, studying to become professional painters. On the deaths of his elder brother Bassingbourne from smallpox and then his father, John Gaudy inherited the baronetcy. He married Anne de Grey in 1662. He became extremely ill with smallpox during August 1663 but recovered completely without any disfiguring marks on his face. His first child, a daughter, Anne was born in 1666 and a son, Bassingbourne, was born in 1667. Lady Anne was never in full health as she suffered many illnesses and her several pregnancies went to term only twice. She died in 1680. Sir John Gaudy’s two grandsons were also born deaf. The brothers hold the distinction of being the first known British born deaf persons to be educated and taught to read and write through sign language. Sir John Gaudy never spoke all through his life
but relied on signed communication and use of personal interpreters, especially his children and Henry Cressender, the son of his old tutor John Cressender. Sir John’s health began to decline towards the end of his life and he passed away in his sleep in January 1709.