Knox Guild of Design and Crafts

The Knox Guild of Arts and Crafts was formed in 1912 by a group of about twenty art students at Kingston School of Art, Surrey, England in honour of the Liberty designer Archibald Knox. Knox had resigned from his post as Head of Design at Kingston School of Art in 1912 following criticism of his teaching. Knox was officially the Master of the Guild, although by then he had returned to the Isle of Man. He did however return and exhibited with them. They rented rooms at 24A Market Place, Kingston, until about 1914. They followed Knox's mantra Aim for order, hope for beauty.

"The main object of the Guild is to carry out Mr. Knox's teachings, and to encourage by public exhibitions and craft demonstrations a wider public interest in the design of personal and household belongings. These exhibitions have created much interest and have attracted hundreds of people."

In 1912, following criticism of his teaching methods, Archibald Knox quit Kingston School of Art. Together with other students from their design class, sisters Denise and Winifred Tuckfield quit Kingston School of Art to found the Knox Guild of Design and Craft. They rented premises at 24A Market Place, Kingston. The Knox Guild exhibited in Kingston Museum Art Gallery in 1914, then annually from 1919 until 1935, and at the Whitechapel Gallery in East London in 1921, 1923 and 1925.

Other members of the Knox Guild included the organisation's President Edmund Holding, a tailor by trade and a member of the Royal Watercolour Society. His wife May Holding was also a founding member. She made hand spun, hand woven, vegetable dyed furnishings for their home, and orange curtains for the Wrens’ home Potter's Croft. She wrote the book Notes on Spinning and Dyeing Wool published in 1922. Maudie E. Bishop was a stained glass craftworker. She made decorative glass panels for Potter's Croft. In 1947, she was commissioned to make a stained glass window for Surbiton Hill Methodist Church. Located above the sanctuary, it commemorates Mayor of Surbiton Herbert Samuel Durbin. Annie Begg wrote Raffia and Mabel Roffey wrote Simple Basketry For Homes and Schools, both published by Pitman in 1930. Mabel Pope made silver jewellery decorated with semi-precious stones and Molly Walters designed tiles and textiles.

The President was Edmund Holding, who was a member of the Royal Watercolour Society. The Secretary was Winifred Tuckfield, known for her weaving and leatherwork. Other members included Denise Tuckfield, May Holding, Mabel Roffey, Molly Walters, who designed tiles and textiles, Mabel Pope, who made silver jewellery, Annie Begg, and Maude Bishop, who created stained glass including the memorial window at Surbiton Hill Methodist Church.

The Guild exhibited annually, initially in the Kingston Art Gallery from 1913 and later at the Whitechapel Gallery.

In 1915 Denise Tuckfield married Henry Wren. Then in 1920 they built a house in Oxshott, Surrey and started the Oxshott Pottery.

The Guild continued exhibiting up to at least 1933.

Original Members
Tony Althopp

C. Ballard

Annie Louisa Begg (1874-1973)

Nora Black

Maude 'Maudie' Emily Bishop (1890-1975)

Marian Coombes

Celia Ellls

Elizabeth Ellis

Dorothy Gruchy

Lilian Harding

May Harris

Edgar 'Edmund' Thomas Holding (1870-1952)

May Holding (b.1869)

Lilian Parker

Annie Parker

Mabel I. Pope (c.1888-1970)

Jessie Smith

Denise K Tuckfield

Winifred Tuckfield (1889-1955)

Harold A Winser

? Williams

Publications
Begg, Annie L (1930) Raffia; methods and suggestions for work, in the home, schools, and women's institutes. London, Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons

Begg, Annie L (1950) Raffia. Methods And Suggestions. London, Pitman Publishing Company

Holding, May (1922) Notes on Spinning and Dyeing Wool. London, Women's Printing Society. Holding, May (1949) Notes on spinning and dyeing wool;: With which is included some interesting information on the various vegetable dyes and directions for dyeing raffia. 4th edition. Skilbeck Brothers Limited

Roffey, Mabel (1930) Simple Basketry for Homes and Schools. London, Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons

Roffey, Mabel (1937) Simple basketry for homes and schools, Including willow basketry for women (Pitman's craft for all series)