“THE TOUT” – Epsom’s caricaturist
(Peter R G Buchanan, 1886-1965)
“The Tout” at work at his easel in 1923.
Image from The Illustrated London News.
For much of the first half of the 20th Century, “The Tout” drew caricatures, mainly of horse racing society, that were published principally in The Tatler and The Bystander weekly magazines. (We use examples of his work in our articles about local polo player Auriol Barker and local racehorse trainer Cecil Langlands) For much of that time, the artist lived in Epsom.
The person behind the pseudonym was Peter Ronald Griffiths-Buchanan. Tracing him in the records is complicated not only by his surname not always being double-barrelled but also by “Buchanan” occasionally being “Buchanon”. Even so, we have enough to tell his story.
Peter was born in Clun, Shropshire on 3 October 1886, the second child (and first son) of John and Jessie Laura Griffiths-Buchanan. The 1891 Census records the mid 30s parents (John being listed as a “Solicitor”), now with three children, living in “Castle Cottage”, at the foot of the historic Clun castle . The family was supported by two domestic nurses and two live-in servants.
The 1901 records the parents still at “Castle Cottage”, Clun, but 14 year old Peter and his older sister were away from home, perhaps at school.
By the time of the 1911 Census, the parents had moved to St James’s Road, Hereford, but the 24 year old Peter (a self-employed “Artist (Painter)”) is found boarding with the Ford family in Randolph Road, Epsom.
Peter’s career showed his deep affection for “the Turf”. Epsom’s prominence in the world of horse training and racing is surely the reason he came to the town. As to his pseudonym, “touts” are not only those who tout for business (often in an aggressive manner) or who sell on scarce tickets at inflated prices. He doubtless adopted “Tout” for its meaning as someone who hangs around training stables to pick up useful information. Dictionaries are vague on the word’s derivation, normally linking it to the “toot” or “tout” of a horn to attract attention. In his book “EPSOM: Talk of the Town”, John Furniss notes that he learned from Lord Rosebery’s diary that “Epsom ‘tooters’ or ‘touters’ got their name from the people of Tooting who used to waylay visitors on their way to Epsom Races on behalf of certain Epsom tradesmen to secure their custom.”
In 1914, Peter – as “The Tout” – illustrated the front cover of the Epsom Horticultural Society’s programme, as below.
Cover of the Epsom Horticultural Society’s 1917 programme – click to enlarge.
(For the key to 1 to 17, see below.)
This caricatured a number of what, in his previously-mentioned book “EPSOM: Talk of the Town”, John Furniss notes are some “well-known Epsomians” of the time”. From notes in that book and also in Jeremy Harte’s book “EPSOM: a History & Celebration”, it is possible to identify the following:
1 (“West Hill Venture”) ?
2 Walter Langlands, local Estate Agent
3 Dr Daniels of “Coulthurst”, St Martin’s Avenue in his Hillman, a popular car with doctors at the time.
4 ‘Appy Jack, who lived rough on Epsom Common
5 Sir Thomas Bicknell, High Court Judge of Hylands House
6 “Bobby” Capon, Captain of the Fire Brigade and Engineer & Surveyor of the EUDC.
7 Frank Wootton, lived Treadwell House.
8 Lord Rosebery of the Durdans
9 ?
10 ?
11 The Revd Edward Northey, of Woodcote
12 The Revd Bainbridge Bell, Vicar of St Martin’s
13 George Furniss, Coal etc dealer
14 George Duller, the jockey
15 The Revd Henry Bowles, Vicar of Christ Church
16 ?
17 ?
From John Furniss, we also know that the question marks above need to be filled with the following:
• Basil Braithwaite of Hookfield House;
• Jack Brewer, one time keeper of the stables behind the Queen’s Head in South Street;
• Colonel Houlder; &
• The 28 year old “Tout” himself;
(Please let us know if you can help allocate any of
these names to the question marks.)
That Horticultural Society programme issued shortly before the outbreak of WW1, for which (in November 1914) Peter joined the Army as a Second Lieutenant. The nature of his service is not currently known but, on 15 September 1915, the 28 year old Peter married 25 year old Mary Aubrey Boddington. The marriage was at St Peter’s Church, Cranley Gardens, South Kensington – the parish church for Mary’s address of 15 Roland Gardens. (It is now the Armenian Church of St Yeghiche.) The Register entry lists Peter’s address as the nearby 36 Thurloe Square.
The first post-war record of the couple is currently a 1921 Electoral Roll entry for them as the only voters at “Cresline”, Randolph Road – the same road in Epsom where Peter was boarding in 1911. And that is confirmed by the 1921 Census (taken in 19 June that year) which records them there (with Peter listed as a self-employed “Artist/Painter” working from home). Also there was their first child, almost 4 year old David – who had been born in Dunfermline, Scotland – and their 19 year old domestic servant. The couple’s second child, John, was born in Epsom in Q1 1923. They remained at that address for most of the 1920s. They then moved to “Mayfield” (later, numbered 2) in St Martin’s Avenue, Epsom.
Peter – “The Tout” – in May 1931.
Image from The Tatler (which published much of his work),
coinciding with an exhibition of his pictures in
The Walker Galleries, New Bond Street, London.
Electoral Rolls throughout the 1930s record them at 2 St Martin’s Avenue, and that is where they were at the time of the national September 1939 Register. This lists Peter as “Press Assistant and Journalist” and Mary with the conventional “Unpaid Domestic Duties”. They were supported by a 19 year old domestic servant. The original record is annotated to show that the 52 year old Peter became an ARP warden and 49 year old Mary was Secretary of the local British Red Cross Society.
During WW2, the couple moved to “Mill House”, Stetchworth in Cambridgeshire, a few miles south of Newmarket – which, like Epsom, has strong horse racing connections. The 1945 Electoral Roll records them there, and that is where Mary – aged 68 – died on 8 January 1959. The widowed Peter later moved to “Orchard House” in the village of Henfield, West Sussex. He died, aged 80, on 5 January 1965.
“The Tout” was prolific and his work remains collectible: a fraction of the results of an internet search for images of “Tout caricatures” is illustrated below.
A small sample of the results of an internet search for “Tout caricatures”.
Roger Morgan © 2021
Additional Cartoons – With thanks to Indra Vikram Singh
A Tout Cartoon of Windsor Lad winning the 1934 Derby
showing Jockey Charlie Smirke and Trainer Marcus Marsh
With thanks to Indra Vikram Singh
A Tout Cartoon showing Jockey Charlie Smirke who rode the 1934 Derby winner
With thanks to Indra Vikram Singh
An other Tout Cartoon this time with local trainer Herbert Smyth
With thanks to Indra Vikram Singh
A Tout Cartoon in The Tatler 30 May 1934
With thanks to Indra Vikram Singh