| AdminHistory | John Tyley (born c. 1773) was a botanical artist of mixed heritage from Antigua.
Born in Antigua, a free man of colour, Tyley was a a talented, self-taught artist. When he was around 20 years old, he came to the attention of Dr Alexander Anderson, superintendent of the Botanic Gardens of St. Vincent. Tyley was invited to live with Anderson and his family in the superintendent's house and was employed as Anderson's assistant to draw and paint plant species growing in the botanical garden. He was paid 5 shillings per day, the standard wage for a skilled tradesman. Tyley signed some of his artwork, which was unusal for the time and especially for a man of colour, but it is likely that he was responsible for producing more artwork which did not bear his signature.
In 1800 Tyley was exiled from St. Vincent for corresponding with people of colour about the unequal status of non-White people in the Caribbean. He attempted to gain a similar position at the Trinidad Botanic Gardens but it was blocked by Governor Thomas Picton who did not want Tyley to settle on the island. The last record that can be found of Tyley is in 1823 in the form of his signature which appears on a petition to Antigua which aimed to improve the situation of people of colour. |